This article contains spoilers for The Penguin Season 1.
The Penguinshowrunner Lauren LeFranc recently opened up about the decision to include Rhenzy Feliz’s Victor Aguilar in the series.Victor, nicknamed “Vic,” acts as protagonist Oz Cobb’s protégé throughout the season, as the latter tries to claim control over Gotham’s criminal underworld.He is an original character, who was largely intended to provide a foil to the jaded and selfish Oz. Furthermore, Vic is something of an audience insert as a character who isn’t as experienced and knowledgeable of Gotham as Oz, which only makesthe latter’s eventual betrayala harder pill to swallow.
In an interview withComic Book Resources, LeFranc explained that she was “interested in a mentor-mentee relationship for Oz” because “in the criminal world, young men are brought up and sort of raised into it.” She then continued: “I think questions like why a kid like Victor would be interested in a world like this, and I always viewed their first interaction as a distorted, meet-cute.” Additionally, the writer stated that the obvious comparison of Oz and Vic did occur to her, with the question:“Why doesn’t Oz get a Robin? Batman gets one.”
What Lauren LeFranc’s The Penguin Comments Mean
However,LeFranc also wanted to emphasize that Oz would view mentorship through a different lens than Bruce Wayne.Rather than see it as a chance to help someone else, he saw it as an extension of his own power and influence. When ideating Vic as a character, she started with why he was a necessary presence, explaining “that Oz himself would say that he is deserving of a mentee and to shepherd somebody in.” She further elaborated: “it’s no accident that Oz has taken a kid like Victor under his wing because he likes being seen as powerful, and he knows that someone like Victor sees him as such.“the
Despite being similar in some ways, LeFranc is clear that Oz and Vic’s relationship is “more distorted” than Batman and Robin. It’s not built on love or care, because Oz does not have pure motives for helping Vic. LeFranc clarified,“theidea of traditionally a villainous character bringing someone into his world is just sort of a different take in my mind than a Batman and Robin dynamic.”
Our Take On Lauren LeFranc’s The Penguin Comments
Including a character like Vic was a genius way to blend audience accessibility with character development. His character showcased a different side of Oz by giving him someone to care for that was not his mother or love interest. Unfortunately, however, Vic was doomed from the start, withThe Batmandirector Matt Reeves saying part of the enjoyment of LeFranc’s creation was the dramatic irony.The audience all knew that the Penguin is a bad guy, and Vic was bound to get his heart broken, or much worse.Regardless, Vic’s tragic story is an essential part ofThe Penguin’ssuccess.
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.
