The Penguin star Cristin Milioti reveals The Batman movie character she wants a tag with

Although The Penguin branches off from The Batman, it doesn’t feel like a detour. It digs in. The story moves slowly, like it’s feeling every crack in Gotham’s foundation, and through that darkness comes a character who doesn’t ask for the spotlight—she takes it. Sofia Falcone, played with quiet intensity by Cristin Milioti, stands out not with force, but with control.

In a recent interview, when asked which character from the film universe she’d like Sofia to run into, Milioti didn’t overthink it. She smiled and said, almost offhandedly,

“I mean, I’d love to meet the Joker.”

And just like that, a new possibility entered the room.

The comment might have come casually, but its weight is hard to ignore. With Gotham’s landscape expanding and characters like Sofia shaping its future from the shadows, a meeting with the Joker feels less like fan service and more like the next logical step. And that evolution begins right here, with The Penguin planting the seeds.

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The Penguin expands Gotham’s darker side

Set in the aftermath of The Batman (2022), The Penguin doesn’t rush to impress. It takes its time, unfolding like a crime novel where each scene carries weight. The show picks up after the Riddler’s attack on Gotham, and with the city vulnerable, the power vacuum begins to swell. At the center is Oswald Cobblepot, Oz, played by Colin Farrell, who is no longer the Falcones’ awkward right-hand man. He’s taking the throne for himself.

But power in Gotham is never uncontested. Enter Sofia Falcone, newly released from Arkham, unbothered by the chaos around her, and very much ready to reclaim what she sees as hers. Her emergence in the show sets off a new wave of tension and intrigue.

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Cristin Milioti redefines villainy

Cristin Milioti doesn’t portray Sofia as a screaming villain or a cold-blooded femme fatale. There’s something quieter in her rage, something far more dangerous. Her Sofia is strategic, bruised, and brilliant. She walks through scenes as if they belong to her, even the ones where she’s outnumbered.

Reflecting on the role, Milioti shared that she was deeply influenced by Michelle Pfeiffer’s turn as Catwoman in Batman Returns.

"I was 7 when Batman Returns came out. It terrified me, but I also wanted to put it directly into my veins," she told Entertainment Weekly.

That early mix of fear and awe seems to fuel her portrayal of Sofia—a woman who’s equally hard to read and harder to ignore.

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The Penguin's layered plot builds slow-burning tension

Sofia’s story doesn’t unfold in a straight line. She isn’t just thrown into conflict with Oz, she moves toward it, calculating and unafraid. In the episode Cent’anni, we learn about her time before Arkham. Accused of a string of murders, known as the Hangman killings, Sofia was once Gotham’s most whispered-about name. That version of her is gone. What’s left is someone leaner, meaner, and far more focused.

By season’s end, she’s framed for a series of brutal crimes and sent back to Arkham. But in her final moments, she receives a letter from Selina Kyle, her half-sister. It’s a small gesture, but it changes the tone. There’s a pulse running under the surface. Sofia might be down, but she’s nowhere near finished. And in The Penguin, unfinished business is never the end.

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Could Joker join The Penguin universe?

When Milioti said she’d love to meet the Joker, it didn’t sound like a throwaway comment. It felt like a creative instinct, one that many viewers likely share. With Barry Keoghan’s Joker already teased in The Batman and a sequel on the way, the idea of Sofia entering that orbit is too compelling to ignore.

In terms of tone, it works. Sofia and the Joker represent two types of chaos, hers is controlled, his is explosive. Seeing them interact would not only add new dimensions to both characters but elevate the tension The Penguin is known for.

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What critics are saying

From the beginning, the show won over critics with its confidence. It doesn’t try to mimic the pace of the mainline films. Instead, it builds something slower, more methodical. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 95 percent approval score. Reviewers have praised its bold visual style, but more than that, they’ve pointed to the performances. Colin Farrell is expectedly strong, but it’s Milioti who surprises. Her take on Sofia has been called a masterclass in restraint and one of the show’s quietest weapons.

The series has earned nominations across major awards bodies, with Farrell taking home a Golden Globe and Milioti receiving a nod from the Saturn Awards for her supporting role.

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Why The Penguin and Joker make sense together

Bringing Sofia and the Joker into the same room doesn’t feel like fan fiction—it feels inevitable.

Sofia has now been positioned as a central force in Gotham’s future;

The Joker is already part of the blueprint, and a second film is on the horizon;

Their dynamic would challenge both characters in fresh, unpredictable ways.

There’s also a thematic richness to be explored: What happens when someone so tightly wound meets someone who exists to unravel? The Penguin might be the perfect place to start that unraveling.

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Final reflections

The Penguin understands that Gotham’s true battles aren’t always fought in the streets, they’re negotiated in whispered threats, calculated betrayals, and stolen moments of power. Sofia Falcone embodies that perfectly. She’s not just a legacy character; she’s a reinvention of what it means to be dangerous in a world crowded with loud men and bigger guns.

Cristin Milioti’s performance makes it clear that Sofia has more to say. If Gotham allows it, a meeting with the Joker could be more than just dramatic. It could be seismic. And with The Penguin pushing the edges of what villainy can look like, that clash might be closer than we think.