Colin Farrell isn’t feeling optimistic about a Season 2 for “The Penguin,” noting in a recent interview he’d “bet against” it ever happening.
The actor — who played the comic book villain Oswald “Oz” Cobb (a.k.a. the Penguin) in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” movie and then again in the spinoff series, “The Penguin,” at HBO — issued his first clear statement to Comicbook.com on the possibility of a second round.
“I have a bit of a negativity bias. Apparently, I’ve been told by various people close to me,” he told the outlet. “So I would say I would bet against, but not by much.”
However, Farrell made it clear this was not an outright no, adding that “the powers that be are thinking of storylines that could justify another eight hours” of television.
Yet, as Farrell noted, any expansion of his series would have to correlate with Reeves’ vision for the “world” of Batman, a sequel to which starring Robert Pattinson is set for 2027.
“It conveniently worked that the death at the end of ‘The Batman’ and the devastation within Gotham opened up a power vacuum that then Oz could try and capitalize on,” Farrell went on. “That was perfect for the parallel eight hours that we had. And then [“The Batman Part II”] will pick up, whatever, a few weeks after the show ended. But I kind of bet against, but not by a wide mark.”
“The Penguin” received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both fans and critics, with the show and its cast winning numerous awards following its release in 2024.
Namely, Farrell, for his work as the titular villainous protagonist, took home the Golden Globe for Best Actor (Miniseries or TV Film) and the SAG Award for Outstanding Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie. Cristin Milioti, who played mob boss Sofia Falcone, nabbed the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television and the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Still, despite this acclaim, HBO has yet to order another season of the comic book series — leaving Farrell to stay coy on the matter, until now.
All of “The Penguin” is available to stream on HBO Max.
