‘The Penguin’ Cast & Character Guide

It’s been two and a half years since the release of Matt Reeves‘ The Batman, and while we may have to wait another two years for the sequel, we don’t have to wait much longer to return to the streets of Gotham.

That’s right, the next chapter in Reeves’ Batman saga is finally here, with The Penguin, featuring Academy Award nominee Colin Farrell reprising his role as the criminal kingpin. The 8-episode limited series is set immediately after the events of the acclaimed 2022 film and features the titular character attempting to incite a gang war in order to rise to the top of Gotham City’s criminal underworld, finding a potential protégé, and butting heads with the criminally insane daughter of the recently deceased Carmine Falcone.

If you want a first look at the stacked cast behind the much anticipated new series, we’ll be breaking it down for you. Just watch out for any rogue billionaires dressed as bats.

Colin Farrell

Oswald “Oz” Cobb / Penguin

Oswald “Oz” Cobb (although his last name in the comics in Cobblepot), isn’t the same notorious crime lord that we know from DC Comics. At least not in The Batman or at the start of The Penguin. After serving as the chief lieutenant for Carmine Falcone, before he ultimately was assassinated, Oz has become more of a criminal drifter. He rubs shoulders not only with the Falcone crime family but also their rivals, the Maroni crime family. Despite what his portly figure and cartoonish accent may lead you to believe, Oz will stab anyone in the back to get what he wants and thinks he deserves. We also get to see a softer side of Oz in the series, especially with his mother and his new teenage driver, Victor.

Many were caught off guard when Colin Farrell was first cast as Batman’s famous adversary back in 2019. He proved his doubters wrong, giving a scene-stealing performance in the 2022 movie, looking unrecognizable under numerous prosthetics. Having worked in the industry for over two decades, Farrell has worked with some of the biggest and brightest filmmakers in the world of film, including Steven Spielberg (Minority Report), Michael Mann (Miami Vice), Steve McQueen (Widows), Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Terrence Malick (The New World), Sofia Coppola (The Beguiled), Ron Howard (Thirteen Lives), and Peter Weir (The Way Back), just to name a few.

This also isn’t his first time playing a comic book villain, having taken on the role of Bullseye in the Ben Affleck-led Daredevil movie in 2003. Farrell has also been widely celebrated for his collaborations with writer-director Martin McDonagh on the films In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and The Banshees of Inisherin, the latter of which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. While Farrell mainly works in the world of film, he is also no stranger to television, having starred in True Detective Season 2 and most recently the Apple TV+ series Sugar.

Next up for Farrell is the romantic adventure film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, where he’ll be sharing the screen with Margot Robbie; The Ballad of a Small Player by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front); and Belly of the Beast, starring alongside Ben Stiller. He is also expected to reprise his role as the Penguin in The Batman Part II.

Cristin Milioti

Sofia Falcone

Sofia Falcone is the daughter of Carmine Falcone, who, throughout the series, becomes Oz’s biggest rival in the quest to rule Gotham’s criminal empire. Criminally insane, Sofia has recently been released from Arkham Asylum, where the other inmates referred to her as the Hangman. Sofia’s unpredictable nature potentially makes her an even bigger threat than Oz himself.

Cristin Milioti takes on the role of Sofia Falcone and is the biggest new addition to Reeve’s Batman saga. Milioti began working in Hollywood in 2006, where she played Catherine Sacrimoni in several episodes of The Sopranos (a series that influenced The Penguin). Milioti primarily stuck to television guest spots and indie films until she took on the role of Teresa in Martin Scorsese‘s The Wolf of Wall Street and played the titular mother in the final season of How I Met Your Mother. From there, Milioti has built an impressive resume, including Fargo Season 2, Made for Love, the Black Mirror episode “USS Callister,” and The Resort. Miliotti’s biggest role yet came in the form of the acclaimed 2020 time loop comedy Palm Springs, where she starred alongside Andy Samberg.

Rhenzy Feliz

Victor Aguilar

Haunted by a recent tragedy, Victor Aguilar is first found by Oz when he’s attempting to steal his car. While some might think that a hot-tempered thug like Oz would instantly kill the teen, he instead takes a liking to him, hiring him as his driver. Victor, at least at the start of the series, is the purest character in a series full of shady individuals, bringing out Oz’s softer side, despite being trepidatious about all his criminal ongoings.

Rhenzy Feliz isn’t new to the world of superheroes. He previously starred as Alex Wilder in Hulu’s teen superhero series Marvel’s Runaways, which lasted three seasons. Feliz also voiced Camilo Madigral in Disney’s Oscar-winning animated film Encanto. Other notable projects Feliz participated in include George Clooney‘s The Tender Bar, the Netflix teen drama All Together Now, and the sixth and final season of Teen Wolf.

Michael Kelly

Johnny Viti

Johnny Viti is the underboss of the Falcone crime family. Despite technically working alongside Oz for years, Johnny has never trusted him and is immediately suspicious of Oz when the crime family faces some serious losses. Johnny isn’t a fan of Sofia either and aspires to run things himself.

Michael Kelly has an extensive resume across both film and television. The Penguin isn’t even his first DC project, having played Steve Lombard in Man of Steel. Kelly is a four-time Emmy nominee for his role as Doug Stamper on the Netflix series House of Cards. Other movies and shows on Kelly’s resume include Special Ops: Lioness, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, The Sopranos, Now You See Me, and Dawn of the Dead.

Kelly will next be seen sharing the screen with Vanessa Kirby in the crime-drama film Night Always Comes.

Clancy Brown

Salvatore Maroni

The head of the Maroni crime family, Salvatore Maroni is still in prison at the beginning of The Penguin, after he was caught amid an explosive drug bust conducted by the GCPD. Oz visits Sal several times throughout the series.

Clancy Brown has a vast resume, having starred in numerous major movies and series, including The Shawshank Redemption, John Wick: Chapter 4, Gen V, Highlander, Starship Troopers, Dexter: New Blood, and Promising Young Woman. Brown is also a veteran voice actor, perhaps most famously voicing Mr. Krabs in the ever-popular Nicktoon SpongeBob SquarePants as well as Lex Luthor in the DC Animated Universe, Long Fen in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Savage Opress in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Alongside new episodes of SpongeBob, Brown will also next be heard reprising his role as Mr. Krabs in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants and Plankton: The Movie.

Deirdre O’Connell

Francis Cobb

Francis Cobb is Oz’s disturbed mother. Francis lives alone, which brings great concern to her landlord, as he often finds her wandering out of the house at bizarre times. Oz often visits Francis throughout the series, showing he still has somewhat of a soft spot for her, despite his rough upbringing.

Deirdre O’Connell plays Francis Cobb in The Penguin. A Tony Award-winning actress, O’Connell may be most celebrated for her work on the stage, but she has appeared in her fair share of movies and shows including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Outer Range, The Affair, The Path, St. Vincent, and Law & Order.

O’Connell will next be seen in Ari Aster‘s star-studded neo-western Eddington, alongside a cast that also includes Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone.

Michael Zegen

Alberto Falcone

Alberto Falcone is the younger brother of Sofia Falcone and the son of Carmine Falcone. In the wake of his father’s death, Alberto is presumed to be next in line to lead the Falcone crime family, which puts a massive target on his back.

Michael Zegen plays the role of Alberto Falcone, marking his return to television after his role as Joel in the Emmy-winning Prime Video series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Zegen is also known for his roles in other popular series such as Rescue Me, Girls, The Walking Dead, and Boardwalk Empire.

Zegen will next be seen in the Lena Dunham-penned Netflix series Too Much, alongside Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe.

Mark Strong

Carmine Falcone

Carmine Falcone will be back for The Penguin series, despite being killed off in The Batman. The fallen leader of the Falcone crime family appears in the series through flashbacks, giving viewers more backstory to his crime syndicate and his relationships with Oz, Sofia, and Alberto.

While John Turturro memorably portrayed the character of Carmine Falcone in The Batman, the role has now been recast with Mark Strong stepping into the shoes of the crime lord. The Penguin marks Strong’s third role to be based on a character from DC Comics, having played Sinestro in the infamous 2011 Green Lantern movie, and playing the villainous Dr. Sivana in Shazam!. Strong has also appeared in other comic-book-based franchises, such as the Kingsman films where he played Merlin and Kick-Ass as Frank D’Amico. Other notable titles in Strong’s filmography include 1917, Cruella, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Imitation Game, Zero Dark Thirty, and Tár.

Strong will next be seen in another highly-anticipated HBO series arriving this year, the prequel Dune: Prophecy, where he will play Emperor Javicco Corrino. Other upcoming projects from Strong include the action-comedy Shadow Force, Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2, and Doug Liman’s historical drama Everest.

Other Cast-Members in ‘The Penguin’

It’s safe to say that The Penguin features a pretty impressive ensemble. Below you can read a list of who else is appearing in the series.