‘Probably some more bad stuff’: ‘The Penguin’ hints at what is more to come

Fans are still reeling from the devastating finale of The Penguin which aired on Max. While everyone deserves some breathing room, Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) isn’t being put to bed for good.

Viewers can expect the return of The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ sequel to 2022’s The Batman. But in what capacity? Producer Dylan Clark spoke to Variety about the future of the iconic Batman villain. He complimented showrunner Lauren LeFranc on her unimpeachable vision that was a necessity for the success of The Penguin. The crime drama could have easily been a cameo-ladden cash grab with no nuance. Instead, LeFranc presented the audience with a careful if often brutal character study of a narcissist. Clark stated that he and Reeves were blown away by her initial pitch, which leaves many storylines up in the air. Clark continued:

“We’ve built these two characters up and left them both in very precarious places. Power corrupts, and now he has it. What’s he gonna do? Probably some more bad stuff.”

Knowing The Penguin, “bad stuff” is likely an understatement. Oz has finally achieved everything he has ever wanted, but it came at a cost. The crime boss explored the lengths of what he was willing to do in order to get supreme power. He sacrifices an innocent closest to him, and all for a goal that is now unachievable. Oz wanted to provide for his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell), but now that she is in a vegetative state, he keeps her locked up in a penthouse overlooking the city. He has fully accepted himself as he is, which should dovetail nicely when The Batman: Part II premieres. Viewers may also be interested to know what is in store for the co-protagonist of the series.

Sofia Gigante is down but not out

The season finale of The Penguin is tragic for almost every character. Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti) is high on that list, as she is left exactly where she started at the beginning of the series. After struggling to get revenge for her brother and control of the Falcone crime family, Oz maneuvers her so she ends up back in Arkham. On her first stay in the asylum, Sofia was heartbreakingly framed by her father Carmine (Mark Strong), and spent a decade unjustly in the worst place on earth.

The last episode shows Sofia back in a cell, though this time with the unwavering of Dr. Rush (Theo Rossi). The shining light for Sofia is receiving a letter from an established half-sister, Selina Kyle, portrayed by Zoë Kravitz in The Batman. This portends some interesting things for the character down the line. The sibling characters share their father, Carmine Falcone, and have equal reasons for hating him. While dead, Carmine still fascinatingly unites the two characters. There is more in store for Sofia, who LeFranc tells Variety was conjured up with a specific goal in mind.

“So much of the reason why I created Sofia was just to give my younger self a female character that I didn’t feel like I had growing up.”

Sofia is unapologetic and ruthless, just the type of person to get ahead in Gotham. LeFranc is light on the specifics, but judging from the ending of The Penguin, that won’t be the last time we see Ms. Gigante.