What role does Carmen Ejogo play in The Penguin series? Character role explored
The Penguin is a crime drama series directed by Craig Zobel. It is based on the supervillain Penguin from the Batman comics. The series is a spin-off installment of Matt Reevs' The Batman, released in 2022. It is produced by DC Studios, in association with Warner Bros Television. It premiered exclusively on HBO on September 19, 2024.
The eight-episode miniseries has an ensemble cast of talented actors like Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Cristin Milioti, Deirdre O'Connell, Rhenzy Feliz, Clancy Brown, Berto Colón, James Madio, Berto Colón, and others.
Carmen Ejogo plays the role of Eve Karlo, an original character created specially for the show. She is a s*x worker who also happens to be the romantic interest of Oswald Cobb, aka the Penguin.
Carmen Ejogo's role as Eve Karlo in The Penguin references a DC villain
In the series, Ejogo takes up the role of Eve Karlo. Though introduced as a minor character, a s*x worker, and the partner of Oz, her surname alludes to a supervillain in the DC Comics. Eve Karlo happens to share similarities with Basil Karlo, also known as Clayface. As per a popular Reddit theory, Eve Karlo may share a connection with the DC Comics supervillain.
Clayface was first introduced in Detective Comics Issue 40, back in June 1940. He was a B-listed actor, who turned into a lunatic after he was denied a spot in the remake of "Dread Castle", a horror film in which he originally played the villain.
Basil Karlo then takes up the role of Clayface, a killer who starts killing all the actors in the film, and everyone who discovers his true identity. During the Silver Age, Clayface turned into a supervillain who could shapeshift and replicate anyone's identity. There is also the character of Lady Clayface in the comics, hence, the viewers can expect more from this character in future episodes of the series.
Director Craig Zobel opens up about Eve Karlo's connection with Calyface in The Penguin
On September 18, 2024, Craig Zobel, the director of The Penguin, admitted he wanted to see the classic Clayface, whose envy turned him into a villain. The director told The Hollywood Handle:
“I really don’t know what’s inside of people’s heads, but I was thinking about Clayface as a bad guy the entire time.” Referring to Farrell’s heavy prosthetics, Zobel continued, “If you remember, the original Clayface was a makeup artist, and we were doing 3.5 hours of makeup every day.”
Carmen Ejogo, the British actress has not shared much information about the future of her character. In an interview with The Hollywood Handle, she maintained mystery around Eve but emphasized that she is smart enough to survive in the Gotham underworld.
As per a Collider article, published on September 12, 2024, Matt Reeves said that The Batman Part II has been officially confirmed. The movie will follow the events after The Penguin.
The Penguin is available for streaming on Max, Hulu, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube TV.
