Recent news surrounding The Batman Part II won’t delight fans of a certain DC TV show. The sequel to Matt Reeves’s The Batman (2022) is gearing up to begin production, and more details about the cast, characters, and story are emerging. Following the Riddler’s (Paul Dano) devastating attack on Gotham City, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Robert Pattinson) will return in The Batman Part II to take on a new villain. Familiar faces such as Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis) and Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) will join Batman in the follow-up film, which has been the subject of numerous delays before finally settling on its current 2027 release date. Despite the setbacks, Reeves’s The Batman franchise has achieved massive success through just two installments.
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The spinoff series The Penguin was a major hit on HBO Max, and its nine Emmy wins could deliver a second season. Set after the events of The Batman, The Penguin chronicles Oswald “Oz” Cobb/the Penguin’s (Colin Farrell) battle for control of Gotham’s criminal underworld. Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), the late Carmine Falcone’s (John Turturro) daughter, fiercely rivals Oz in the ruthless power struggle, which ends with the Penguin on top and Sofia back in Arkham Asylum. Unfortunately, Milioti will not feature in The Batman Part II following her Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy victory. Farrell is slated to reprise his role as Oz; however, the actor recently confirmed that his part in The Batman Part II won’t be quite the same. These developments further establish the need for The Penguin Season 2 to allow Gotham’s crime bosses to shine again.
DC Should Make The Penguin Season 2 a Priority
For now, the primary focus of Reeves’s franchise remains The Batman Part II, though DC should really get the ball rolling on The Penguin Season 2. Oz’s return in the sequel movie initially positioned him to take on a more significant role as one of Batman’s enemies in Gotham. Yet, fans should temper their expectations for the Penguin’s next appearance. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Farrell shared some details about his involvement in The Batman Part II.
“I’ve got an even smaller role in this one,” Farrell said. “But I’m OK with that…I’ve read the script, from start to finish, and I can’t say much about it. But it’s deeper, scarier, the stakes are bigger. I’m really excited to see it.”
Given Oz’s limited role in The Batman Part II and Sofia’s absence from the movie, The Penguin Season 2 should be high on DC’s list of priorities. The Penguin boasts fascinatingly layered characters and excellently fleshes out The Batman‘s gritty and corrupt Gotham City. Despite its lack of heroes, The Penguin offsets some of its brutality with sympathetic characters. From Sofia, unjustly framed for her father’s murders, to Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), Oz’s young protégé who loses his family in the flood and is later killed by the Penguin, there’s no shortage of complex and easy-to-root-for personalities in The Penguin. The show’s eight episodes unearth the origin and shocking extent of Oz’s depravity, solidifying him as one of DC’s most fearsome villains.
The Penguin‘s brilliant development of Oz, Sofia, and others makes their marginal influence on The Batman Part II‘s story a giant disappointment. Even so, DC could easily remedy this mistake by green-lighting The Penguin Season 2. The Batman Part II likely has a riveting arc in mind for Pattinson’s hero that leaves little room for Oz and no space at all for Sofia, so the decision to mostly sideline them could prove the right one. Accordingly, The Penguin Season 2 presents the perfect opportunity to restore Oz as the figurehead of Gotham’s gripping crime scene and resume the arcs of The Penguin‘s supporting characters.
The Batman Franchise Needs a Better Plan, and The Penguin Season 2 Could Be the Answer
The Batman Part II‘s production delays have frustrated DC fans. Moreover, the sequel’s struggle to get off the ground also suggests the absence of a clear plan in The Batman franchise. It’s alarming that the future beyond The Batman Part II remains uncertain, as other films and spinoff shows are essential to maintaining the cinematic universe’s success. An even bigger problem would arise if Reeves’s Elseworlds franchise conflicts with James Gunn’s DC Universe, though only time will tell if this dynamic spells trouble for The Batman projects. Regardless, DC would be remiss not to capitalize on The Penguin‘s success and move forward with Season 2 as soon as possible.
As of now, The Penguin Season 2 has not been announced by DC. However, there’s hope that a continuation of the award-winning show will become a reality. The Penguin creator Lauren LeFranc recently signed a new deal with HBO and HBO Max, possibly implicating the series’ renewal. LeFranc has emphasized that a compelling story idea would have to materialize for The Penguin to receive a second season after being conceived as a limited series, but it’s encouraging that those involved in the show are keeping the door open for more.
The Penguin‘s ending leaves several storylines on which Season 2 could be based. Sofia’s acquisition of a letter from her half-sister Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) foreshadows an exciting team-up between the two characters, while Oz’s newfound power could spark any number of intriguing moves for the villain. DC should also use The Penguin Season 2 to introduce new characters and add more intricate layers to Gotham City. Continuing to explore the rich world around Bruce Wayne is the best direction the Batman franchise could take going forward, and The Penguin Season 2 is the next step DC needs to take.
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