'The Penguin' deserves a Season 2 but Colin Farrell has one condition
Contains spoilers for 'The Penguin' finale
The possibility of HBO's 'The Penguin' getting a second season hangs in balance, with lead actor Colin Farrell shedding light on what it would take to bring back his gritty and twisted character, Oz Cobb. Initially envisioned as a limited series, the HBO show turned out to be a major success among fans. The finale further triggered a discussion with fans demanding another season.
'The Penguin' was meant to bridge the gap between Matt Reeves's 'The Batman' and its upcoming sequel, scheduled to release in 2026. But the show's unexpected success and open-ended finale has opened door for another season. Farrell has also stepped into the discussion as he drops hint of where this crime-filled Gotham journey might be headed.
Colin Farrell will do 'The Penguin' Season 2 on one condition
Colin Farrell underwent major transformation to play Oz in 'The Penguin'. He sat in the makeup chair for hours every day and disappeared behind a pile of prosthetics to transform into Oz. However, he is ready to go through these ordeals all over again if the reason is compelling enough.
"If there’s a great idea [for season two], 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,” Farrell told The Hollywood Reporter.
His statement is refreshing especially as the actor previously hinted that he wouldn't want to play Oz again. "I never want to put on that fucking suit and f*****g head again," Farrell had frustratingly told Total Film Magazine.
"I don’t know, man," he had reacted to the idea of second season while further saying, "Don't get me wrong – I loved it – but it got in on me a little bit. By the end of it, I was bi****ng and moaning to anyone who would listen to me that I f*****g wanted it to be finished," he further said.
Will there be 'The Penguin' Season 2?
Currently, there has been no official announcement regarding the show's renewal. HBO, Warner Bros, and the creators of the show are assessing The Penguin's viewership metrics, and might take a decision soon. Irrespective of that, the second season would need to build on the solid foundation of the first. And Farrell has rightly pointed out that there needs to be a compelling reason for Oz to return in another season. Renewing the series just for the sake of continuation could risk undoing the powerful impact the first season has established.
In 'The Penguin', we saw Oz's journey from a small time gangster to becoming Gotham crime world's kingpin. While his journey to achieving his goal was complete by the finale episode, there is immense scope for the story to continue. Sofia is back in Arkham and has just been contacted by Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. We also saw Bat signal in Gotham's skyline, hinting Batman's return. Any future storyline would need to dig deeper to justify a return. The creators have to make a decision of whether to use 'The Penguin's ending as a setup for a second season or for 'The Batman 2'. For now, we can only sit back and see how the franchise evolves with the sudden success of the series.
'The Penguin' is available to stream on Max