The Penguin was a special show and one of the best to grace the 2024 TV schedule. Not only did it tell a compelling story, it also expanded upon the world established in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. It’s honestly amazing that I loved the series despite how much it made me hate Oswald Cobb again, but I did have one gripe. I would’ve loved to have seen Jeffrey Wright appear as Jim Gordon and, while I was initially shocked to find out why he wasn’t in the show, I now think his exclusion may have been for the best.
Wright, who will presumably return to play his character in the upcoming The Batman Part II, was completely absent from The Penguin. This baffled me, especially considering the character’s position as a rising lieutenant in the Gotham City Police Department as well as his status as active status on the force. Wright recently spoke with Inverse about why he wasn’t involved, and I was scratching my head.
Why Jeffrey Wright Wasn’t In The Penguin
While the GCPD didn’t have a huge presence within The Penguin, there were a few scenes in which Jeffrey Wright’s character could’ve easily appeared. The series could’ve scripted in a scene in which Jim Gordon investigated Sofia or Oz’s dealings within the show. However, the Oscar-nominated Wright explained that he never heard anything about him possibly appearing on he show:
There was no talk of my being in this first season.
It’s wild to think that the team behind The Penguin didn’t contact Jeffrey Wright about an appearance. As one of the many actors who’ve jumped between movie and TV roles, he seemed destined to appear in the series. In some ways, it may seem like a missed opportunity but, on the other hand, I suppose I’m at peace with it now.
Why Jeffrey Wright’s Exclusion From The Penguin May Have Been For The Best
When you have a career as diverse as Jeffrey Wright’s, you tend to receive a lot of offers for work. Even if he weren’t a part of the Batman franchise, he’d have no shortage of roles on the way, both in live-action and animation. This might be why he didn’t express an eagerness to be involved in a potential second season of Penguin:
Who knows? We’ll see what happens down the line, but I’m juggling enough balls as it is.
It’s possible that Jeffrey Wright was busy amid production on The Penguin, and showrunner Lauren LeFranc and co. were aware and opted not to reach out. Or maybe there were simply no plans to include Gordon, and the team didn’t want to risk shoe-horning him in?
What should also be said is that an actor of Mr. Wright’s caliber deserves an ample amount of screen time, and his presence may have been limited on this show. As mentioned the GCPD didn’t factor into the show in a major way as it is. Given that, it’s probably best that he didn’t appear, as he may have only popped in for a moment in what could’ve been a glorified cameo.
That aside, there’s currently reason to be optimistic that The Penguin Season 2 will happen and, if it does, I would love to see Wright’s Gordon appear. Hell, there are a lot of characters I’d like to see show up in a series adjacent to The Batman. But, with the Colin Farrell-led show having set such a high bar, I’m genuinely curious if any subsequent shows will ever measure up. Nevertheless, should a second season happen, I’m game for Gordon to be back in the mix and hopefully, in a substantial role.
The Penguin is now available to stream with a Max subscription. Also, be on the lookout for news on upcoming DC TV shows.