While fans may have to wait quite a bit in between Matt Reeves' Batman films, withThe Batman Part IIcurrently having a tentative release date of Aug 21, 2025 (five years after the first film was released), one project has helped to make that wait more bearable. The HBO original seriesThe Penguin, which was released in September 2024, takes place immediately after the events ofThe Batmanand follows the rise of Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) as he makes risky power plays in Gotham’s criminal underworld. The series proved to be a massive success, and while there have been preliminary talks about another season,Farrell isn’t exactly rushing to jump back into the bodysuit.
In an interview with Variety reporter Marc Malkin following Farrell’s Screen Actors Guild Award win for his role as Oz, the actor revealed that while he is interested in revisiting the world ofThe Penguin,there’s no “rush” to dive headfirst back into the character.Farrell talked about wanting to keep that same level of quality, while also hinting at the physical and mental toll the role took on him:
“I don’t want it. I don’tnotwant it, We all left it in the ring in those eight hours. I would hate to, just because of a quote-unquote success, have to go again and for it to be a diluted version of what people seem to feel it is, majoritively. So I’m in no rush. I have no deep desire to do it. … Sure, if they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’ cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open it. But it’s not something concerning me.”
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And no, he’s not planning on telling us.
‘The Penguin’ Season 2 Would Be a Massive Commitment for Colin Farrell
Initial conversations surrounding the series implied thatThe Penguinwould be a one-and-done limited series. However, the eight-episode production received impressive viewership andseveral awardsand nominations. Colin Farrell specifically received a Golden Globe, a Saturn Award, and now a SAG for his nuanced and disturbing performance as the Batman villain.
DC Studios Co-ChairmanJames Gunnwas asked about a potential second season ofThe Penguin, with the writer/director simply saying,“We don’t know. … There are a lot of moving pieces — probably most important Colin himself.“In the production diaries of bothThe BatmanandThe Penguin, one aspect constantly brought up was the amount of time it took for Colin to transform into Oz Cobb, as plenty of makeup and prosthetics were required to bring the large and disfigured mobster to life.
Given the significant commitment to becoming Oz, it’s unsurprising that Farrell would only want to do it if the story was as good, if not better, than the one told in the first season. Moreover, it’s unknown what kind of role the Penguin will play inThe Batman Part II, which would obviously impact any story that a second season would tell. For now, all eight episodes ofThe Penguinare available to stream on Max to tide you over until the next installment in Matt Reeves' epic crime saga is released.
Source:Variety
The Penguin
