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'The Penguin' Episode 5 brings back unexpected character from 'The Batman' film

'The Penguin' continues to surprise the audience, and this time it's the return of a character from 'The Batman' that we had barely anticipated

Contains spoilers for 'The Batman' and 'The Penguin'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'The Penguin' Episode 5 is as wild as it can get, but did you notice the surprise appearance of a character from 'The Batman'? The HBO series is a spin-off of Matt Reeves's 2022 film, focusing on Oz aka Penguin (Colin Farrell), a character who had a minor role in the movie. While most characters from the film don’t return, the tension rises with the reappearance of Chief Mackenzie Bock (Con O’Neill).

In 'The Batman', he had a minor role in 'The Batman', but his appearance in 'The Penguin' has a lot of gravitas. In Episode 5, he enters the story after Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) has killed her entire family.

Chief Mackenzie Bock's history from 'The Batman'

Before we explore his role in 'The Penguin', let’s take a look at his history in the 2022 film. If you recall, Bock didn’t see eye to eye with Batman (Robert Pattinson), believing that his actions were hindering police work. This conflict came to a head when Batman was surrounded by cops at headquarters after being knocked out by an explosion. Bock accused him of being complicit in the chaos.

Chief Mackenzie Bock and Sofia Falcone's interaction in 'The Penguin' is worth watching

'The Penguin' continues to deliver one epic episode after another. Just when we think that things can't go wilder, we are surprised yet again. 'The Penguin' Episode 5 too had several remarkable moments and Bock's interaction with Sofia is one of them.

Bock visits Falcone's estate to investigate the deaths of the Falcone family members, and his interrogation is brutal. There's plenty of subtext and some sharp verbal sparring. When Bock questions Sofia's lucky absence during the time of the murders, he suggests that she might have something to do with it. However, Sofia, true to her savage nature, quickly turns the tables. She instead suggests that Bock and his cops are secretly enjoying the chaos and might even be selling crime scene photos to the press.

One of the coolest aspects of 'The Penguin' is how seamlessly it introduces characters from 'The Batman' and DC Comics, making their appearances feel natural rather than forced. Even Bock's arrival got fans excited. One fan took to X to write, "Con O’Neill finally showed up in the penguin and this delivery is killing me lmao." Another fan added, "BOCK MY BELOVED."

These cameos and tie-ins are subtle but effective, and they keep the show connected to the larger universe in a natural way. There are no heavy-handed references or over-the-top callbacks—just smart, immersive storytelling that builds on what we already know while standing strong on its own.

'The Penguin' is available to stream on Max.