Summary
- Before The Batman- Part II, HBO Max will release The Penguin in 2024, focusing on Oswald Cobblepot’s rise to power as a major gangster in Gotham City.
- Colin Farrell will reprise his role as The Penguin in the new spin-off series, with new characters joining him on his path to becoming Gotham’s next kingpin of crime.
- The supporting cast of The Penguin includes familiar faces like Cristin Milioti and Michael Zegen, with other actors like Clancy Brown and Michael Kelly adding depth to the story.
Before Matt Reeves’ The Batman- Part II hits theaters in 2025, HBO Max will release The Penguin in 2024, a spin-off series also set in The Batman universe. Taking place after the events of the first film starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, The Penguin will reportedly reveal Oswald Cobblepot’s rise to power as he becomes a major gangster in Gotham City. Beyond Colin Farrell who’s set to reprise his role as the titular criminal, the classic Batman villain will also be joined by a brand-new cast of characters.
In The Batman, Gotham’s biggest mob boss Carmine Falcone was murdered by The Riddler. As such, one of the movie’s final scenes is focused on Penguin who was Falcone’s right-hand man. Seeing opportunity in the newly created power vacuum, it’s expected that the upcoming HBO Max show will center around Penguin’s attempts to take advantage and become Gotham’s next kingpin of crime. To that end, a new collection of allies and rivals will be featured who will help and/or hinder his goals. Here’s a guide to The Penguin’s known cast of characters.
Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, AKA The Penguin
Reprising his role from The Batman, Colin Farrell will be putting on an impressive amount of makeup and prosthetics once more, transforming into the iconic Gotham criminal for a brand-new story all his own. Widely considered to have had one of the best performances in The Batman, there’s naturally a lot of excitement for Farrell’s return in The Penguin. Beyond The Batman, the Academy Award nominee is best known for his roles in True Detective,Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Lobster, and most recently The Banshees of Inisherin.
It stands to reason that Oz’s rise to power will help lay the foundations for The Batman – Part II. Farrell’s Penguin has the potential to become a household name in Gotham which would in turn change the very landscape of the city’s underworld, creating brand-new threats and dangers for the upcoming sequel. Likewise, The events of The Penguin will likely force Batman to change tactics in his ongoing crusade.
Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone
Cristin Milioti will be playing Sofia Falcone, daughter of the deceased Carmine Falcone. Best known for her role in How I Met Your Mother as Tracy as well as having parts in Fargo and The Wolf of Wall Street, Milioti is a very exciting addition to Reeves’ Gotham. As Sofia, Milioti will likely be a ruthless criminal in her own right, perhaps looking to inherit her father’s criminal empire. As seen in the production teaser for The Penguin, it looks as though Sofia and Oswald will form an alliance, presumably against rival criminals who are similarly looking to take advantage of Carmine’s demise.
Michael Zegen as Alberto Falcone
It’s been reported that Micheal Zegen has been cast as Alberto Falcone in The Penguin, another one of Carmine’s children. Zegen is known for his work on series such as The Walking Dead where he played Randall as well as his roles on Boardwalk Empire and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In the original DC Comics, Alberto was sent to receive a college education rather than being welcomed into the family business. Perhaps his father’s death will bring him home to Gotham in the upcoming series.
In the comics’ Long Halloween storyline, the disturbed young man saw his father’s protection from a life of crime as a rejection, eventually turning him into the Holiday Killer who brought about the end of the entire Falcone Crime Family over a single year. In the overarching Batman mythos, Alberto is considered to be the linchpin that ceded control of Gotham to the “freaks”. Keeping that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Zegen’s Alberto will similarly become The Batman’s version of the Holiday Killer.
Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni
Clancy Brown has been cast as Salvatore Maroni, Carmine Falcone’s chief rival in the comics as well as in The Batman universe. An incredibly accomplished actor in both film and television, Brown is best known for his roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Starship Troopers, and most recently John Wick 4 as the Harbinger. He’s also the voice behind several major roles in animation such as Lex Luthor in Superman: The Animated Series as well as Spongebob’s Mr. Krabs.
Although he wasn’t seen in The Batman, Salvatore Maroni still played a major role. The originator behind Gotham’s drug epidemic with “drops”, Maroni’s criminal empire rivaled Falcone’s. He was also responsible for hiring journalist Edward Elliot to dig up information about Martha Wayne in the hopes of getting mayor-elect Thomas Wayne in his pocket. As such, Maroni may have been behind the Wayne murders just as much as Falcone could have been, though the true killer remains a mystery. While Maroni was ultimately arrested after being ratted out by Falcone, the Riddler’s exposure of the Gotham Renewal conspiracy may lead to his release.
Michael Kelly As Johnny Vitti
Another member of the Falcone Crime family was revealed in 2023 with the news that Michael Kelly would be playing a role in The Penguin. In a later interview with The Wrap, Kelly explained a little about the character he was set to play, stating he was, “the underboss of the Falcone Crime family. Johnny Vitti is his name. He’s not a good guy. But it’s a fun character to play. It’s a lot of fun.”
Given an underboss in a crime family is conventionally the head’s second in command, it stands to reason Vitti may play a crucial role in the show following Carmine Falcone’s death in The Batman. Based on his proximity to the deceased leader, it stands to reason the plot could either see Johnny Vitti attempting to carry out Carmine’s wishes posthumously, or attempting to take over the Falcone family himself.
Michael Kelly is a prime candidate for this role regardless of what path it takes, as he has a wealth of experience behind him, with history in the kind of gritty drama setup that The Penguin appears to take place in, interspersed with roles in action movies and shows that could prove vital if and when the series takes its more dramatic and violent turns. Kelly also notably appeared in 2013’s Man of Steel, meaning he already has a history with DC adaptations to draw from.
Robert Pattinson As The Batman (Rumored)
Although it has yet to be confirmed, rumors have been circulating that Robert Pattinson will return as Batman in The Penguin. Oswald Cobblepot’s rise to power and the chaos that will undoubtedly come from it will more than likely catch the Dark Knight’s notice. Perhaps he’ll be motivated to confront the Penguin directly ahead of The Batman – Part II. It’s also possible that Batman could be the one Penguin shoots at the end of the teaser. After Cobblepot shares his wish for people to one day say his name in the streets of Gotham once this particular person is gone, he opens fire before laughing.
The Penguin’s Supporting Cast And Characters
Rhenzy Feliz – Featured in the production teaser, Rhenzy Feliz looks to be an unnamed young man recruited to be Penguin’s right-hand man and driver. Feliz is best known for his roles in Marvel’s Runaways, Teen Wolf, and the voice of Camilo in Disney’s Encanto.
Shohreh Aghdashloo – While her exact role is similarly unknown, Shohreh Aghdashloo is seen in The Penguin teaser overseeing a group of men assaulting Penguin, the implication being that she will perhaps be a rival criminal or a member of Gotham’s justice system seeking to bring Oz down. Aghdashloo is best known for his roles in The Expanse and House of Sand and Fog.
Carmen Ejogo – In the teaser for the show, Ejogo’s character is seen embracing and drinking with Cobblebot, a potential hint that she may be a love interest for Oswald in The Penguin series. Ejogo is best known for her roles in Selma, The Purge: Anarchy, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
James Madio – James Madio has most notably appeared in Band Of Brothers, Law & Order, and Hook, though he also had an extensive role in USA High. Madio’s roles in crime series like The Offer, Boon, and Godfather of Harlem should ensure he’s able to be a strong part of The Penguin, in whatever form that may entail.
Scott Cohen – Scott Cohen appeared in 10 episodes of Law & Order: Trial By Jury, and is likely best known for this alongside his appearances in Gilmore Girls and NYPD Blue. Following this, Cohen has also had more recent roles in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Power Book II: Ghost, and The Resident. His role in The Penguin is currently unknown.
Theo Rossi – Theo Rossi’s role in The Penguin is also currently unknown, but he’s best known for his appearance in Sons Of Anarchy and Army Of The Dead. That said, Rossi does also have a history with the superhero genre, having appeared as Hernan Alvarez in Netflix’s Luke Cage series.
François Chau – Chau will be best known to audiences from his roles in The Expanse and Lost, playing Jules-Pierre Mao and Dr. Pierre Chang respectively. However, the actor also has a range of voice acting roles as well, voicing his character in The Expanse Telltale game as well as appearing in the Forspoken video game and Raya and The Last Dragon.
David H. Holmes – David Holmes has most notably appeared in Mr. Robot, Mindhunter, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. These roles – alongside the actor’s other performances – set a hopeful precedent for his appearance in The Penguin, though the character Holmes will be playing is currently also unknown.
Craig Walker – Walker is another actor who may be familiar to superhero show aficionados, having appeared in the first episode of Netflix’s Iron Fist. Alongside this, the actor has also appeared in Orange Is The New Black, Hightown, and FBI: Most Wanted.
Jared Abrahamson – Jared Abrahamson’s role in The Penguin is currently unknown, but he’s perhaps best known for his extensive role in Netflix’s Travelers show, and his shorter appearance in Fear The Walking Dead.
Mark Strong – Mark Strong is one of the more prominent actors who’s role in The Penguin isn’t yet known, having been the primary antagonist of the DCEU’s Shazam!, and having also had notable appearances in the Kingsman series and 1917. Strong’s wide acting history means he’s a sure fit for whatever character he takes on in the DC series, and seeing him get to take on a different superhero universe presents an exciting opportunity for The Batman spinoff.
Deirdre O’Connell – O’Connell’s role in The Penguin is also unknown, having been originally announced alongside Shohreh Aghdashloo and Michael Kelly in early 2023. O’Connell is best known for her appearances in Law & Order and Outer Range, but has a wealth of acting history that dates back to 1977, following a range of different shows, movies, and genres.
The Penguin
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oswald Cobblepot, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
- Cast
- Colin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Clancy Brown , Michael Zegen , Rhenzy Feliz , Alex Anagnostidis , Craig Walker