This The Penguin Character Might Be Connected To A Major DC Villain

The Penguin has now completed its run, delivering on its promise to build a gripping new origin story for the iconic Batman villain. However, the series remains set in Reeves’ Batman world, which means there were plenty of hints of other DC characters and villains throughout.

Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb is the main returning character in The Penguin, but the series also took the opportunity to introduce new versions of characters like Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), Sal Maroni (Clancy Brown), and Johnny Viti (Michael Kelly). With the main focus on Oz, there wasn’t much need for other major DC characters, even Batman himself, to make an appearance. That being said, The Penguin may have set up a major DC villain right under audiences’ noses.

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Who is Eve Karlo in The Penguin?

Carmen Ejogo’s character, Eve Karlo, is set up in The Penguin’s very first episode as a confidante and lover of Oz. She is a stripper who is very protective of the girls in her employment. Throughout the series, Eve is often unwittingly roped into the Penguin’s schemes. In the first episode, she offers to be Oz’s alibi after he kills Alberto Falcone, and later she pays for it when Sofia Falcone shows up looking for information on Oz. Sofia and Eve’s discussion reveals that Eve’s arrangement with Oz is largely one-sided. She is paid to spend time with him and is fully aware that he is a liar and narcissist. In the end, Eve cares more about protecting her girls than betraying Oz’s trust.

Eve Might Be Related to Basil Karlo

While Eve does not evolve into a known Batman villain by the end of The Penguin, her last name, “Karlo”, hints at a connection to one of the members of the Rogues Gallery. Basil Karlo is more commonly known as the villain Clayface in DC comics and is a notable foe for Batman, who uses his shapeshifting powers to take on the identities of different people. The character has been seen in various Batman-related media, including Gotham, Pennyworth, and Harley Quinn, but is yet to make an appearance in one of the Batman films.

Could Clayface Show Up in The Batman 2?

Eve being a Karlo could be a hint that she is somehow related to Basil and that his character might be introduced at some point in Matt Reeves’ epic crime saga. However, what makes Clayface’s appearance unlikely is the nature of his powers, which lean heavily into fantasy. Reeves’ Batman universe up until this point has been heavily grounded in reality, often finding ways to set up DC characters as they would appear in reality, rather than introducing supernatural elements to the universe. One example of this is the Penguin himself, whose name was even shortened to Oz Cobb to better fit into the realism of the universe Reeves’ is building.name was even shortened to Oz Cobb

So, while a shapeshifting villain might be a stretch for future The Batman projects, it may be the case that The Penguin has already introduced Clayface metaphorically. As Eve is a stripper, she often molds her image to suit the desires of her clients. In Episode 6, Sofia comments on the various wigs and outfits Eve has in the house. “Dressing like this, is it for you or your clients?” Sofia comments. “Depends on the situation,” Eve responds, before adding that Oz “doesn’t like” the plain version of herself.

This could be interpreted as The Penguin’s take on shapeshifting. Basil Karlo is often depicted as an actor in DC comics, and while Eve does not share the same profession, she is seen playing parts to fulfill her duty to her clients. For example, in Episode 8 of The Penguin, Eve dresses up as Oz’s mother, Francis, and addresses her as his son. This is all done in an attempt to fulfill Oz’s dreams of having his mother love him. Therefore, Oz pays Eve to play the part of his mother in her absence, showcasing Eve’s willingness to shapeshift into other people to complete her job. So, while Eve does not showcase any physical shapeshifting powers, her ability to transform metaphorically in The Penguin could be representative of Clayface in this DC universe.

There is, of course, still a chance that Basil Karlo could appear in future installments in Reeves’ world, but he will likely not be the shapeshifter that fans are expecting. Instead, Reeves will probably find a grounded way to bring the character to the screen, perhaps using metaphor in a similar way to Eve’s character.

All episodes of The Penguin are streaming now on Max.

Created by Lauren LeFranc and starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin builds on 2022’s The Batman. The Max series chronicles the eponymous villain’s attempt to reach Gotham’s criminal peak, rising through the underworld in the middle of a power struggle.

Release Date

September 19, 2024

Cast

Colin Farrell , Cristin Milioti , Rhenzy Feliz , Michael Kelly , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Deirdre O’Connell , Clancy Brown , James Madio , Scott Cohen , Michael Zegen , Carmen Ejogo , Theo Rossi

Seasons

1

Prequel

The Batman (2022)

Story By

Bill Finger, Bob Kane

Writers

Lauren LeFranc

Franchise(s)

Batman , DC Elseworlds

Directors

Craig Zobel

Showrunner

Lauren LeFranc

Character(s)

Oz Cobb , Sofia Falcone , Victor Aguilar , Johnny Viti , Nadia Maroni , Francis Cobb , Salvatore Maroni , Milos Grapa , Luca Falcone , Alberto Falcone , Eve Karlo , Julian Rush

Avg Episode Length

60 Mins

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