Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for The Penguin.
HBO’sThe Penguinhas finally raised its curtain, and the character of Salvatore Maroni has been waiting in the wings (pun intended). The series picks up where 2022’sThe Batmanended, with Oz (Colin Farrell) hoping to fill the void left vacant after the demise of Gotham’s crime boss Carmine Falcone. Due to scheduling conflicts, theJohn Turturrocharacter fromThe Batmanwill be portrayed byMark Strongin upcoming flashbacks throughoutThe Penguin, butanother important Gotham gangster is likely to cause trouble for Oz “The Penguin” Cobb: Salvatore Maroni.
The character of “Boss Maroni,” as he was originally known, first appeared inDetective Comics #66. The original story from August 1942 saw the character on trial for the murder of “Bookie” Benson and concluded with Maroni’s death. Although this has remained largely canon throughout the last 80 years of Batman comics, many details have been added since then, to further explore thecharacter’s origins, ambitions, and what happened in between his trial and his murder. Here’s everything you need to know aboutClancy Brown’s character inThe Penguin.
Salvatore Maroni’s Origins Are Linked To Batman’s Girlfriend
Salvatore’s origins begin as the heir to his father, Luigi “Big Lou” Maroni, and his wealthy crime syndicate. In his earliest chronological appearance,Maroni is established as a low-level mob boss, funding Hugo Strange’s genetic experiments on Arkham Asylum inmates.Matt Wagner’s graphic novelBatman and the Monster Mensees Maroni lending money to both Strange and Norman Madison, the latter being the father of Bruce Wayne’s girlfriend, Julie. Unable to pay his debts, Strange sends one of his abominable “Monster Men” to kill Maroni. When Batman saves the gangster’s life, he makes Maroni forgive Norman Madison’s debts.
Later, in the sequel,Batman and the Mad Monk, Maroni refuses to take Norman’s money, fearing Batman’s wrath. In a panic, Norman tries to pay rival gangster Carmine Falcone instead. This triggers a feud between the two gangs, resulting in Norman being killed by Maroni’s men.The gang war worsenswhen a mysterious killer known as “Holiday” terrorizes Maroni’s men inThe Long Halloween(a comic that heavily influencedThe Penguin, along withDark VictoryandBatman: Ego).Jeph Loeb’s maxi-series shows Holiday killing Maroni’s father, and believing Falcone to be behind it,Maroni makes a deal with District Attorney Harvey Dent, outing Falcone’s crimes in exchange for leniency. But things don’t go according to plan.
Will Batman Appear in Max’s ‘The Penguin’ Series?
The Colin Farrell-led series premieres September 19.
Salvatore Maroni Turns Harvey Dent Into Two-Face
The story ofThe Long Halloweencatches us up with Maroni’s first appearance in 1942’sDetective Comics #66, in which Harvey Dent (originally named “Harvey Kent”) becomes the villainous Two-Face. While awaiting his trial for the murder of Bookie Benson, Maroni is visited by his secret girlfriend, Carmine Falcone’s daughter Sofia (portrayed inThe PenguinbyCristin Milioti).In an attempt to save her father,Sofia convinces Maroni that Harvey Dent is behind the Holiday killer, and so Maroni corrupts Dent’s assistant, D.A. Vernon Wells, who slips Maroni a vial of acid during the trial.
When Batman reveals Maroni’s two-headed silver dollar as evidence in the trial (yes, that iconic Two-Face prop), Maroni is deemed guilty.In an act of revenge, Maroni throws the acid at Dent, disfiguring him, and driving Dent to be the villainous Two-Face. Although the original comic ended with Two-Face killing Maroni soon after, the comics' Bronze Age fleshed out the story, with Maroni surviving the initial assassination attempts by Dent, but becoming paralyzed. Dent goes on to kill both Carmine and Sofia Falcone, while Maroni kills the new husband of Dent’s ex-wife, Gilda, before Dent ultimately kills Maroni too.
What Is Salvatore Maroni’s Relationship With The Penguin?
Salvatore Maroni’s empire doesn’t end with his death. In the comics,his two sons, Pino and Umberto, become the heads of their late father’s outfit.Whether they will appear inThe Penguin, orMatt Reeves' sequel toThe Batman, is yet to be seen, but they are not to be confused with Tom and Tad (Max and Charlie Carver), the “Trigger Twins” who appear asbouncers inThe Batman’s Iceberg Lounge. These characters play a similar role to Pino and Umberto, but given that the Trigger Twins are sometimes depicted as working for Two-Face (such as inBatman: The Animated Series), it’s highly unlikely that the Maroni twins would ever take such a job.
Fans of the screen adaptations have been faced with Salvatore Maroni before. The character was played byEric RobertsinThe Dark Knight, who collaborated withHeath Ledger’s Joker to imprison Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) among exploding oil drums. Despite the difference in circumstances,The Dark Knightcontinued to honor Maroni’s involvement in creating Two-Face, and evenpaid homage to Maroni’s paralysis in the comicsby having Batman break his legs in the movie. The character was also portrayed byDavid ZayasinGothamandDennis PaladinoinBatman Forever.
Maroni’s role within Batman’s story has always been that of an organized crime figurehead, but rarely the main antagonist. 2022’sThe Batmansaw Maroni portrayed briefly by an uncredited extra,but now, inThe Penguin, Maroni takes center stage.This time played by the fantastic Clancy Brown, Maroni is likely to finally be given his dues, but what exactly is Maroni’s relationship with Oswald Cobblepot? Although it varies in the comics, 2015’sBatman: Earth One (vol. 2),which takes place in an alternate world, depicts Salvatore Maroni as an enforcer of Gotham’s corrupt Mayor Cobblepot. After The Penguin’s demise, an imprisoned Maroni stabs Harvey Dent in prison and finishes him off with a Molotov cocktail. Whether this is the relationship they will share on the small screen is yet to be seen.
The Penguinis available to stream on Max.
The Penguin
It follows the transformation of Oswald Cobblepot from a disfigured nobody to a noted Gotham gangster.
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