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 Cobblepot’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.
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.
Michael Kelly – Michael Kelly is featured in The Penguin teaser as well, though his role in the series is also currently unknown. Kelly is known for his roles in Dawn of the Dead, House of Cards, Man of Steel, and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.
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 Cobblepot down. Aghdashloo is best known for his roles in The Expanse and House of Sand and Fog.
Carmen Ejogo – In the same teaser, 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. She’s also set to star in Marvel’s upcoming Secret Invasion series.
Key Release Dates
