Old Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) has made it to San Diego Comic-Con with a panel dedicated to the villain-centric spinoff, The Penguin. The crime drama limited series takes to the convention hall to provide a preview of what’s to come in September, when it will kick off the wider Bat-Verse on Max with a violent, Scarface-like continuation to Matt Reeves‘s The Batman. With Farrell virtually in attendance alongside Reeves and other key members of the cast and crew, Max shared a new trailer that further teases the titular crime boss’s rise to power.

In the trailer, we get a better look at the power plays Oz makes in the wake of Carmine Falcone’s (John Turturro) death. The last peek at the upcoming show proved there’s more to the crook’s mindset, as he holds contempt for The Riddler (Paul Dano) for the destruction he’s wrought upon Gotham. He wants to make his mark on the city as it’s still recovering from the flood, but to get there, he needs to get his hands dirty and take advantage of the opportunity at hand. With the Falcones still reeling, he’s ready to cut deals, find new allies, and take out anyone in his path to the top. Other members of the criminal underworld won’t just let him waltz his way into power though, including Carmine’s daughter Sofia (Cristin Milioti), who is just as dead set on seizing the reins and defying everyone around her.

Also featured in the footage is Clancy Brown, who’s set to enter Gotham City as fellow crime boss Salvatore Maroni. His arrival has big implications for the entire Bat-Verse, considering he’s the man whose actions led to the death of Batman’s parents. Although Maroni is in prison, Oz has to keep an eye on him and lay down the law now that he plans to take Falcone’s place atop the criminal hierarchy. Brown is one of many talented additions to the cast for the spin-off, alongside Shohreh Aghdashloo, Theo Rossi, Michael Kelly, and Dierdre O’Connell.

‘The Penguin’ Will Be a Direct Lead-In To ‘The Batman Part II’

Reeves‘s Bat-Verse will reach a new peak with the violence present in The Penguin, further building on the darker atmosphere of The Batman. Farrell has previously detailed how his unique take on Oz will evolve to fit the brutal and bloody path the villain must take to reach the top, a path that will lead directly to The Batman Part II. The connection between the two titles won’t be quite as seamless as initially planned though. With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year, among other issues, the sequel to Reeves‘s 2022 smash hit is still being written, according to DC‘s new co-chief James Gunn, and the film won’t hit theaters until October 2026 now. When it does finally reach the big screen, however, expect Oz to play a major role alongside other villains that have been set up in Gotham, like Barry Keoghan‘s Joker and Two-Face.

The Penguin debuts on Max in September. Check out the new trailer above and stay tuned here at Collider for more event coverage through the end of SDCC on Sunday.

via Collider