Oswald Cobblepot takes center stage in The Penguin, but let's be honest — we want to
see more villains, more of the Arkham and Wayne families' history, and high-caliber umbrellas.
Perhaps one of Gotham's most iconic locations, the Iceberg Lounge offers the criminals of
Gotham City a place to relax and rub elbows with their crooked cohorts.
While the lounge isn't expressly a villains-only club, the atmosphere and clientele that the
business caters to is unmistakable.
That's in large part thanks to its owner and operator, Oswald Cobblepot.
The Batman depicts the Iceberg Lounge as a club in the heart of Gotham populated by the
city's most influential and corrupt politicians.
In DC comics lore, the Iceberg Lounge is typically utilized as a front for the Penguin's nefarious
criminal activities.
Showing how the Penguin came to own and operate such an establishment in the world of The
Batman would help to further establish the Penguin's character.
And while it's not a story worth dedicating an entire series to, a flashback in the narrative
to mark the occasion would be enough to do the lounge justice.
Criminals aren't born — they're made.
That said, The Batman portrays Oz as the sleazy weasel fans expect him to be, as he already
commands whole gangs of armed thugs.
The Penguin might just show us how Oz established the position he enjoys in The Batman.
Of course, there's something else we all want to know: Will the Penguin seize power following
Carmine Falcone's death and the destruction brought upon Gotham City by the Riddler?
At the end of the film, we see the Penguin gazing out at the city, contemplating his
future as a feared gangster.
Clearly, now is the time to take control… but will he succeed?
"You better watch it.
Do you know my reputation?"
"Yeah, I do.
Do you?"
In DC comics lore, Oswald Cobblepot is subject to a depressing backstory.
In most iterations of the character, he is violently bullied and mocked for his stature.
Sometimes he was even given the name "Penguin" by his abusers, and when he finally becomes
angry enough to furiously retaliate, he decides to own the name, reclaiming it as a fearsome symbol.
Other versions of his history tell a tale of the unrelenting and harsh realities of
leading an impoverished life, claiming that Oz's family lost everything after his father
died of a pneumonia-like illness brought on by inclement weather.
Oswald later takes up a life of crime to rise out of the squalor in which he has lived for
so long.
There are plenty of differing versions of Oz's origin for The Penguin to choose from.
One thing that is always true, though, is that Gotham's criminals don't become gangsters
because they enjoyed cushy lives.
Something steered the Penguin in this direction, and it's a path worth retreading in the upcoming
series — it might even earn him a little sympathy from viewers.
The Penguin's most interesting relationship in The Batman is the one that he enjoyed with
Carmine Falcone.
Oz demonstrates his loyalty to Carmine when he bitterly rejects the idea that he would
ever become a rat, even if it were toward a rival, as he understands that Carmine Falcone
would have his head.
Obviously, the irony of this later becomes quite clear.
Still, Oz and Falcone obviously had an unspoken partnership, one that stretched back far before
the events of The Batman.
And while Carmine Falcone held the most power in Gotham's criminal underbelly, the Penguin
wasn't far behind.
What led to his alliance with Carmine Falcone, and why was he so loyal to the mafia head honcho?
While Carmine might be dead in the present day, dialogue or flashbacks might serve to
flesh out the fascinating relationship between them.
The Penguin of The Batman is a visually striking foe.
The prosthetics and make-up are so well-done, in fact, that Oz looks like an entirely different
man than the clean-cut Irish actor we know underneath.
In-universe, it's clear that the Penguin has seen better days.
There is noticeable scarring all along his face, indicating that Oz has earned his stripes
as a feared gangster.
But what exactly happened?
How did the Penguin get those scars?
Could they be tied to his origin as a feared mobster?
There's certainly an argument that, like the Joker from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight,
keeping the scars' origins unknown adds to the Penguin's mystique as a character hardened
by the streets.
"You wanna know how I got these scars?"
However, the Penguin is a very different type of character than the Joker, one who might
benefit from some further backstory.
Hopefully, The Penguin reveals the truth behind that rugged mug.
The Batman begins shortly after the city's major bust of Sal Maroni's drug operations.
The headline news can be seen framed on the wall of the mayor's abode, as the Riddler
quietly stalks him in the film's opening scene.
Quickly, though, we learn that the drug bust was a facade.
When Batman follows the Penguin in an effort to identify him as a potential rat, he learns
that production is alive and well.
In other words, the drug bust was all a big show by Gotham's most corrupt politicians,
and Sal Maroni was the fall guy for the display.
Carmine Falcone, the Penguin, and their underlings subsequently took over Maroni's operation.
Clancy Brown is set to play Sal Maroni in The Penguin, and it's likely the character
will have a few things to say about his relationship with the late Carmine Falcone… as well as
the criminals who worked for him.
The Falcone and Maroni families are often portrayed as major players in Gotham City's
criminal underworld, having often waged war against one another throughout the city's
turbulent comic book history.
This could be good ground to cover in The Penguin.
In the third act of The Batman, the Riddler partially succeeds in his goals, bringing
devastation to Gotham and nearly assassinating the city's new mayor.
Batman and Jim Gordon foil the assassination attempt, but the city is torn apart by flooding
after the Riddler blows open the sea wall.
Seeing the news cycle from his cell in Arkham, the Riddler becomes visibly upset over Batman's
victory over his underlings.
One shady character, however, offers the Riddler a little bit of comfort.
"One day you're on top, the next you're a clown…"
At this stage, we all know that the neighboring cell mate is none other than the Joker, played
by Barry Keoghan.
Since the Joker is already in Arkham, fans want to know: How exactly did he get there?
Has he already gone full-blown Joker?
Matt Reeves stated that the character is definitely in the proto-Joker stage and isn't quite yet
the villain we all know and love.
But something must have occurred to land him in Arkham.
Perhaps the Penguin series might offer a few hints regarding Joker's previous encounters
with the Batman.
Speaking of which…
In the opening moments of the film, The Batman offers a brief glimpse at how the criminals
of Gotham see the Caped Crusader.
As the Bat signal lights up the night sky, an array of robbers and vandals are seen quaking
in their boots at the very sight of the dark.
Michael Giacchino's swelling musical score only emphasizes the dread criminals begin
to feel when they think Batman might be hot on their heels.
With The Penguin focused solely on the Penguin, it's likely we won't see much of Batman, if
anything at all.
If we do, it may be no more than a few shadowy glimpses of the character, or a handful of
quick and flashy action sequences that don't reveal much.
Regardless, it would be a welcome change in perspective to see the Penguin and his goons
face down the threat of the Batman, a larger-than-life monster who seems to stalk every shadow in Gotham.
In the comic books, the Penguin often has his trusty trick umbrella at the ready.
In most cases, the umbrella doubles as a firearm, so he can surprise his targets should the
occasion arise.
In The Batman, Oz is only briefly seen with an umbrella at the mayor's funeral.
This may have been just an ordinary umbrella, but it could equally have concealed a deadly
weapon — although you probably shouldn't expect much more than that.
While the Penguin's umbrella can perform a multitude of functions in the comics, the
more grounded reality in which Matt Reeves has based his Batman world limits the uses
of a cartoonish trick umbrella — if it appears at all, it's likely to hide a firearm at most.
But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be fun to see.
The Batman did a great job of providing fans with evidence that a much bigger Gotham lies
just outside the bounds of the main narrative.
Many of these easter eggs hark back to the comics: For example, we saw a reference to
Edward Elliot, the man who, in comic book lore, helped modernize Gotham City.
In The Batman, he is the reporter who was slain by Carmine Falcone as a "favor" for
Thomas Wayne.
This suggests that we may be looking at a potential Hush storyline for future sequels,
since, in the comics, Elliot's great-great-grandson becomes the villain known by that name.
The Penguin has an even better chance to highlight famous DC comics characters in Batman's world, however.
With D.A. Gil Colson out of the picture, it's entirely possible that we could see Harvey Dent enter
the race for District Attorney.
"Let's start this party with a bang!"
We might even get to see some more of Jim Gordon's family.
However you cut it, there are many opportunities for The Penguin to highlight or tease characters
from Batman's long history.
Gotham City is its own character in the world of The Batman.
The city is rich with lavish, creepy, and seedy locales, many of which call back to
the Caped Crusader's comic book history.
But The Penguin could take things further.
Since the Joker has already made his entrance into this version of Gotham, perhaps we'll
see Ace Chemicals, the famous chemical plant where he became the Clown Prince of Crime.
Meanwhile, if Matt Reeves and company one day decide to bring the Boy Wonder into the
mix, Haly's Circus would be a fine reference for The Penguin to make.
Meanwhile, Oz is sure to recruit some of the city's most hardened criminals for his attempt
to take control of Gotham — perhaps a visit to Blackgate Penitentiary is in order?
Clearly, there are plenty of opportunities for The Penguin to broaden the scope of the
city that The Batman brought to life.
In The Batman we learn a little bit about Gotham's most prominent families, the Waynes
and the Arkhams.
Both families helped establish Gotham City, while Arkham State Hospital is obviously named
after the latter family.
Even more interesting, however, is that Martha Wayne actually belonged to the Arkham family
before marrying Thomas Wayne.
While Thomas Wayne targeted a reporter for potentially unleashing damaging material on
Martha's mental condition to the public, it's unknown if there was more that Thomas hoped
to protect.
Of course, it's later revealed that Thomas never had any intention for Carmine Falcone
to kill the man, and felt intense guilt when he found out what happened.
He resolved to go report everything to the authorities but was killed before he could
do so.
It's a tantalizing story, and one that The Penguin may expand further.
There isn't a shadow of a doubt that, at some point, the Penguin will seize power in Gotham's
criminal underworld.
Once he claims the late Carmine Falcone's throne, however, what will he do next?
How does he plan to expand his empire in a Gotham now emboldened by the heroism of Batman?
The Penguin is going to have to establish his power through fear since his allies at
City Hall are likely no more.
All of this, of course, means that Batman will no doubt take notice of the Penguin.
Does Oz intend to lead a campaign to bring him down?
Either way, the Penguin is going to have to deal with the Batman in the future, and it'll
be interesting to see if the HBO Max series starts us down the road to that showdown.