In The Penguin, Colin Farrell’s Oswald “Oz” Cobb has broken a huge trend that has plagued several recent villain-focused superhero projects both in the MCU and in the DC Universe. Farrell first appeared as Oz Cobb in Matt Reeves’ The Batman back in 2022, introduced as the lieutenant to crime boss Carmine Falcone and the benefactor of the Iceberg Lounge nightclub. He posed a minor annoyance to Robert Pattinson’s Batman during his hunt for the Riddler, which meant it was surprising when the Penguin was gifted his own HBO spinoff series.