According to Variety, HBO Max is planning a spinoff to its Batman feature that will focus on one of the most iconic characters—The Penguin. Though HBO Max declined to comment on reports in Variety, and other media, it’s widely believed that Colin Farrell is preening his wings for the role, but no deal is currently in place.

Lauren LeFranc will be tapped as scriptwriter for the series, which is produced by Warner Bros. Television. Executive producers would be Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark, who already have a track record with “The Batman,” as director and producer, respectively.

If these reports pan out, Farrell would be waddling in the webbed footsteps of Hollywood luminaries who’ve played The Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot), including Burgess Meredith, Danny DeVito, and Robin Lorde Taylor. Farrell has been lauded for his roles in films like “In Bruges,” “SWAT,” “The Lobster,” and “Seven Psychopaths.” LeFranc’s recent credits include “Impulse” on YouTube Premium and television products like “Chuck,” “Hemlock Grove” and “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

After a pandemic-induced hiatus, “The Batman” should be back in theaters in March of 2022, with a cast that includes Robert  Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, and Andy Serkis.

The new Penguin series will reportedly focus on the historical narrative of crime and mob-induced mayhem in Gotham City, exploring the rise of some of its more notorious denizens.  

But this is just one of several adventures in Batworld these days. Ethan Hawke has been selected to voice the Caped Crusader in “Batwheels,” the animation series being crafted at Warner Bros Kids & Family. Hawke, an Oscar-nominated thespian, recently collaborated with Jason Blum in adapting the book  “The Good Lord Bird” for Showtime.