It’s been a full year since Matt Reeves’ The Batman hit the big screen, with a confirmed sequel already set for a 2025 release. But before that, fans get to revisit another prominent character in the film and Batman lore: The Penguin. As a tie-in to The Batman, The Penguin picks up where the film left off and follows Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblebot as he attempts to fill the power vacuum left in the void of Carmine Falcone’s (John Turturro) murder.
Shooting began in New York in early March and several set photos have emerged, revealing Farrell back in full Penguin prosthetics as well as our first unofficial look at Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, daughter of the late crime boss. However, the biggest chunk of news we’ve received about The Penguin since shooting began is that Clancy Brown has been cast as major Gotham mob boss, Salvatore Maroni.
While the name doesn’t carry the same gravitas of any other Batman’s rogues or even Falcone, the confirmation that Maroni will be appearing in The Penguin has huge ramifications for the series and the future of the Reevesverse as a whole. Before we dive into how Maroni’s presence is going to shake things up for Oz, The Batman, and the rest of Gotham, let’s look into the history of Salvatore Maroni.
Who Is Salvatore Maroni, and What Role Does He Play in ‘The Batman’?
One of Gotham’s most ruthless gangsters, Salvatore “The Boss” Maroni is the head of a crime family that operates opposite Carmine Falcone’s own criminal empire. He’s appeared throughout a variety of Batman media throughout the years and serves as a thorn in Batman’s side or a reluctant source of information if Batman presses him.
Although he is never seen in The Batman, Maroni is a key figure that is mentioned throughout the course of the film. We learn that he had involvement with Bruce’s (Robert Pattinson) parents and attempted to get mayoral-elect Thomas Wayne (Luke Roberts) in his pocket by digging up dirt on his wife, Martha (Stella Stocker), and her past stay at Arkham Asylum for mental illness. This was a shocking reveal and one of the most haunting scenes in the film that sends Bruce further down the path of Maroni’s past. In further proof of the rivalry between the two crime lords, Thomas goes to Falcone to get him to silence the reporter Maroni enlisted. Falcone takes things too far and has the reporter killed. This is allegedly the catalyst for the Wayne’s death as Maroni, fearful of Thomas’ allegiance with Falcone, has the Waynes murdered to prevent his rise to power.
Maroni’s (alleged) hit on the Waynes is all for naught as Falcone ends up on top anyway. The drug crisis sweeping Gotham during the events of The Batman focuses on a product known as Drops. And Maroni happens to be the biggest Drop dealer in Gotham, which makes it easy for Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones) to organize a sting operation and have Maroni arrested. However, as we later learn, the majority of the GCPD and government officials such as DA Gil Colson (Peter Sarsgaard) and Mayor Mitchell are corrupt and colluded with Falcone to organize the sting. Once Maroni took the fall, Falcone stepped in and assumed full power over the Drops operation and the rest of Gotham, including Renewal. Despite all the steps he took to prevent his downfall, Maroni is outsmarted by Falcone, which explains his absence from the film as we can assume he’s doing time in Blackgate Penitentiary.
What Could Salvatore Maroni’s Storyline Look Like in ‘The Penguin’?
So, if Maroni is in jail, how does that impact the future of The Batman? Well, prison is typically very temporary for the evildoers of Gotham and the odds are high that Maroni will be able to pull some strings to get himself out now that Falcone is unable to stop him. In the comics, Maroni is also most well-known for being the man that splashed acid on Harvey Dent’s face, turning him into the devious and split-minded gangster Two-Face.
We haven’t seen or heard mention of Harvey Dent in the world of The Batman yet, but before he became Two-Face, he was a good friend of Bruce Wayne and Gotham’s revered District Attorney. If the District Attorney title rings a bell at all, that’s because we did meet Gotham’s DA, Gil Colson, in The Batman, but he notably died after being blown up by The Riddler (Paul Dano). That means there is an opening for a new District Attorney and a chance to introduce Harvey Dent as a potential storyline in The Batman sequel or The Penguin.
Sure, coincidences happen. But with an open District Attorney seat combined with the casting of Brown as Salvatore Maroni, it seems like the perfect storm to begin concocting Two-Face’s origins. The Penguin is of course its own series focused on Oz, but also utilizing the show to build up smaller events for future installments of The Batman would only build excitement for the overall story.
The Penguin is not expected to come out until 2024, but it needs all the time it can get to perfect its story and characters. Now that Oz is out of the shadow of Falcone, he’s situated in a prime position to seize power in Gotham. Gaining power is one thing, but maintaining it presents its own set of complications. Word travels fast and Sofia Falcone surely isn’t happy about the comments Oz made to Falcone as he was being arrested. Meanwhile, Maroni is out there somewhere and if he isn’t currently a threat, he will be. You don’t waste the talent of Clancy Brown only to have him sit in a jail cell. Chaos is coming, and The Penguin has got a lot to prepare for.
Read up on everything we here at Collider know so far about HBO Max’s The Penguin, including the cast, crew, and plot details.
