Is The Penguin Teasing Another Batman Villain's Debut?

Carmen Ejogo's Eve Karlo could hint at Clayface's arrival.

By Jenna Anderson

The second trailer for The Penguin arrived on Thursday, delivering the latest look at the spinoff series for The Batman. In addition to the new footage, Max confirmed major details around the ensemble cast of The Penguin, including that Carmen Ejogo has been cast in the role of "Eve Karlo." While this specific character does not exist in the comics, her last name is sure to pique the interest of DC fans, as it is also shared by the original Clayface, Basil Karlo.

At the moment, there's no telling exactly how Eve Karlo will factor into The Penguin, but her involvement in the show raises the question — is Clayface headed to the world of The Batman?

Who Is DC's Basil Karlo?

Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in 1940's Detective Comics #40, Basil Karlo is a shape-shifting supervillain with the ability to mold himself into a clay-like substance. When he was introduced in the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics, Karlo was originally established as a tragic character, who turned to a life of crime during a low point in his acting career.

Karlo's family tree has some gaps in DC lore, as we know nothing about his mother, and his wife and daughter (both named Katherine) only briefly appear in the New 52 canon. So, Eve Karlo's potential connection to Basil is anyone's guess at this point — maybe she's his wife, sister, or mother, depending on whatever age range he might be in in The Batman's universe. There's also no telling at this point if Basil Karlo even exists in The Batman universe at all, as there have been rumblings about a Clayface solo project being in the works from horror director Mike Flanagan, but no confirmation of whether it would be in that world or in James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe.

What Is The Penguin About?

Plot details surrounding The Penguin remain under wraps, other than that it is being referred to as "the next chapter in The Batman saga from Matt Reeves."

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The Penguin will star Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar, Michael Kelly as Johnny Viti, Shohreh Aghdashloo as Nadia Maroni, Deirdre O'Connell as Francis Cobb, Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni, James Madio as Milos Grapa, Scott Cohen as Luca Falcone, Michael Zegen as Alberto Falcone, Carmen Ejogo as Eve Karlo, and Theo Rossi as Dr. Julian Rush.

The Penguin will premiere exclusively on Max in September.

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