WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Batman, currently in theaters.
The Batman has been a huge success so far, and fans are hoping to get a sequel announcement soon. Before a sequel comes out though, HBO Max will be working on a spinoff series, The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell. The series has long been rumored and discussed, but now it is officially happening, and fans are thrilled. The Penguin played a smaller role in The Batman, but his on-screen presence was stunning. Colin Farrell played the iconic villain perfectly, and viewers are eager to see more.
In The Batman, The Penguin serves as the right hand of Carmine Falcone, the crime boss of Gotham and secret controller of the entire city. When Carmine was finally brought to justice, The Penguin stood by and didn't help his boss, showing his intent to take the throne of Gotham for himself. Penguin has played many roles in the comics, but the most popular and most common is that of crime boss and arms dealer. He always runs his bar, The Iceberg Lounge, and that looks like it will be the case in The Batman universe, too. Seeing how The Penguin becomes the feared criminal fans know and love should make for a very interesting series and tie-in to future films.
The series is said to follow The Penguin's rise to power in the wake of Carmine Falcone's death. Falcone ran the entire city, he had everyone in his pocket and nobody acted without his permission. Now that he is dead, his empire is up for grabs, and Penguin intends to lay claim to it. While it would seem that he has a legitimate claim, nothing is that simple in the underworld. The Batman created a Gotham that was rife with corruption and crime, so it's no surprise that Penguin wants a piece of all that. There will probably be a competitor who will also want to fill the power vacuum, and that could be the crux of the conflict for the series.
Colin Farrell will be returning to play the character, but at this point it's unknown if any other actors from the movie may appear. While it would be great to see Batman, this seems the least likely appearance. The most likely may be Jeffrey Wright's Jim Gordon. Wright was originally rumored to appear in the GCPD spin-off before it was cancelled, so it would be more likely that he could appear in other HBO projects. This could also set up a reluctant relationship between The Penguin and Gordon. In the comics, Penguin often trades in information to benefit himself. Penguin could have a similar practice in the show, which may help him take power.
Fans are curious to see how Farrell's Penguin will do once he is the center of attention. While he was fantastic as a side character, people are interested to see how he will carry his own series. Farrell certainly has the acting ability and the character has a lot of history and depth for writers to pull from. If the series was to introduce a character like Black Mask to be his foe, then it could definitely be a very intriguing and stunning series. Getting to see The Penguin show off his criminal prowess and win his criminal throne can help to truly establish him as a big player in Gotham City. The show can also help to establish more history and lore for future films to use and develop.
The Penguin being picked up by HBO Max is a great sign of more shows to come. The Batman developing multiple spin-offs means that the movies can focus more on telling a single compelling story, and less on building the world and environment of Gotham City. Using the character of Penguin to do this is a great first step because he has ties to almost everyone in Gotham. He has ties to Batman through the Falcone investigation, to Gordon and the cops because of his business, and even to Selina Kyle through The Iceberg Lounge. The Penguin likes to make a splash, and an HBO Max series is the perfect place to do it.
To see Colin Farrell's Penguin, watch The Batman, now playing in theaters.