Many fans weren’t sure what to expect from Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Oswald “Oz” Cobb (yeah, they changed the name a little), better known as The Penguin, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman because Farrell didn’t look like the character. The Irish actor was so good at his role that HBO immediately commissioned a stand-alone series about The Penguin, and Farrell agreed to star.
With two episodes available as of the time of writing this report, the show is hailed by reviewers and fans alike as one of the greatest shows of the year.
Everyone is complimenting the acting, world-building, character growth, and narrative progression, with the numbers brought in by the show being great as well.
Having said this, DC has seemingly cracked the formula for a good superhero TV show, and while pondering this, we can actually take something from it. We believe that The Penguin is actually a perfect blueprint for a lot of future superhero shows – one in particular – and we actually think that Marvel could learn a lot from this show.
The Penguin has it all. It is a spin-off from a very successful and praised movie, it was meticulously crafted and it is telling a great story. It also has a very charismatic main character, regardless of the fact that he is a villain, as well as great supporting characters.
To that, you can add a brilliant performance by the main actor, as well as the fact that the series contributes a lot to the world-building of its lore. It is not forcing anything, it is not pushing anything, it simply flows, showing a gritty and realistic world that it wants to portray, while – at the same time – focusing on issues of minorities, class differences, as well as women.
Namely, it seems like The Penguin has cracked the formula, and if you know the formula, you can apply it to other shows as well. And while DC’s shows now have a great blueprint to work with, we actually think that Marvel could also learn from The Penguin, especially when some of its shows are concerned.
And while The Penguin formula wouldn’t work on shows such as Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye, the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series – the whole Daredevil universe really, along with the Defenders – is a perfect way to use that blueprint.
While Born Again is probably going to be grittier than your average MCU show, the fact remains that it probably won’t be as dark as The Penguin, but it could be. The show provides a perfect way to craft a street-level gritty series that will capture the attention of the fans.
At the same time, the fact that it focuses on a villain is also something that Marvel could use. There are some great villains out there – most notably Kingpin, for starters – who could do with their own standalone show, and if Marvel ever decides to pursue that direction, The Penguin is a great model that it can build on to make a great show.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
