EntertainmentTVAction ShowsDC TV ShowsThe PenguinThe Penguin: Who is Sofia Falcone and why is she known as the Hangman in the new show?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentTVAction ShowsDC TV ShowsThe PenguinThe Penguin: Who is Sofia Falcone and why is she known as the Hangman in the new show?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: HBO/Sky)
With The Penguinstreaming nowall eyes are on Colin Farrell’s scheming Oz Cobb. While the new series is not a part ofJames Gunn’s relaunched DC Universe, it is a spin-off of Matt Reeves' 2022 film The Batman, centred on the infamous supervillain and criminal mastermind – you can read ourThe Penguin reviewhere.
But as anyone who has seen thefirst episodewill tell you, there’s another character in this series who is arguably even more pivotal to this dark tale…
Like the Penguin himself, Sofia/Hangman is a character from theDC comics. Her history on the show, however, is quite different to her previous origin. We’ll get into both after the jump, but first a warning: this feature includesspoilersfor both The Penguin episode one, and particularly for the Batman: The Long Halloween and Dark Victory comic books, which we’ll be getting into in detail. Capeesh?
The Hangman in Batman comics
(Image credit: DC)
BothThe Batmanand The Penguin owe a considerable debt to two specific Batman stories: The Long Halloween and its sequel, Dark Victory.
Sofia cuts an intimidating figure throughout The Long Halloween, both intellectually and physically – she towers over Carmine and the other gangsters – but she doesn’t feature as prominently as in The Penguin, where Milioti is one of the lead actors. And while there are similarities to the characters, such as Sofia being released early from prison, these are very different stories. In The Long Halloween, for instance, Carmine is still alive and while Sofia’s brother Alberto is a consequential character in both the show and the comic, it’s forextremelydifferent reasons.
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(Image credit: DC)
In The Long Halloween #13, an enraged Sofia fights Catwoman, but ends up falling from her penthouse. That was not the end of the character, however…
Yes, towards the end of Dark Victory it’s revealed that Sofia Falcone is, in fact, the Hangman. While she really was terribly injured, she has faked her paralysis and has been murdering her enemies with the intention of getting revenge on Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Just as she’s about to make him the last of the Hangman’s victims, however, Batman intervenes and the two fight. But before Bruce can turn her in, Two-Face shoots her in the head and hangs her body.
The Hangman in The Penguin
(Image credit: HBO)
There’s going to be a lot to say about Sofia over the course of The Penguin, but for now we can only touch on what happens in episode one, suffice to say that this version of the character is a very intriguing addition to the mythos.
We meet Sofia halfway through the first episode. While Cristin Milioti may not have the same physical height as the character in the comic, she radiates pure menace, especially in her interactions with Oz – it’s clear that the two have a lot of murky history.
We learn that Sofia is known to the world as a notorious killer who has served time in Arkham Asylum for the Hangman killings – though we don’t really get any details about these crimes in the first episode. She talks of being humiliated and hints at some clear resentment to the rest of the Falcone clan, apart from her brother Alberto, but initially seems open to reconnecting with Oz.
And that’s where we leave episode one… Like we say, there’s a lot more to say about Sofia over the coming weeks, but until then The Penguin is streaming now on Sky and NOW in the UK and on HBO in the US. For more gripping drama check out our guide to the bestupcoming TV showsand if you’re looking to sign up toHBO Max, check outour deals page.
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