‘The Penguin’ Is an Absolute Fan Favorite, and James Gunn Couldn’t Be Prouder

Many fans were skeptical when Colin Farrell was cast as Oswald “Oz” Cobb (with a slight name change), better known as The Penguin, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Farrell’s appearance was far from the traditional image of the character, leaving many unsure of what to expect.

However, the Irish actor’s performance was so impressive that HBO quickly greenlit a stand-alone series about The Penguin, with Farrell reprising his role.

As of this writing, the show has aired two episodes and is already being hailed as one of the best series of the year, earning widespread acclaim from both critics and fans. The acting, world-building, character development, and story progression are all receiving high praise.

If you think this sounds exaggerated, the numbers back it up. Even James Gunn—despite having no direct involvement in the series, as Reeves’ Batman universe exists outside the DCU—took to social media to celebrate the show’s success, expressing how proud he is of its achievements.

Variety reported that the second episode of The Penguin drew 1.6 million viewers on its premiere night, marking an impressive 17% increase from the series debut. This significant jump highlights the show’s growing popularity. James Gunn responded to the news on Threads, sharing the Variety article along with a brief but enthusiastic message: “🐧🙌🐧.”

As for the series overall, this is fantastic news. The Penguin is thriving, and it’s exciting to see its continued growth. We can only hope that DC will build on this success. And we’re not alone in this excitement—here’s a look at how fans reacted to Gunn’s post on Threads:

No exaggeration to say that Colin’s performance here rivals the level Heath raised the bar to with his Joker.

– nick.spalding

Colin Farrell is inhuman in this role and I love it! I think the first 2 episodes have been great so far! Also gotta s/o Michael Kelly playing Johnny Viti…just awesome to watch!

– thejcanthony

Hey James it’s awesome! How will your Batman be different to Matt reeves other than it being fantastical? Any Batman comic runs you would recommend to get a sense of what you’re going for?

– dimichelejamesjames12345

The rumors are so exhausting. I heard (again) that Matt Reeves’ universe will be part of the same universe as the Superman film directed by you, James Gunn. That’s false, right?

– edsangui

This show is so good. Collin Farrel is such a remarkable talent. I hope he gets the same love Walton Goggins got for Fallout.

– soberstoriesproject

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