The new HBO series The Penguin, inspired by comic books, has taken off with a bang, receiving rave reviews and attracting over 5 million viewers for its premiere episode. This spin-off from The Batman film features Colin Farrell reprising his role as the titular character, alongside Robert Pattinson's Batman. The narrative continues where the film left off, with Farrell's character starting to rise in Gotham's criminal underworld, a place where Batman is conveniently unable to intervene.
Rumours are circulating that more similar series could be in the pipeline to bridge the gap between sequels directed by Matt Reeves. But which other villains are worthy of their own TV series? This includes at least one character not necessarily found within Batman comics. Victor Zsasz, also known as Mister Zsasz, like The Penguin, is another infamous character from Batman's rogue's gallery who could easily have a series centred around his wrongdoings.
While HBO's Penguin takes inspiration from the mobster genre, a Zsasz series could borrow elements from crime or police procedurals. Imagine Dexter but with an even more deranged killer on the loose. Zsasz is a serial killer who often arranges his victims in poses after slitting their throats.
He is notorious for marking his skin after each crime as a keepsake. He views himself as freeing others from their meaningless existence and he could easily operate outside of Batman's influence, at least temporarily. Anthony Carrigan, known for his role .