After a brief period of silence in the superhero genre, where almost every outing was deemed either woke or repetitive, there seems to be a breath of fresh air. DC’s The Penguin series is the latest example of that, and it seems they have managed to outshine their rivals this time.
Though Marvel is on its own redemptive journey, with hits like X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine, DC’s Elseworlds story launched with a bang, and might just become the next big thing on television for the upcoming weeks.
The Penguin opens up to unbelievably high ratings
The Penguin‘s rise to success seems almost unimaginable, especially since the character itself is not as famous or as likable as the rest of Batman’s rogues gallery. However, reprising his iconic role from 2022’s The Batman, actor Colin Farrell proved everyone wrong with his scene-stealing skills.
The Penguin premiered on HBO Max yesterday, and currently sits at 94% fresh by the critics, while the audience score is at a comfortable 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Batman spinoff has also scored a solid 8.9 rating on IMDb.
In comparison, MCU’s latest TV series, Agatha All Along, a spinoff of WandaVision, has managed to score 79% critics ratings, with viewers rating standing at 80% on RT. Though it is not less by any means, it is certainly not on the level of The Penguin.
Fans believe The Penguin is better than any Marvel show
Quite unexpectedly, Gotham’s new crimelord is stealing hearts, and brought the spotlight back to DC’s programming schedule. With The Batman gearing up for a sequel, fans can’t wait to see what else the Elseworlds IP has to offer.
The Penguin‘s performance reignited the Marvel vs DC debate once again:
While it is only the beginning of both the series, it seems like The Penguin is ahead of Agatha All Along for now. However, there’s a lot more to come, and it remains to be seen if both Marvel and DC can maintain the quality till the end of the series.
The Penguin can be streamed on HBO Max.
Agatha All Along is streaming on Disney+.