Colin Farrell’s Penguin Comeback Just Hit a Major Setback for Season 2

Let’s talk about The Penguin — yeah, the Colin Farrell one where he’s slathered in prosthetics and doing his best mobster power play. This show got off to a pretty hot start when it dropped two years ago, pulling in critical approval and racking up some trophies: a Golden Globe for Farrell, and an Emmy for Cristin Milioti. Not too shabby. The cast is stacked too, with names like Rhenzy Feliz, Deirdre O'Connell, Carmen Ejogo, Theo Rossi, and Clancy Brown filling out the Gotham gallery.

About That Season 2...

So, is The Penguin waddling back our way for a second season? HBO’s top exec Casey Bloys just weighed in, and the answer is... well, it’s about as clear as Gotham’s sewage. Bloys told Variety it’s ‘certainly complicated, but something everybody involved would like to figure out. I just don't know.’ That’s pretty much the opposite of reassuring if you were hoping for a quick return.

The state of Season 2 has been murky for a while. About a year ago, Bloys first mentioned that they were at least talking about it. After that, Bloomberg reported a second season really was in the works, bundled in with other DC offshoots. Around the same time, Matt Reeves (the executive producer and Batman auteur) said he, Farrell, creator Lauren LeFranc, and Dylan Clark were considering another round — but only ‘if they found the right idea.’ So, lots of chatter, but nothing actually rolling.

Farrell: Not Exactly Clamoring for a Comeback

Here’s where it gets a little sideways. Farrell himself? Not exactly desperate to jump back behind the prosthetic nose. He told Variety he’s in 'no rush,' doesn't have a 'deep desire' for a second season, and doesn’t even see it as a pressing concern. He's only in if there’s a killer concept, and if it actually fits alongside Matt Reeves’ movie universe.

He’s even more blunt in other interviews. At one point, he just said, 'I don’t know if it’s a good idea. I don’t know the way you go back to the trough… And part of me wants to go, "Just let it go, people. We got away with it. Leave it as it is."'

The (Current) Bottom Line

• Season 2 remains stalled — nobody can promise it will happen, nobody’s running to make it happen, but the door isn’t totally closed. Basically, don’t hold your breath.
• If you need another Farrell fix as the Penguin, you’ll see him next in The Batman Part II, coming (slowly) to theaters in October 2027.

So, yeah — count this as more 'bad news' than 'breaking news.' For now, The Penguin Season 2 is stuck on the ice, and it sounds like even the main star is fine with leaving the first season as its own weird, surprisingly good one-off.