# HBO's The Penguin Surpasses Batman Part II Viewership

> HBO's The Penguin series now has more viewers than the delayed Batman Part II.
- Title: HBO's The Penguin Surpasses Batman Part II Viewership · CBR
- Summary: HBO's The Penguin series now has more viewers than the delayed Batman Part II. The Penguin TV series has surpassed Batman Part II in viewership despite the…
- Keywords: hbo, the penguin, colin farrell, cristin milioti, oz cobb, sophia falcone, dc universe, batman part ii, the batman, hbo max, crime drama, gotham
- Source: CBR — https://cbr.com/hbo-the-penguin-biggest-batman-part-two-replacement
- Author: Carolyn Jenkins
- Published: 2026-10-19T19:00:12+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: hbo, the penguin, colin farrell, cristin milioti, oz cobb, sophia falcone, dc universe, batman part ii, the batman, hbo max, crime drama, gotham
## The Penguin's Delayed Success
The Penguin TV series has surpassed Batman Part II in viewership despite the sequel's delays.
## Batman Part II Production Delay
Matt Reeves had to step away from The Batman Part II production due to unforeseen circumstances.
## Steven Soderbergh Steps In
Steven Soderbergh has stepped in to help The Batman Part II reach fruition.
## The Penguin Series Details
The eight-episode HBO series stars Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, a crime boss rising from henchman to leader.
## Oz Cobb's Character Arc
Oz Cobb begins as an impulsive stooge and ends with enough power to build his own conglomerate.
## Oz and His Mother
Oz's relationship with his mother Deirdre, who suffers from dementia, is codependent and obsessive.
## Sofia Falcone's Story
Sofia Falcone, Cristin Milioti's character, was a serial killer known as the Hangman after Arkham Asylum.
## Sofia's Tragic Arc
Sofia discovered her brother's death was caused by Oz Cobb and was wrongly blamed for murders.
## The Penguin's Gotham Focus
The series explores Gotham's criminal underworld with more depth than a feature-length film could.
## Batman's Absence
Batman does not appear in The Penguin as the city deals with the aftermath of the seawall collapse.
## The Penguin's Impact
The series has become bigger than The Batman Part II due to the sequel's delays.
## Sofia's Revenge
Sofia seeks revenge after discovering Oz Cobb was responsible for her brother's death.
## The Penguin's Success
The Penguin has become the most compelling DC story despite Batman Part II's delays.
## The Penguin's Viewership
The Penguin has surpassed Batman Part II in viewership despite the sequel's delays.
## The Penguin's Storytelling
The series provides a complete narrative with a beginning, middle, and end unlike The Batman.
## The Penguin's Legacy
The Penguin has already told the best complete DC story that The Batman could not.
## Key takeaway

The Penguin TV series has surpassed Batman Part II in viewership despite the sequel's delays.