Cristin Milioti drops an update on ‘Penguin’ renewal and it's disappointing: ‘There’s no official…’
'The Penguin' might just hold the singular honour of being one of the best shows to ever come out in the contemporary day and age, and yet not have a definite renewal. While HBO remains hesitant about carrying the franchise forward, the future of 'The Penguin' remains uncertain as of this writing. Cristin Milioti, who portrayed Sophia Falcone with a characteristically chilling sense of retribution, was recently promoting her latest film, 'Buddy', alongside co-star Topher Grace at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. She also shared a few interesting insights about Season 2 of the HBO show while speaking with Deadline.
As reported by ScreenRant, Milioti confirmed that fans of 'The Penguin' would have to wait a while before their favourite show returns to their screens. "Yeah, there's no official word on anything," the 'How I Met Your Mother' star remarked, "And I would love nothing more, truly." Grace also joined in, "Whoever's in charge of making that decision, what are you doing? This is the greatest thing I have ever seen on (television). We've got to have a season two. You're looking at one of the great performances of our time. Figure it out, guys." If and when there is a Season 2, one could almost be certain that Milioti would once again appear as Falcone.
However, that can't be said for the upcoming sequel to Matt Reeves's 'The Batman.' Milioti has confirmed that she is ''definitively not in (The Batman: Part II), which is a bummer.'' Also, rumors hinting at the possibility that 'The Penguin' might not be renewed for a sophomore season have been making the rounds for a while now. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc had previously commented in this regard, "We were always meant to be a limited series, so pivoting to a second season is just different. It’s not something we ever really talked about."
This is in keeping with the high benchmark established by Season 1 of 'The Penguin' on HBO. The events of the plot took place just a week after the conclusion of 'The Batman', with the city of Gotham devastated by the catastrophic floods. Seizing on the opportunity, Oz Cobb decides to take calculated risks to rise through the ranks of the Gotham underworld, eventually confronting Sophia Falcone. The dark, brooding atmosphere and haunting sound design lend themselves perfectly to the show's overall ethos. 'The Penguin' further bridges the gap between the narrative timelines of 'The Batman' and 'The Batman: Part II', according to an IGN report.
Although a sophomore season of 'The Penguin' might not be on the horizon for now, Reeves had previously reiterated his admiration for Milioti in a 2022 interview: "We were so deep into the (Batman 2) script by the time we were in the show." But we'll see. I think she's incredible. What she did in the show is just astonishing." All episodes of 'The Penguin' are available on HBO Max.
