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When a show has the kind of success that The Penguin has had, a second season is all but assured. But there’s something different in the waters of Gotham City and the show’s star, Colin Farrell, isn’t so sure that’s a good idea.
Before its release, no one could have guessed HBO’s The Penguin would have the amount of success it has. Somehow, a superhero show without superheroes, about the rise of Batman’s third or fourth-best villain, was not only adored by critics and fans alike, it’s gone on to do incredibly well during awards season. Lead actors Farrell and Cristin Milioti have won multiple awards, as has the show itself. Experts think it’ll be a big player at the upcoming Emmys. All of which would suggest, of course, a second season. But not so fast.
“I don’t not want it,” Farrell told Variety at the Screen Actors Guild Awards this weekend, where he won Best Actor in a limited series for the DC show. “We all left it in the ring in those eight hours. I would hate to, just because of a quote-unquote success, have to go again and for it to be a diluted version of what people seem to feel it is, majoritively. So I’m in no rush. I have no deep desire to do it… Sure, if they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’ cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open it. But it’s not something concerning me.”
The story of The Penguin fits in perfectly with the end of Reeves’ 2022 film, The Batman, and reportedly leads right into the events of his 2027 film, The Batman Part II, which Farrell is confirmed to appear in. So even if a second season of The Penguin did start to marinate, it would almost certainly have to come after the movie. So Farrell’s sentiment makes sense here. Don’t rush it. Make the movie. Let the show stand as the fantastic achievement it was. Then, maybe later, he can put the suit back on.
Stream the entire first (and potentially final?) season of The Penguin on Max.
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