The Penguin HBO Max Series Confirms a MAJOR DC Villain to Appear

By Nathaniel Brail

HBO Max has begun production on their brand new series focusing on one of Batman's gretatest foes, the Penguin. The Penguin is set in the very same universe as The Batman, with Colin Farrell reprising his role as the titular character. HBO's next big series is actually set right after The Batman ends, and it seems like we'll see The Penguin take on the aftermath. Farrell previously teased that his makeup for the series is so much better than in the DC film, and recent set photos show that he wasn't kidding. With the series currently shooting, it seems that they're rounding out their cast. According to Variety, Michael Zegen, James Madio, and Scott Cohen have all joined The Penguin in recurring roles. But it seems that Zegen is actually playing a key character from the comics. The trade is also reporting that the actor is actually playing DC's Alberto Falcone, a.k.a. The Holiday Killer.

Who is The Holliday Killer? 

Fandom describes the DC villain as follows, "Alberto Falcone is an antagonist in the Batman series from DC Comics, and is often believed to be the serial killer known as The Holiday Killer, so named for committing crimes pertaining to holidays. He is the son of mob boss Carmine Falcone and appears as a principal character in both The Long Halloween and Dark Victory."

James Gunn and Peter Safran Talk The Batman Universe

"Matt is working on Batman 2, which he thinks of it as a Batman crime saga, which also includes the Penguin TV series," Gunn explained. "And it is its own thing, and he's hard at work on that. He came in and pitched us some amazing, really cool stuff the other day. Our plan is for that to continue."

Safran added, "Batman's not a stepchild. I mean, it's all under DC. We are fully invested in the success of the Batman, just like we are everything else."

"But of course, everything's going to be balanced," Gunn concluded. "So The Brave and the Bold is not going to be coming out in the same six-month period as Batman."

When Will The Batman– Part II Be Released?

The Batman– Part II was officially announced when Gunn and Safran revealed their DC Universe slate along with the films release date. Reeves previously discussed his future plans for the character.

"It's very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale," Reeves said. "It's told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it's going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It's more Batman in his detective mode than we've seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, and that's not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I'd love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it's going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation."

The Penguin is now in production and The Batman: Part II is scheduled to open in theaters on October 3, 2025.

What do you think about this casting? Let us know in the comments below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!

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