The Penguin is entering the Emmy Awards as a limited series leaving fans wondering if a second season will ever happen. Would HBO submit a show for consideration in the limited series category if it's getting a season 2? Well, reassuringly, it has before.
A limited series entry doesn’t always mean a one-season wonder. Remember The White Lotus started as a limited series before its popularity led to further seasons, and Shogun was commissioned for a sophomore season after its success. Big Little Lies, also, won the Outstanding Limited Series Emmy Award and then had a second season (although perhaps it shouldn't have).
Colin Farrell will vie for Best Actor for playing Oswald “Oz’ Cobb while Cristin Milioti will enter the Best Actress category for her role as Sofia Falcone. Rhenzy Feliz, who played Oz’s right-hand man Victor, will enter the Supporting Actor category, while Deirdre O’Connell, who played Oz’s mom Francis, is in the Supporting Actress category. The Penguin was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for Colin Farrell.
Still, with no season 2 announced, fans are concerned this could be it for our favourite Gotham villain. Farrell also isn’t sure if we’ll ever see a sophomore outing for his baddie.
The Penguin season 2 is looking unlikely?
While the crime drama was a critical success that also impressed fans, why didn’t HBO immediately order The Penguin season 2? Well, according to the lead star, the show was only ever envisioned to be a one-season wonder. "If they came up with an amazing way to do another eight hours, and if it fit in primarily to Matt Reeves's vision, because this whole show really had to work with being born of The Batman film and also being kind of a cartilage to the second film, which I haven't read yet..."
Farrell told Variety he is unsure whether he thinks a second season is the right choice: "I don’t want it. I don’t not want it.” He added that the creative team had no interest in doing a second series just because the show was successful and didn’t want it “to be a diluted version of what people seem to feel it is, majoritively.” Sometimes a perfect one season of television is better than seasons of a show that diminishes in quality and ruins the things we loved so much about the characters.
The Penguin is expected to appear in the sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which has been delayed until 2027. It’s unclear if these delays are connected to season 2 of The Penguin, looking unlikely. It felt like the action of The Penguin was leading into the Robert Pattinson sequel.
Farrell said he isn’t in a rush to return to the role of the Gotham villain on the small screen again. “I have no deep desire to do it. Sure, if they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’s cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open to it. But it’s not something concerning me."
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc has also been open about the potential of a second season of The Penguin. She echoed Farrell’s comments on only wanting to do it if the story was worth it and they could improve on the existing tale. “I mean, I really care about all these characters, even if they're terrible people."
She added: "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 maybe if we don't get The Penguin back, we'll get TV shows based on other villains from the world of Matt Reeves' The Batman.
Could Sofia Falcone get her own spin-off?
While the series may not appear again on the small screen, Sofia Falcone could be getting her own spin-off. Played by Cristin Milioti, Sofia is Carmine's daughter and a presumed psychopathic serial killer who takes on Oz for the power of Gotham.
Matt Reeves told The Hollywood Reporter that "everything is on the table" regarding a potential spin-off about Sofia and praised Millioti’s performance as the serial killer. "What can we do that feels fresh? This idea of introducing Sofia was specifically about the way she was existing in this patriarchal world and in a way that makes you surprisingly start to root for her even though she is the antagonist to Oz.”
In December 2024, Cristin Milioti told The Hollywood Reporter that her “wildest hope” was to return as Sofia Falcone. She told the outlet she hadn’t heard anything concrete about her return to the big or small screen. We certainly would love to see her and her fantastic costume back on the big or small screen. So looks like it’s all up in the air but we can all hope that we will one day get season 2 of The Penguin.
The Penguin is streaming on Max.