The Penguin is over on HBO and Max and ended in big fashion with a lot of deaths, some big character twists, and some teases that seem to indicate the story isn’t over. That’s because, well… The story isn’t over. But will it continue in The Penguin Season 2, or somewhere else?
I’m not going to play around here and will say straight up that there are currently no plans for The Penguin Season 2. This was always intended as a one-season series and a bridge between The Batman and The Batman Part II. In fact, without spoiling the end of The Penguin (you can check out our The Penguin ending explained for a full recap), it clearly leads directly into the events of the Robert Pattinson-starring sequel, which is currently scheduled to hit theaters on October 2, 2026.
But that said, if we’ve learned anything over the course of eight episodes, it’s that Oswald Cobb (Colin Farrell) is a cockroach you can’t kill. So while there aren’t any announced plans for The Penguin Season 2, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. And in fact, despite being pretty firm on a “no” through most of the process? Lately it seems like the folks behind the scenes are a little more open to the idea.
Producer Matt Reeves Plays Coy On The Penguin Season 2
The Penguin has actually had a pretty circuitous line to ending up on HBO. Without getting too in the weeds here, before The Batman premiered, director/writer Matt Reeves was reportedly working on spinoffs about the Gotham Police Department and Arkham Asylum. When discussing The Batman Part II with HBO chief Casey Bloys, Reeves laid out the plot of the movie. Bloys expressed interest in turning the first chunk of the movie — the rise of The Penguin — into a TV series.
So, some of the ideas from the previously in-development series, plus what was the beginning of The Batman Part II were incorporated into what became The Penguin. We don’t know exactly what parts ended up there, or what other series are in development… Something possibly with Arkham? And after tonight’s finale I have a few more guesses (Catwoman, anyone?), but nothing has been announced.
When asked about a possible continuation by Andy Serkis (who plays Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman) for Interview magazine, Reeves didn’t say no, but he didn’t say yes, either.
“We have been talking, and it’s exciting because people are now embracing the show,” Reeves said. “My fantasy is coming into being, which is very exciting, and HBO has been incredibly supportive from the beginning… We have been talking about doing other shows. I wanted to make sure that we didn’t do the origin tale, which so many of the other series have done. I think the idea of being able to put a lens on these characters is a really exciting idea. 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.”
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc leaves The Door Open For The Penguin Season 2
So based on that, it seems likely they’ll move on to other shows, though Oz’s story isn’t necessarily done. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc, meanwhile, didn’t shut down the idea entirely when she talked to The Direct at New York Comic Con.
“I mean, we put it all out on the table,” LeFranc said. “I think that in order to do a second season, we have to feel like we can top ourselves. We have to feel like there’s something more there to really dig into. I mean, I really care about all these characters, even if they’re terrible people.”
Added LeFranc, “It’s been a joy to write them, even though they’re twisted and complicated and weird and darkly funny. So look, I think Gotham City is just such a fun sandbox to play, and I’d love to keep playing in it, but I think it just has to be the right thing. We should never do anything just to do it.”
So what does this mean? Will there be a The Penguin Season 2? It hasn’t exactly been a runaway hit on HBO, but it hasn’t done badly, either. In normal circumstances, there likely would be a second season. But it seems like it’s — laudably — more based on story. The next place you’ll see Oz is in The Batman Part II.
As for the future? Well, HBO greenlit a second season of Big Little Lies despite it clearly being a one and done. So, never say never. If the Batman Epic Crime Saga story demands it, we might just see more Oz on HBO.
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