Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Penguin episode 1.
The Penguinis delving further into the crime families of Gotham established inThe Batman, with each one having connections to the other. By the time ofThe Penguinepisode 1’s ending, a war between these crime families is already brewing after the death of Carmine Falcone inThe Batman. Falcone was killed by The Riddler in the 2022 movie, leaving a power vacuum in Gotham’s underworld. Naturally,The Penguin’s DC Easter eggsreference these events as the titular character, Oswald “Oz” Cobb, seeks to fill the void left by Falcone’s death.
However, Oz’s plans do not go exactly to plan with the emergence of Carmine Falcone’s children. The primary threat ofThe PenguinisSofia Falcone/The Hangman, Carmine’s daughter who is fresh out of Arkham Asylum and looking to keep hold of her late father’s empire. With Salvatore Maroni then thrown into the mix, the complex foundations of Gotham’s underworld become clear, setting up a lot to deal with forBatman after or duringThe Penguin. Until then, though, the focus will remain on Oswald as he looks to undermine the other crime families of Gotham via their myriad connections and contacts.
Who Are The Falcones In The Batman Universe
The Falcones Are The Main Criminal Family In The Batman’s World
As alluded to, it is the Falcones who hold the most power inThe Batman’s underworld. Carmine Falcone was played by John Turturro inThe Batman, though he has been recast as Mark Strong for brief flashback appearances inThe Penguin.Falcone was the head honcho of Gotham inThe Batman, running his drug operation out of the Iceberg Lounge. Now that Carmine is dead, however, his son Alberto is positioned as the heir to the empire inThe Penguinepisode 1. Things go immediately poorly for Alberto when the struggling addict is killed by Oz inThe Penguinepisode 1’s intro.
As outlined inThe Batman, the Falcones had several other affiliates from the DA to the chief of police…
This leads to the inclusion of Sofia, Alberto’s sister, who now sits at the head of the Falcone family. Throughout bothThe BatmanandThe Penguin, the Falcone family is shown to have many connections and affiliates. One such ally was Oswald himself who rose to become Carmine’s Capo. As the Falcones' right-hand man,Oz had a certain amount of power, though was regarded as having a low reputation by most. As outlined inThe Batman, the Falcones had several other affiliates from the DA to the chief of police.
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In DC Comics, the Falcones have a similar depiction as they do in mostBatmanmedia. The family is led by Carmine who rules Gotham’s underworld well before becoming a target of Batman during the vigilante’s early career. This, combined with the efforts of Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon and the crimes committed by Sofia as Hangman, result in the Falcone family becoming greatly diminished as a power of Gotham.
Catwoman’s Link To The Falcone’s Explained
Batman Is Not The Only Gotham Vigilante Linked To Falcone
Another of the connections Falcone holds is actually to Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman fromThe Batman. The film reveals that Carmine is the biological father of Catwoman, leading the latter down a path of revenge after what happened to her friend Annika at his hands. This takes cues from DC Comics, with the source material also hinting that Catwoman is the daughter of Falcone. WhetherThe Batman Part II’s storywill outline this connection further remains to be seen, but it would certainly elevate Selina’s character.
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Catwoman’s main subplot inThe Batmansurrounds this connection, leading to a fateful confrontation in the office above the Iceberg Lounge.Catwoman enters and tries to kill Carminebefore he gains the upper hand. Thankfully, Batman arrives in time to save Catwoman and convinces her not to kill Carmine, leading to his arrest and subsequent murder at the hands of The Riddler.
Who Are The Maroni Family
The Maronis Preceeded The Falcones
Before the Falcone family rose to power, it was the Maronis that ruled Gotham’s underworld. The Maroni family was headed by Salvatore Maroni, played by Clancy Brown inThe Penguin’s ensemble cast. The Maronis were responsible for many widespread crimes in Gotham, notably starting the Drops epidemic that is providing most current crime families with their illicit income. As ofThe Penguin’s story, Salvatore Maroni is imprisoned in Blackgate Penitentiary.
This sets up another member of the Maroni family to appear in the series. This member is Salvatore’s daughter Nadia, who will be played by Shohreh Aghdashloo inThe Penguin. Although Nadia does not appear inThe Penguinepisode 1, the prison visit between Salvatore and Oswald will undoubtedly result in the Maroni’s becoming more of a presence now that Carmine Falcone’s death has caused a power vacuum. This will give Nadia a chance to shine inThe Penguin, setting up yet another crime war.
The Maroni/Falcone Mob War Explained
The Maronis' Downfall Was Orchestrated By Carmine Falcone
One of the main subplots ofThe Batmaninvolved the exploration of the war between the Maronis and Falcones. Naturally, as two big crime families in one city, the two were rivals. It was revealed inThe Batmanthat both men wanted to gain the favor of Thomas Wayne who was running to become mayor. After the death of Wayne, which Alfred Pennyworth believed was orchestrated by Falcone, the Maronis and the Falcones began using Wayne’s Gotham Renewal Fund for their operations.
Falcone claimed that Maroni had Thomas Wayne killed as Salvatore feared the alliance between Wayne and Carmine; The Batman never outright confirms which theory is true.
Eventually, Carmine orchestrated a deal with several corrupt members of Gotham’s infrastructure, including the aforementioned DA and chief of police. Carmine set up a sting operation of the Maronis' business, resulting in the Falcones taking over Gotham’s underworld and the imprisonment of Salvatore. Falcone then became the ruling power of Gotham’s crime syndicates, using the money from the Gotham Renewal Fund and the Drops business to keep the corrupt members of Gotham’s government in line.
Gotham’s Other Gangs Explained
The Falcones & Maronis Are Not The Only Gotham Gangs
Despite the Falcones and the Maronis being the two big hitters in Gotham’s underworld, several other gangs are looking to cause havoc afterThe Batman’s climactic endingsaw the city devolve into chaos. For example,The Penguinepisode 1 name-drops two other gangs from DC Comics: the Burnley Town Massive and The Odessa Gang. While not as organized,The Penguinepisode 1 also confirmed that supporters of The Riddler still roam the streets of Gotham.
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Another potential gang in Gotham could link toBarry Keoghan’s Joker fromThe Batman. Although a link has not been confirmed between Joker and this gang,The Batman’s prologue showed a gang of people with clown face paint terrorizing a man in the subway. Regardless of how organized this gang is or if it connects to the Joker, it is clear that Gotham’s underworld is filled with plenty of people vying for power, asThe Penguincontinues to outline.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
