With The Penguin in production and The Batman Part II on the way, the Matt Reeves Elseworld of the DCU continues to expand with a new casting addition.
The Batman spin-off The Penguin has been getting much attention recently, with the HBO Max mini-series currently filming. In the months before the shoot began, however, the show's cast slowly started being revealed, with the announcement of Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone.
Other notable castings include Man of Steel alum Michael Kelly in an undisclosed role and Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni. Most recently, Michael Zegen joined the Falcone family as Alberto, also known as the Holiday Killer.
Now, the cast is expanding yet again, marking the 11th actor announced for the series.
The Batman Spin-Off Show Gains New Actor
According to Deadline, Theo Rossi will be playing "a key recurring role" in the HBO Max The Batman spin-off, The Penguin, though no further information about Rossi's role was announced.
Rossi may be familiar to superhero fans, having played Hernan "Shades" Alvarez in Luke Cage a few years back.
With this casting, Rossi has officially become the 11th announced actor set to appear in the new series. As of publication, the cast of characters is comprised of:
- Colin Farrell as The Penguin
- Cristin Miloti as Sofia Falcone
- Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni
- Michael Zegen as Alberto Falcone
Additionally, the following actors have been announced as being involved, though their roles remain unknown:
- Rhenzy Feliz
- Michael Kelly
- Shoreh Aghdashloo
- Deirdre O’Connell
- James Madio
- Scott Cohen
- Theo Rossi
Who Might Rossi Play in The Penguin?
Theo Rossi, along with the other actors with undisclosed roles in the show, could be bringing any number of Batman and Batman-adjacent characters to the Robert Pattinson Batman universe.
With The Penguin being only the second project in this Elseworld, many fan-favorite comic characters have yet to be seen, particularly in the realm of rogues like Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, or Calendar Man.
The Batman took many cues from the comic Batman: The Long Halloween. The story centers around the Falcone crime family, particularly Zegen's Holiday Killer character. With the Holiday Killer's M.O. being similar to that of Gotham rogue Calendar Man, Batman approaches the villain to learn more about how Alberto Falcone might operate.
Given the focus on the Falcone family that The Penguin seems to have and the established story cues from Batman: The Long Halloween, a Calendar Man-type would not seem too far out.
However, nothing has been confirmed or announced as of now.
The Penguin does not have a set release date yet, but when it premieres, it will be on HBO Max.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
