Diksha Sundriyal
A spin-off of Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman,’ HBO’s ‘The Penguin’ explores the rise of the eponymous character in the criminal underworld of Gotham. Picking up a week after the events of the movie, the show delves into the fractured state of the Falcone empire and how Oswald “Oz” Cobb jumps at the opportunity to seize power. The eight-episode season ends with him getting what he wants, while also committing atrocious deeds along the way. What makes it interesting is that the finale sets up an even darker journey for the Penguin and Sofia Falcone. However, there is a good chance that we may not see it unfold over another season.
The Penguin Season 2’s Fate Depends on The Batman Sequel
When ‘The Penguin’ was conceived, the idea was to flesh out the villain’s character and get him ready for the arc that is to be covered in ‘The Batman 2.’ Despite being in the first film, the Penguin had a rather limited role, and it made sense for a TV show to give a fuller perspective of his character’s journey and show how much of a threat he really is to Gotham and the Batman. However, in doing so, the creators focused on making it a limited series that would serve as a launching pad for the Penguin’s rise into a mega-villain. The finale lays the groundwork for the events that are to unfold in the film’s sequel, and this is why the fate of the second season is also inherently connected to it.
The show’s executive producer and showrunner, Lauren LeFranc, has stated that while there have been talks about where the story could go in a potential second season, the fate of the series depends on the sequel, which is slated for a release on October 1, 2027. Matt Reeves has recently turned in a script for which principal photography is to commence in 2026. This means that the release could be pushed further, depending on how the process goes. With this in mind, if the creators of ‘The Penguin’ are hinging the show’s fate on the sequel, then we might not get any news about it until late 2026, at the earliest. Even so, the second season’s plot would depend on the Penguin’s fate in the movie, which makes the possibility of the series’ continuation even more uncertain.
While the show’s creators and actors, Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti, have expressed their interest in making another season, almost all of them have agreed on the fact that the second season would not only have to do justice to the characters, but it would also have to top the first season. Initially, Farrell, who was buried under heavy makeup and prosthetics for the show, did not seem interested in returning to the makeup chair for hours on end. But later, he said that he would be open to the possibility if there was a better story to tell. So far, there has been no major development in that direction. Moreover, the series was nominated for the Emmys under the “limited series” category. While HBO is known to have changed labels with hit shows like ‘The White Lotus’ and ‘Big Little Lies,’ which started out as a limited series and then got more seasons later. However, for now, at least, it means that there is no intent to change its label.
The Penguin Season 2 Could Explore Oswald Cobb’s Criminal Empire
Considering what happens in ‘The Batman 2,’ the Penguin’s story could go in multiple directions if a second season were greenlit. There are multiple storylines from the comics that could be adapted, individually or merged together, to go deeper into the psyche of an already troubled and dubious character. Since ‘The Batman’ movies are toying with the idea of the Court of Owls, there is a good chance the sequel might lean into that, or at least set the stage for it to be explored in the third film. In that case, the second season of ‘The Penguin’ could follow in the footsteps of the first season and serve as the bridge between the second and third Batman movies.
Whatever storyline the creators choose to explore, it is clear that the next time we see the Penguin, he will have to answer for his crimes in Season 1. Sofia, particularly, would want her revenge, and by now, she and Oz are so deeply intertwined that one’s story could not be told without the other. The second season could also bring back Theo Rossie as Doctor Julian Rush and Carmen Ejogo as Eve Karlo, the only major characters to have survived the war between Oz and Sophia, especially with Victor’s vicious murder at the hands of Oz in the finale. All in all, the Penguin might have become the emperor now, but his downfall will be equally as spectacular as his rise, and that would be something that the second season could expand upon, giving more legs for his storyline to stand on in the film series.
Read More: Did Colin Farrell Gain Weight for The Penguin? Is He Wearing Makeup or Prosthetics?
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