How the Ending of THE PENGUIN Sets up THE BATMAN – PART II

Spoiler Alert

The Penguin’s first (and only?) season has ended, with the rise of Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) as Gotham’s new premiere mob boss, and the confirmation that he’s a character with no real redeeming qualities, as he murdered his only true friend, Vic (Rhenzy Feliz). So what does this all mean for Matt Reeves’ upcoming The BatmanPart II? We have some ideas, even if we didn’t get a single glimpse of the Dark Knight in The Penguin’s entire run. The finale episode laid the groundwork for the continuation of Matt Reeves’ The Batman Epic Crime Saga.

Oz Cobb Becomes Gotham’s Top Crime Boss

Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb underground in a dress shirt and suspenders on The Penguin
Macall Polay/HBO

As The Penguin showed us, Gotham City is in shambles after the sea walls broke as part of the Riddler’s scheme in The Batman. Oz Cobb quickly used the chaos of that catastrophe, and the death of his former boss Carmine Falcone, to climb his way to the top. Now, by the final episode of The Penguin, he’s firmly there. We don’t see Oz Cobb ever interact with Batman in his series. But now that he’s consolidated all organized crime in Gotham, he’s pretty much the king of the city.

Only Batman Can Stand In The Penguin’s Way Now

Having said all that, the only thing standing in Oz Cobb’s way when it comes to complete domination is the Batman. So whatever happens in The Batman – Part II, it stands to reason that Oz Cobb will be a bigger adversary than before, and will see Batman as his biggest threat to power. Oz was just a way of getting information about bigger fish to Batman in the first film. The end of The Penguin suggests the conflict between them will be much greater going forward.

The Batman talks to Jim Gordon
Warner Bros.

We also know that there’s a new political figure in Gotham, who is perfectly fine working with organized crime figures like Oz Cobb. This unholy alliance could become a very big problem for Bruce Wayne in The Batman – Part II. We know Matt Reeves has an interest in the secret power among Gotham’s elite class from the first film. That might be something he explores further in the sequel. Could this crooked politician also be part of the secret society known as the Court of Owls? We have a feeling he is.

The Penguin Hints at a Catwoman/Sofia Gigante Team-Up for The Batman – Part II

Sofia Falcone Gigante (L) and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (R)
HBO/Warner Bros.

At the end of The Penguin, Sofia Gigante is back in Arkham where she probably expects to spend the rest of her days. Of course, this is Gotham City, and no one stays in Arkham forever. Or even more than a few months it seems. Sofia gets a letter from her half-sister, Selina Kyle whom she presumably had no idea existed. We last saw Selina/Catwoman ride off to the nearby town of Bludhaven at the end of The Batman. But the fact that she knows Sofia is her sister and has reached out to her might indicate a return to Gotham for Selina for The Batman – Part II. And maybe even some kind of Sofia/Selina alliance that might put them in Batman’s crosshairs.

The Sea Wall’s Collapse Leads to a New, More Dangerous Gotham

Although it took place in The Batman, we now know the destruction of the sea walls destroyed a large chunk of Gotham, killing thousands and displacing even more. Vic’s family was among the dead, and probably wouldn’t have resorted to criminal activity to survive. I think many new criminals, some from the comics, will emerge from this catastrophe. Which will they be? We’ll find out when The Batman – Part II hits theaters in 2026.