‘The Penguin’ Wins Big at Emmys But Will Colin Farrell Return for Season 2?

Almost a year ago, The Penguin emerged as the magnum opus of the DC Elseworlds. Now, it has bagged eight awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, held on Sunday, September 7, 2025 (via ABC News). The categories it won for include hairstyling, costumes, prosthetic makeup, visual effects, sound editing, and sound mixing.

Upon its premiere, the show won over fans and critics alike and had amassed record-breaking viewership on HBO Max. That winning streak continues, but is Colin Farrell willing to reprise his role as the formidable villain? In a recent interview with Deadline, he said:

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.’ But, look, if they came up with a fantastic idea or something like that, of course I’d be open to it.

Farrell has already won the Best Actor award at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and Astra TV Awards for his phenomenal performance. He is also nominated for one at the Primetime Emmys, and the verdict on it will be out on September 14.

Colin Farrell Believes The Penguin Would Be Better Left Alone

Colin Farrell‘s portrayal of The Penguin was undeniably good, and the transformation he went through for the looks even impressed his predecessor, Danny DeVito. The show has also earned enough praise that if HBO decided to give it another shot, there would be no rebuttal against it. Here are some of the key details about the show:

However, Farrell believes the show does not need another season and is better off as a limited series. In the aforementioned interview with Deadline, he addressed the possibility of doing more episodes, saying:

I have no idea if it’s happening. I know that I heard rumblings that they were thinking they’d like to do a second season, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea.

As it turns out, he is not the only one who thinks that. Channing Dungey, the Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros Television Group and WBD US Networks, also said something similar to Deadline in April 2025. He said:

The Penguin is one of those things where – and it’s interesting, because when you talk with everyone involved, everyone is interested in possibly revisiting those characters and doing more – it was very much designed as a limited series.

However, Dungey finished off by saying, “But I would never say never.” So, the door is not completely shut on the show, and Season 2 is still on the book even if the chances seem to be quite low.

Should The Penguin Have Another Season?

The Penguin has already delivered what it set out to do: explore Oswald Cobblepot’s rise in Gotham’s underworld while expanding on the grim atmosphere of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. It gave audiences a grounded look at a character who flashier villains have often overshadowed, but like all good things, this should probably also end and for good reason.

By giving us a focused narrative about Oz’s climb to power, the show avoids stretching itself thin or falling into the trap of overexplaining a character who thrives on mystery and unpredictability. Extending it into multiple seasons could risk diluting the impact of his arc, making him less compelling by overexposure.

Moreover, Gotham’s world is already sprawling, with plenty of other characters and stories that deserve the spotlight. Rather than locking into one villain’s perspective, HBO and DC could use the momentum of The Penguin to develop fresh series that explore different villains of Gotham.

In fact, Matt Reeves already told Esquire that he is planning on exploring spinoffs with characters like Two-Face, Poison Ivy, or Mr. Freeze. Not to mention that Farrell could definitely use a break from all those prosthetics. He is already returning in The Batman II, so fans don’t have to miss him for too long.

Do you think the show should be renewed for another season? Let us know in the comments below.

The Penguin is available to stream on HBO Max.