‘The Penguin’ Showrunner on Showcasing Complex Female Characters: “Rarely are the women as interesting as the men”

Fans od DC adapatation can look forward to ‘The Penguin’ show this year. The series is a spinoff of Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ movie series, which takes place in a separate universe, unconnected to Gunn’s and Safran’s DCU. The upcoming show will take place a week after the events of the aforementioned movie. Following the events of the movie, Falcone is dead and The Penguin is desperately trying to fill the power vacuum left behind with the help of Sofia Falcone.

Farrell indicated that the series would explore the character’s complexities, including his awkwardness, strength, villainous aspects, and underlying heartbreak, building upon his cinematic portrayal. He also mentioned that the show will be extremely violent and dark.

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc recently sat down with Total Film and commented on the show’s complex themes as well as progressing complex female characters in the crime genre:

Very few women have been able to write these kinds of movies or television shows.

I think my perspective on Oz, and masculinity in general, is different. And that made me also want to surround him with really interesting, complicated women [Cristin Milioti plays Carmine’s daughter Sofia, aka Hangman, making her own play for power when she’s released from Arkham Asylum]. In traditional crime dramas, rarely are the women as interesting as the men. So I took this as an opportunity to see what had been done before me, to respect and honor the genre, and then to also evolve it.

The cast for the upcoming series includes Colin Farrell as The Penguin/Oswald “Oz” Cobb, Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, and Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni. Other key characters are portrayed by Michael Zegen as Alberto Falcone, Michael Kelly as Johnny Vitti, and Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar. Additionally, Shohreh Aghdashloo plays Nadia Maroni, and Deirdre O’Connell is cast as Francis Cobb. The series also features James Madio, Scott Cohen, Theo Rossi, Carmen Ejogo, François Chau, David H. Holmes, Craig Walker, and Jared Abrahamson, with some roles yet to be disclosed.

‘The Penguin’ is set to premiere on Max on September 19, 2024, comprising eight episodes. Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!

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