Max released the official teaser for their series The Penguin, which looks to carry on the darker themes from the film. Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin, S.W.A.T.) returns as the titular character whose name is Oswald Cobblepot. Also returning is Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes, Let Me In), who directed 2022’s The Batman, as an executive producer with his company, 6th & Idaho Productions, along with Colin Farrell.
Lauren LeFrance, who worked on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., is DC’s showrunner for this series. For direction, Craig Zobel (The Hunt, Mare of Easttown) delivers the first three episodes. The series takes place after the film’s events. It shows Oswald Cobblepot fighting to take over the criminal underworld of Gotham City. The world of Matt Reeves Gotham is more brutal than previous iterations. Although Todd Phillips’ The Joker’s Gotham is arguably an exception.
At the start of the trailer with Oswald, speaks to someone about a mobster from his childhood. Despite the criminal label, the neighborhood loved this mobster so much that they threw a parade in his honor when he passed. Although a short teaser, this is the crux of what drives Cobblepot. While Cobblepot speaks from his chair, scenes of gunfire, fights, and more flit across the screen. Each scene looks bleak, as dreary skies and a washed-out backdrop emphasize The Penguin is anything but a joke.
Given the praise Reeves’s The Batman received, The Penguin, set in the same gloomy world audiences want to learn more about, should draw in viewers.
What do you think of The Penguin teaser?
The Penguin releases this fall on Max.
