A new trailer for the upcoming Max series The Penguin was released at San Diego Comic-Con, revealing how the series may introduce the iconic DC villain Two-Face to The Batman universe. The series precedes the upcoming release of The Batman – Part II in a franchise referred to as The Batman Epic Crime Saga and sees Colin Farrell return to the role of Oz Cobb in Gotham. Following the events of The Batman, Carmine Falcone is dead, and Oz is vying to replace him in running organized crime in the city. The new trailer suggests this may be more difficult than expected for the villain.

Harvey Dent has been an essential character in Batman media throughout the years and is rumored to appear in The Batman – Part II. Billy Dee Williams played the character in 1989’s Batman with plans to chronicle the district attorney’s descent into villainy in the sequel. Instead, the first film to feature the villain was Batman Forever, which saw Tommy Lee Jones doing a decidedly goofier take on the villain. Following this, Aaron Eckhart played the role in The Dark Knight. With a significant link to organized crime, an iteration of Two-Face feels primed for the Matt Reeves universe.

The Penguin’s Sofia Falcone Hangman Story Is Directly Tied To Two-Face In The Comics

The Hangman First Appeared In Batman: Dark Justice

How I Met Your Mother‘s Cristin Milioti joins the cast of The Penguin as Sophia Falcone, the daughter of Carmine Falcone. The new trailer reveals that her time as the killer known as the Hangman will be a part of her backstory. This is significant because of that character’s relationship with Harvey Dent. In the comic Batman: Dark Victory, Hangman works to destroy the reputation of Harvey Dent. She murders everyone who helped him to become Gotham’s district attorney and makes it look like Dent did it.

This is an important part of Sofia’s character and follows the events of The Long Halloween, where Two-Face kills Carmine Falcone. Sofia’s wish for revenge following this event leads her to try to destroy Two-Face. Notably, Carmine in The Batman was instead killed by The Riddler. However, based on circumstances, Sofia could blame Penguin, Batman, Catwoman, or someone else entirely for her father’s demise. The inspiration behind her character may have been pulled directly from the comic pages.

Tying Sofia Falcone To Two-Face Would Fit Perfectly Into The Penguin’s Story

Harvey Dent Is An Important Part Of Sofia’s Story

Sofia Falcone is set up to be an interesting and deranged figure in the new The Penguin trailer. She has spent time at Arkham and appears to be broken-hearted over her father’s death. Sofia is a violent and maddened person who is willing to take dark and disturbing actions to elevate herself in the world. Digging into her past and acts of deranged violence she may have committed on the councilors and administrators of Gotham would make sense alongside a fight over Gotham’s power in The Penguin.

Sofia will need to have allies and antagonists alike in the series. Whether she blames Dent’s view of the legal system and sees him as an opponent, or she works alongside him behind the scenes of violence in Gotham, introducing characters like Harvey Dent to her story could help to locate her in the larger Gotham universe. With The Batman focusing so heavily on crime in Gotham, it makes sense that those involved with organized villainy would have ties with the city’s legal system.

Why Introducing Two-Face Into The Batman’s Universe Would Make Perfect Sense

The Matt Reeves Universe Is Already Filled With Villains

The Batman introduced a world that villains already populated. The film featured Riddler, Catwoman, Penguin, and a new version of Joker played by Barry Keoghan in a fashion that never felt bloated or overloaded. Instead, featuring this many characters only helped to make the world feel lived-in and familiar. Following this path, it makes sense that a character like Two-Face could be introduced in The Penguin. Adding Harvey Dent as district attorney to the larger narrative makes sense when telling stories about the progression of crime in Gotham.

Bruce Wayne’s relationship with James Gordon was explored somewhat in The Batman. It seems likely that future installments in the saga will continue to explore the relationship between Gotham’s legal system and the heroes and villains in new and interesting ways. Featuring Harvey Dent and tracking his descent from hero to villain would fit well with the larger narrative of the world. The only issue would be in ensuring this iteration does not feel too much like a copy of the version from The Dark Knight. However, that can certainly be done.

Character details that have come out in the new trailer for The Penguin clearly show a compelling and interesting character in Sofia Falcone. Watching how her story and her past as the Hangman play out against Oz’s journey is a promising prospect. With a unique look at crime from the inside, The Penguin seems tonally to match the dour brutality of The Batman, but with a larger focus on extending that world. Whatever characters the series may add will surely only improve the state of the universe.