The Penguin series made it clear that Oz Cobb is a top tier villain, but it also mapped out multiple ways for his character to fall from power. The DCU Elseworlds most exciting universe is the Matt Reeves Batverse that revolves around Robert Pattinson’s Batman. While this universe only has one film and one series to date, the quality of the storytelling, and the presentation of a dark and dangerous Gotham has made it one of the most compelling sub-franchises to follow.
The Batman followed a younger Dark Knight, who had just made his debut as a vigilante hero, alongside some terrifying villains who wanted to reshape Gotham in their desired image. However, while Paul Dano’s Riddler managed to inspire an army of criminals, the organized crime portion of Gotham ran in very different circles. And after Riddler disposed of Carmine Falcone, there was a power vacuum that needed to be filled for Gotham’s biggest and most powerful crime syndicates. The Penguin explored the aftermath, and gave Oz an arc that saw him rise through the ranks, but he also made a lot of enemies on the way.
The Penguin’s Bat-Signal Reveals The First & Most Obvious Set Up For His Downfall
Penguin Has Gotten The Attention Of Batman
Firstly, the show ends with a clear indication that, despite Oz’s impressive climb to the top, and his new position of power and wealth, his biggest trial is yet to come. The series wraps with Oz celebrating his victory, dancing with his girlfriend, Eve Karlo, as she pretends to be his mother, and looking for approval and recognition that his success is genuine. Oz makes a point of highlighting the fact that he climbed to the top, and there is no one above or beside him. Instead, he stands alone as the most powerful man in Gotham. And in response to the idea that there is nothing now standing in his way, the Gotham skyline is revealed, with the Bat-signal activating several blocks away.
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This is a clear foreshadowing of the fact that Oz may have beaten out other criminals and crooks, but there is another force in Gotham who is set to take down and dismantle the seedy dealings of the city, Batman. Oz met Batman in The Batman, but due to his lesser position, Bats questioned him, and then let him go. Now that Oz has taken on a higher position, it’s very likely that he will be a higher priority for the Batman, and a target to take down in order to restore law, order, and justice to the city.
The Penguin’s Sofia Ending Sets Up A Second Set Up For His Downfall
Sofia Falcone Has A Lot Of Influence And Connections
In addition, Oz also made an enemy of Sofia by manipulating and pushing her into a position that ultimately led back to Arkham. From the start of The Penguin, Oz was pulling strings on Sofia, lying about killing her brother, and making her paranoid about others who were supposed to be on her side. Oz turned people against her, and alienated Sofia once again by getting her locked up and out of his way. However, despite being in Arkham, Sofia has made some new powerful friends that could also be a threat to Oz in the future.
For one, Sofia and Julian form a close bond, and while Sofia is trapped in Arkham, Julian has considerably more freedom and flexibility. So Sofia could make some smart plays to dismantle Oz while inside Arkham. In addition, Sofia gets a letter from an unexpected relative while locked up in Arkham. None other than Selina Kyle, who was revealed to be the daughter of Carmine Falcone in The Batman. This makes Selina a half-sister to Sofia, and considering her efforts to reach out, she may side with Sofia in an effort to overthrow Oz.
Eve Karlo’s Place In The Penguin’s Ending Teases Another Way His Fate May Already Be Sealed
The Penguin Has Made Himself Vulnerable To Eve Karlo
But perhaps in one of the more Oz Cobb-like twists, there is another character who has made herself invaluable to Oz, and access to him at his most vulnerable. Eve Karlo stands alone as one of the only people Oz keeps close by the end of The Penguin. Due to Victor’s close position as someone he views as family, Oz kills him in order to avoid having that affection be used against him. Meanwhile, his mother is ill in a hospital bed, and Oz struggles to see her zapped of the life he always saw in her.
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So, in a twisted effort to get approval and affection from his mother, Oz relies on his girlfriend, an adult performer who wears a variety of costumes, to dress as his mother and get validation. Oz is aware that this transaction makes him vulnerable, but he needs it, and so he does it anyway. But this puts Oz in an extremely compromising position with someone that he cannot fully trust. If Eve wanted to use these interactions against Oz, she could, and she would have the easiest time taking down the new crime king of Gotham after The Penguin.
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.
- Cast
- Colin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Rhenzy Feliz , Michael Kelly , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Deirdre O’Connell , Clancy Brown , James Madio , Scott Cohen , Michael Zegen , Carmen Ejogo , Theo Rossi
- Character(s)
- Oz Cobb , Sofia Falcone , Victor Aguilar , Johnny Viti , Nadia Maroni , Francis Cobb , Salvatore Maroni , Milos Grapa , Luca Falcone , Alberto Falcone , Eve Karlo , Julian Rush
- Release Date
- September 19, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Lauren LeFranc
- Directors
- Craig Zobel
- Showrunner
- Lauren LeFranc
- Prequel
- The Batman (2022)
- Avg Episode Length
- 60 Mins
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