With the season finale of "The Penguin" airing last night, it might seem like Colin Farrell's time as Oz Cobb has come to an end. But it appears the actor may not have sung his swan (penguin?) song just yet.
Despite multiple comments made to the contrary, Farrell recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he is open to returning as the villainous "Batman" universe mainstay should the crime drama continue with an additional season. "Of course I would do it," he said.
"The Penguin" has seen a massive amount of support from fans, racking up 10.4 million viewers for its September series premiere alone, beating out numbers for series like "The Last of Us" and "House of the Dragon." It garnered additional viewers with its second episode, with numbers continuing to inflate as time went on.
Despite its success and effusive praise from fans and critics alike, Farrell has openly complained about spending three hours every day preparing for the role. "I never want to put on that f---ing suit and f---ing head again," he said in an interview with Total Film. With that in mind, would Farrell find motivation to suit up once more for another round as one of Gotham's most infamous criminals?
The answer is: yes.
"If there’s a great idea, and the writing was really muscular and as strong or stronger on the page than it was the first season, of course I would do it," the actor told THR, citing fans' fervent response to the series as one of the biggest reasons he'd do it again.
"For me, the bar for success is not very high. It’s, ‘Do most people like it?’ — just the simplicity of that," Farrell explained. "I love being in things that are critically approved — it’s much better than the alternative — but I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s the audience who are really the most important critics."
This is a much less aggressive mindset than Farrell appeared to be in when detailing the frustrations he went through to become Cobb with each shooting day.
“Don’t get me wrong — I loved it — but it got in on me a little bit," Farrell told Total Film at the time. "By the end of it, I was bitching and moaning to anyone who would listen to me that I f---ing wanted it to be finished."
He added, "I tried to remind them that I had ‘grumpy gratitude,'” noting he did "feel privileged" to be part of the Penguin's "lineage" that began all the way back with the 1960s "Batman" TV series.
Given fan response to the crime drama's premiere and the explosive ending to season 1, Farrell seems to have changed his tune significantly. Perhaps he was just airing grievances in a moment of frustration.
Will there be a 'The Penguin' season 2?
Despite Farrell's willingness to suit up again, let's not count penguins before they hatch. Right now, there are no plans for "The Penguin" season 2 — at least, no official announcements have been made by HBO at this time. With the finale's seemingly tidy wrap-up of the series, it may not even make sense to continue with another installment.
The story of Cobb's rise to power, much more akin to series like "The Sopranos" or "The Godfather" films instead of a traditional "Batman" show, feels like a one-off series. But that doesn't mean Farrell couldn't come back as Cobb. If "The Penguin" season 2 doesn't happen, the character could reappear in another project related to Matt Reeves' "The Batman."
Speaking to Interview Magazine, Reeves noted he and HBO "have been talking about doing other shows," potential other TV-related spin-offs that could fit within "The Batman" universe.
"I think the idea of being able to put a lens on these characters is a really exciting idea," Reeves said. "It’s about cities and their dysfunction and the world and its dysfunction, which is what Batman stories are all about. They’re all about Gotham being a place that should be better.
"And you can have the experience of this almost novelistic epic crime saga, but you also just get these separate experiences. They have their own dramatic value. So Oz’s story is Oz’s story, and the idea is to do these other stories in the same way."
So while there isn't anything definitive about "The Penguin" season 2 just yet, it does seem Farrell could have a chance to come back as this fan-favorite character. Or at the very least, we could see another series rise from the ashes of this one. With "The Batman: Part II" coming to theaters in 2026, it's a good time to start brainstorming how this series could continue expanding with spin-off series. For now, just knowing Farrell is primed and ready to return if need be is good news.
Stream "The Penguin" on Max.
