The Penguin will continue the dark, crime-drama story that began in The Batman (2022), and it won’t just continue the story of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (Colin Farrell), it will also be an expansion on the world (and underworld) of Gotham City than what we saw in The Batman. It’s the first time that Batman’s version of organized crime is getting this much of a spotlight, and some classic Batman characters will get their mainstream live-action debut, as a result.
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Alberto Falcone and Sofia Falcone are major supporting characters in one of the most revered Batman comic stories of all time: The Long Halloween; in The Penguin, they are played by Michael Zegen and Cristin Milioti (respectively). Milioti’s Sofia Falcone has been a major focus of The Penguin trailers, positioning her as a major antagonist and foil to Oz.
“I thought about Rosemary Kennedy, the lost Kennedy daughter, who they put away in an asylum,” Penguin showrunner/lead writer Lauren LeFranc explained. “It’s unclear how mentally ill she was or if she just did things that they felt were inappropriate and made the Kennedys look bad. Eventually, she got a lobotomy. It’s a very tragic story, but I thought about that about Carmine and Sofia. What if she came from Arkham State Hospital? Did she deserve to go to Arkham?”
The Long Halloween had mysteries wrapped in mysteries from beginning to end – and one reveal was that Sofia was a killer named “The Hangman,” due to her penchant for killing her victims by tying nooses around their necks and hanging them herself (she’s depicted as a woman the size of a football player in the comics). While LeFranc is clear that The Penguin is NOT an adaptation of The Long Halloween, we know from previews that Sofia’s persona as “The Hangman” will be referenced.
Alberto Falcone was the timid, educated son of Carmine Falcone, who is eventually revealed to be the serial killer known as the “Holiday Killer,” who Batman was tracking for more than a year. Alberto took up the gun against his father’s enemies in Sal Maroni’s mob, without anyone ever really surmising that it was him. Of course, by the sequel story to The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Alberto, and Sofia’s relationship came to a head, and the sibling rivalry turned bloody. Penguin has been a lot more secretive about how Michael Zegen’s version of Alberto will fit into the story, and if his clandestine penchant for murder is part of this new mythos for The Batman.
The Penguin will air on HBO and stream on Max starting on September 19th.
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Image courtesy of DC Studios
