The Penguin is by far one of DC’s best projects in quite some time, as the televised follow-up to The Batman offered a deep insight into Oz Cobb’s rise through the criminal underworld as well as the various people he crossed to get there. Despite being a spinoff, The Penguin complemented The Batman expertly and cleverly fleshed out Matt Reeves’ superhero universe.
As strong as it looked on paper, HBO’s hit crime series surpassed all expectations, and The Penguin‘s important connection to The Batman 2‘s story makes its existence even more justified. However, one of its biggest assets was the stellar cast, and despite Cristin Milioti delivering an Emmy-winning performance, she won’t be involved in Reeves’ upcoming Batman movie.
According to ComicBookMovie.com, Cristin Milioti claimed, “There’s not a chance you’ll see me in it, sadly,” when commenting on her potential involvement in The Batman Part II. As a result, fans may be kept in the dark about what happened to Sofia Falcone after the events of The Penguin for years to come.
Even Colin Farrell’s role in The Batman sequel is reportedly small, meaning that while the world-building of The Penguin will likely impact The Batman Part II, its characters won’t. Unfortunately, this ends the show’s era of dominance in the Matt Reeves universe, and it’s critical for DC not to squander the success of the series by forgetting these characters entirely.
Cristin Milioti’s The Batman II Absence Makes The Penguin Season 2 More Essential Than Ever
With Cristin Milioti confirming that she won’t be a part of The Batman Part II, a second season of The Penguin has never been more desirable. It has already been close to two years since this game-changing series debuted, yet there is still no news on whether it will be back, and we desperately need a follow-up on the main characters.
Knowing that Milioti’s Sofia won’t make it onto the big screen suggests that most of the show’s other surviving characters won’t either, which isn’t too surprising given Batman will be the main focus. That said, these figures deserve a return to the spotlight, especially with how invested fans have become in their stories.
There was already a lot of noise around a potential second season, but knowing there aren’t big plans for The Penguin‘s fantastic cast in the upcoming Batman movie means Matt Reeves can’t leave these characters sidelined for too long. People want to see more of Oz and Sofia, and their individual arcs easily warrant another season.
It’s obvious there is a lot of untapped potential surrounding this universe, and The Penguin proved Batman isn’t needed to make it interesting. Therefore, another installment would help give some closure to this saga, while filling the gap between The Batman 2 and 3 nicely, making The Penguin‘s return absolutely essential.
The Batman Part III Could Continue Sofia Falcone’s Story
Even if The Penguin season 2 doesn’t happen, all hope isn’t lost for Sofia’s story continuing, as she could return in The Batman Part III. While the movie hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, the popularity of Matt Reeves’ universe suggests a third film is inevitable, so long as Reeves, Robert Pattinson, and the other main figures remain interested.
Here, we could finally see the return of Sofia. Being committed to Arkham Asylum, alongside her connections to Catwoman, provides plenty of reasons to bring Sofia onto the big screen, as she could easily slot into a third movie.
Considering The Penguin was more of a side villain in The Batman and looks to be once again in Part II, we may not see him take center stage until Part III, which would make Sofia’s involvement even more logical. The downside is that this could be years away, given how long production has taken for this upcoming sequel scheduled for 2028.
The Batman Part II will be released in theaters on February 18, 2028, following multiple delays. Filming is currently underway.
Still, seeing Sofia and Oz go to war while Batman and Catwoman are caught in the crossfire is a fascinating premise, and one worthy of a cinematic outing. The Penguin’s limited scenes in The Batman Part II could also set this up rather easily, creating an unofficial continuation of the TV show.
Assuming fans can wait that long, it is one way of ensuring The Penguin‘s high-quality story has a big impact on Gotham, and it would be great to see Cristin Milioti make her highly anticipated DC return in the process.
Will The Penguin Season 2 Ever Happen?
Ultimately, The Penguin season 2’s fate comes down to the greater plans for Matt Reeves’ Batman universe, but it remains a possibility. With so many potential villains to use for future movies, letting The Penguin star in his own series and featuring him as a secondary villain theatrically may be a better move overall, especially since this show expands Gotham’s criminal underworld.
It could always feature Robert Pattinson’s Batman or Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman, while still putting the spotlight on Oz, Sofia, and any new or returning criminals. In addition, despite Milioti confirming her absence from The Batman Part II, she immediately followed this up by saying, “You know, I would go back to that world in a heartbeat.”
The fact that she remains interested is a positive sign for The Penguin‘s chances of getting another outing. However, Colin Farrell has been a bit more mixed on the idea, claiming he’s open to a return, but only if he feels a second season can live up to the first, casting some slight doubt on these prospects.
Another concern is the possibility of Sebastian Stan’s Harvey Dent replacing The Penguin show, as his character could get a similar treatment to Oz by starring in a one-off special, focusing on his change from District Attorney to savage criminal. Even if it’s not Dent, another The Batman 2 character could be granted this opportunity instead.
The likelihood of another Matt Reeves spinoff taking place alongside a second season of The Penguin feels slim, meaning a decision would have to be made on which idea is the priority. With this in mind, The Penguin season 2 could definitely still happen, but it’s by no means a certainty, making its future truly unpredictable.
Source: ComicBookMovie.com