The Batman had a lot working against it before it hit theaters. It looked like the endpoint of the ongoing journey to one-up every previous Batman film’s dark tone. Luckily, its tone gave way to a more nuanced crime thriller-esque take on the character and his world. Colin Farrell’s Penguin claimed attention as a breakout character, leading to an upcoming HBO Max spinoff. The series promises to show Oswald Cobblepot’s rise to power, but where does he start that journey?
The Penguin, like a lot of Batman villains, has many vastly different appearances in canon. His goofy fashion sense leads him to dress in a tophat and monocle while expecting to be taken seriously. The Arkham games portray him as a sincere gang leader operating a convincing front business and offering reasonable resistance against the other local criminals. The Batman‘s version of the character has a lot in common with that of the Arkham games. His most consistent theme in recent adaptations has been mild success under the heel of endless ambition.
What does the Penguin do in The Batman?
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Director |
Matt Reeves |
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Writers |
Matt Reeves and Peter Craig |
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Stars |
Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffery Wright, and Colin Farrell |
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Runtime |
176 minutes |
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Release Date |
March 4, 2022 |
Colin Farrell portrays Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The character plays a secondary antagonist role, maintaining a menacing presence while never occupying the central villain position. Oz has several unfortunate scars, shifting his nose into an unusual hook and earning him the Penguin nickname. Oz despises being called the Penguin, but it fits his general theme of struggling to find respect in a world that views him with disdain. Most of Oz’s backstory sits in a tie-in prequel novel called Before the Batman: An Original Movie Novel. Oz grew up in Gotham, where he idolized a local crime boss named Rex Calabrese. Rex suffered a heart attack when Oz was 14. Oz saw Rex’s social status and the massive parade thrown in his honor, and he decided to follow Rex’s example.
Oz operates as a made man under Carmine Falcone. His primary role in the organization appears to be running the Iceberg Lounge, an above-board nightclub hiding the seedy 44 Below club in the basement. His penthouse also doubles as Falcone’s office. His fellow criminals despise him. Oz works tirelessly to establish himself in the criminal underworld, desperately seeking any opportunity to claim his bosses’ domain. He has a small army of gangsters in his direct employ, but it doesn’t seem to help him gain ground. In the prequel novel, he arranges the delivery of explosives into Gotham for an unsanctioned scheme that doesn’t work out. He appears as a red herring for most of his screen time in The Batman. Batman hunts him down as a suspect but discovers that he is largely uninvolved with the central serial killer plotline. Oz catches two Batman attacks before offering a fairly obvious hint. He prepares to shoot Falcone after learning that his boss was a rat, but the Riddler kills the crime boss before the Penguin can pull the trigger. Though the police take him in, Oz leaves prison sometime before the film’s conclusion.
What is The Penguin about?
The Penguin will pick up only one week after the events of The Batman. The events of the film created an ideal circumstance for Oz to finally achieve his dreams, but the series seems set to put several new roadblocks in his way. Carmine Falcone attained his grip on power after enabling the local cops to conduct a massive drug bust and put Salvatore Maroni behind bars. Falcone inherited most of the illegal business in Gotham. Oz was the first one to decipher the Riddler’s Spanish hint and discover that Falcone’s life was at stake. Upon discovering Falcone’s subterfuge, he prepares to execute his superior officer. It’s hard to believe he needed much convincing. Oz could quickly snatch up the power he’s always wanted. There are, unfortunately, several other potential inheritors fighting for the position. Carmine’s daughter, Sofia Falcone, seems to be the most dangerous competitor. Oz was definitely a major figure in Falcone’s organization, but Johnny Vitti occupies the underboss role. Sofia’s brother, Alberto, is a wild card whose comic book counterpart tends to have a different approach to power. Sal Maroni seems to be a featured player as well, despite his prison sentence. Oz is walking into a power vacuum with a dream he’s held since childhood.
The Penguin prepares to depict an even darker side of The Batman‘s take on Gotham. Narratively, Oz is a bizarre figure. He presents a threat, but everyone treats him like garbage. He’s unquestionably morally grotesque, but his underdog status makes him the least objectionable underground figure. The sudden death of his boss might offer him a path to the throne, but he’s far from the only hopeful. The Penguin might finally see him attain his dream, take over the city, and finally force everyone to stop calling him the Penguin.
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