Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Penguin episode 4.
The Penguinhas just revealed a villain inThe Batmanuniverse who is even worse than The Riddler or The Joker. By the time ofThe Penguinepisode 4’s ending, the entire series up to that point had been recontextualized. The character whom many thought was shaping up to be the show’s villain,The Penguin’s Sofia Falcone/Hangman, was actually revealed to be an incredibly tragic figure, driven by her decade-long stay in Arkham Asylum.
ViaThe Penguin’s Arkham Asylum storyline, Sofia’s storyline is fleshed out massively. Not only does this allow the character to become immensely more investable, but it also allows Cristin Milioti to establish herself alongside Colin Farrell as an exceptional performer inThe Penguin’s ensemble cast. Hanging over this storyline, however, is one of the biggest villains in the entirety ofThe Batmanuniverse. More so than unhinged madmen like Riddler or Joker, the villain in question has connections that make them much more effective as a compelling antagonist.
The Batman Universe’s Worst Villain Isn’t Riddler Or Joker, It’s Carmine Falcone
The villain who has been established as the worst inThe Batmanuniverse thus far is Carmine Falcone. Played by John Turturro inThe Batman, Falcone was always shown to be a bad guy, from his murder of people tied to Thomas Wayne - and potentially the Waynes themselves - to his murder of Catwoman’s mother and attempted murder of Selina. However,The Penguinprovides Carmine Falcone, this time recast as Mark Strong, with a story that moves him beyond any redemption or sympathygiven how he treats his own family.
Why DC Recast Carmine Falcone In The Penguin
DC has plans for Robert Pattinson to be the star of a Batman trilogy, and two years after his debut, The Batman’s overarching villain has been recast.
InThe Penguinepisode 4, it is revealed that Carmine killed more women than was presented inThe Batman.To somehow make matters worse, he pinned these murders on the innocent Sofia, his daughter, and used his immense wealth and connections to have her admitted to Arkham Asylum and essentially tortured into madness for ten years. Given how muchThe Penguinepisode 4 makes audiences care about Sofia, these crimes are much more personal and therefore much more disgraceful.
The Riddler’s initial motivations were somewhat sympathetic given that he was fighting for the poorer citizens of Gotham, butThe Batmanhighlighted how he took things too far.The Penguinalso did so by showcasing that Riddler’s crimes affected the people he was apparently protecting, like Victor. This retroactively makes Riddler a bigger villain, but his worst actions are on a bigger scale. Carmine’s crimes inThe Penguinepisode 4are familial, making the sense of betrayal run deeper and making him the most detestable villain inThe Batmanuniverse.
The Penguin Masterfully Adds Context To The Batman While Providing A Standout New Character
As alluded to,The Penguinadds a lot of context toThe Batman. Upon rewatch of the film post-Penguinepisode 4, the crimes Carmine is accused of become way more real. Similarly,The Penguinretroactively makes Catwoman’s quest for revenge against Carmine even better, and his eventual death more satisfying. What is even more impressive, however, is howThe Penguinis doing so while providing a standout new character in Sofia Falcone, proving the show to be an excellent standalone story inThe Batmanuniverse, but one that also improves on what came before and what will come after.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
