The Penguin trailer heralds the new king of Gotham
Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot is back — but not in The Batman, Part II just yet. First he’ll star in the new Max series The Penguin, a spinoff concocted by Matt Reeves and Farrell.
Very little is known about the plot of the series, which only recently went into production, but during the unveiling of the Max streaming service (which will replace HBO Max in May), Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, unveiled a first look at The Penguin. The footage maintains the dark, orange-washed aesthetic of The Batman, with a touch of Sopranos energy as Farrell throws his weight around in the role of a rising gangster.
Lauren LeFranc, whose previous credits include Agents of SHIELD and Chuck, is writing The Penguin and will act as showrunner. Craig Zobel (Mare of Easttown, The Hunt) directs the first three episodes. LeFranc and Zobel produce the series alongside Dylan Clark, Bill Carraro, Farrell, and Reeves.
The Penguin stars Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs), Rhenzy Feliz (Marvel’s Runaways), Michael Kelly (Jack Ryan), Shohreh Aghdashloo (The Expanse), and Deirdre O’Connell (Outer Range), with Clancy Brown (John Wick: Chapter 4) and Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) in recurring roles. Chances seem slim that Robert Pattinson would pop up in a cameo as Bruce Wayne/Batman, but never say never — he should be suiting up for the sequel next year, which might be enough for a quick pick up.
There’s no premiere date set for The Penguin, but with filming currently underway and Max set to relaunch on May 23, one suspects either a late 2023 or 2024 debut as the earliest we’d see the show. The Batman, Part II will hit theaters on Oct. 3, 2025.
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