InThe Penguin, Colin Farrell’s Oswald “Oz” Cobb has broken a huge trend that has plagued several recent villain-focused superhero projects both in the MCU and in theDC Universe. Farrell first appeared as Oz Cobb in Matt Reeves’The Batmanback in 2022, introduced as the lieutenant to crime boss Carmine Falcone and the benefactor of the Iceberg Lounge nightclub. He posed a minor annoyance toRobert Pattinson’s Batmanduring his hunt for the Riddler, which meant it was surprising when the Penguin was gifted his own HBO spinoff series.
HBO’sThe Penguinhas been a surprise hitfor DC, detailing Oz Cobb’s rise to power and prominence in the criminal underworld of Matt Reeves' dark and gritty version of Gotham City.In recent years, several projects in both DC and Marvel’s superhero franchises have centered on some notable villains, including the likes ofThe Suicide Squad, Loki, Agatha All Alongand projects in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. However,The Penguinsets itself apart from these other projects, asOswald “Oz” Cobbis far from the hero that Gotham City actually needs.
The Penguin Lets Oz Stay A Villain Even As It Shows His Sympathetic Side
Oz Cobb Has Not Become A Hero In The Penguin
Despite being the series' main character, Oz Cobb is far from a redeemable character inThe Penguin. The series has shone light on some of Cobb’s more sympathetic qualities, particularly in his relationship with his mother, hisbond with Victor Aguilarand his love for Eve Karlo, actively showing his humanity and vulnerability. However,The Penguinhas also shown Cobb pulling off some heinous and treacherous acts, such as murdering Alberto Falcone, abandoning Sofia Falcone and peddling Bliss across Gotham, ensuring he remains an outright villain.
The Batman 2’s Perfect Villain Was Hiding In Plain Sight
The perfect villain for Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman - Part II has already been set-up thanks to some huge developments in The Penguin series.
This is far removed from a trend exhibited by several recent superhero franchise projects focused on villains. In the MCU,LokiandAgatha All Alongstressed the redeemable qualities of their titular villains, and eventually transformed them into heroes or antiheroes, leaving their villainous pasts behind them. Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has made most of Spider-Man’s villains from Marvel Comics into antiheroes, while theDCEU’sSuicide Squadmoviesdid the same for some of DC’s strangest threats.Oz Cobb does not have a redemption arc inThe Penguin, but is still a complicated and believable character.
Why The Penguin Breaks The Superhero Villain Rule
The Penguin Sets Himself Apart From Other Recent Supervillains
The dark world ofGotham City inThe Batmanhas informed much of howThe Penguinpresents Oz Cobb, ashe has been shaped by the trials and tribulations of his troubled upbringing and family history. The focus ofThe Penguinis on the nuance of Oz’s story and character, rather than shaping him into a villain. We see him prove his willingness to do just about anything and throw his morals away to help himself get ahead, making him more complex and realistic, and somehow even making it easier to root for him.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
