The Batman’s Penguin Show Is Continuing Reeves’ Best Nolan Villain Change

The news that Sofia Falcone will play a role in The Batman’s spin-off series The Penguin proves director Matt Reeves is continuing the best villain change from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Having played a significant role in Batman’s second year in Gotham as the city’s most powerful criminal with secret ties to Bruce Wayne’s father, The Batman’s version of Carmine Falcone was far more compelling than that one seen in Batman Begins. As such, the imminent debut of Carmine’s daughter Sofia teases the continued influence the Falcone crime family will still have in the new Gotham mythos.

Reported to be played by actress Cristin Milioti, the introduction of Sofia Falcone in The Penguin signifies a lasting presence for the Falcones despite Carmine’s murder at the hands of the Riddler. Seeking to expose Gotham’s massive corruption, Riddler effectively created power vacuum near the end of The Batman by killing Carmine and revealing the dark truth behind the Gotham Renewal Fund. While Penguin will likely try to take over as Gotham’s new crime boss as he does in the comics, Sofia may prove to be his main obstacle as she seeks to keep the Falcones in power. It would certainly be an improvement over Carmine’s story in Batman Begins which was very limited in comparison, having been put in a state of psychosis after his usefulness to Scarecrow and Ra’s al Ghul ran out in the first Batman film directed by Nolan.

Who Is Carmine Falcone’s Daughter? Sofia Falcone Explained

As seen in The Long Halloween and its sequel Dark Victory, Sofia Falcone was one of Carmine’s most ambitious children. To that end, DC writer Jeph Loeb once confirmed Sofia was meant to parallel The Godfather’s Sonny Corleone. While Sofia was not present for her father’s funeral after he was killed by Two-Face, Sofia returned to Gotham in an attempt to lead the Falcone crime family while also plotting her revenge. However, she would ultimately meet her demise after being shot in the head by Harvey Dent, mirroring her father’s murder and opening the door for Penguin to establish his own criminal empire.

Sofia’s efforts in the comics could be easily adapted to The Batman universe created by Matt Reeves. Two-Face could be swapped for Riddler with The Penguin focusing more on the tensions between Sofia and Oswald Cobblepot. As Carmine’s right-hand man, it wouldn’t be surprising if Penguin felt owed despite Sofia’s familial claim to her father’s empire.

The Batman’s Penguin Spinoff Can Make The Falcones Even Better

In the comics, Carmine and Sofia tried their best to maintain the old guard and the more classic brand of organized crime despite the paradigm shift that was Batman beginning his crusade in Gotham. In contrast, Penguin ends up ushering in his own style that better meshes with the influx of colorful villains coming out of the woodwork in direct response to Bruce Wayne’s vigilantism. As such, Sofia and Oswald vying for power in The Penguin would not only be a very entertaining concept for the upcoming streaming series, but it’s also a way to finally give the Falcones the spotlight they’ve always deserved on-screen thanks to The Batman universe.