Notice! This post contains SPOILERS for The PenguinI still can’t believe DC killed off one of my favorite new characters just weeks after they were first introduced. As seen in The PenguinColin Farrell’s Oz Cobb fights to gain control of Gotham City after the events of 2022 Batman. While it was quickly established that Oz was willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted, it’s still hard to believe that one of the ultimate costs was the loss of one of the The Penguin more critical characters.
As seen in The Penguin In the final episode, Oz Cobb gets everything he wants, having united Gotham’s gangs under one banner and at the same time working with corrupt politicians at City Hall to get Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) sent back to Gotham State Hospital. Arkahm. By the end of the show, Penguin is one of Gotham’s most powerful criminals, although none of this would have been possible without the help of his right-hand man, Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz). As a result, I can’t believe The Penguin ended with the brutal and shocking murder of Victor shortly after being introduced and considering the potential future he could have had in Batman universe.
Victor Aguilar’s introduction and death into the world of Batman occurred just a few weeks apart
He died so early (and so young)
Notably, Victor Aguilar debuted in The Penguin episode 1 on September 19, having been caught by Oz trying to calm the wheels of his Maserati. Forcibly taking Victor under his wing and making him his right-hand man, Victor quickly became an important ally and confidant who helped Oz launch his drug operations and even helped keep Oz’s mother safe during the DC show. However, Victor was ultimately murdered by Oz himself in The Penguin finale that aired on November 10.
Without Victor, it’s likely Oz wouldn’t have gotten as far as he did at the top of Gotham’s underworld.. Case in point, it was Victor’s idea to unite all of Gotham’s various gang deputies and gain their loyalty, especially now that they are the new bosses going forward. Having a gentle streak, even as he further embraced Gotham’s gangster life, Victor easily became a fan-favorite character in The Penguin. As such, it’s no wonder the Internet was left in shock after Oz’s surprise decision to murder Victor, fearing he could become a weakness and be used against him.
Victor Aguilar’s Connection to Batman’s Gotham Meant I Hoped He Survived
I expected some kind of redemption arc
I was really hoping for some kind of redemption for Victor Aguilar, even as he gradually commits himself to becoming one of Oz’s most loyal allies.. He was also a very useful character in showing the inner workings of the underworld and how the work done by Penguin could serve to benefit the underprivileged parts of Gotham in general. However, my initial hope was that Victor would eventually move away from Oz for The Penguin finale, perhaps even not being willing to work with him anymore after the truth about Oz’s past came to light.
Instead, Victor remained by Oz’s side throughout his strategy to become Gotham’s new crime boss. As such, this only serves to make Victor’s death even worse, as it’s the exact reason why Penguin decided to kill him. They had become very close and the well-meaning Victor knew a lot about how to hurt Oz. He also became a potential point of leverage that others could have used against Oz in the future, a perceived “weakness” that the Penguin apparently could not tolerate now that he has taken first place in Gotham. Oz killing Victor, everything they went through together, was the moment that really broke me.
Batman’s Robin Theory Makes Victor’s Death Even Worse
Victor could have been so much more
Additionally, What makes Victor’s death even worse is thinking about everything Aguilar could have become in Gotham going forward. For example, he could have been an effective Penguin deputy. However, there were other theories before The Penguin ending that Victor could have become a version of Robin in Batman universe, becoming unable to reconcile all the pain and suffering that Oz is capable of causing in the city.
“It kills me that Victor Aguilar was murdered right after he was introduced Batman universe…”
Interestingly, it was confirmed that an interaction between Victor and Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne was considered before the sequel was ultimately scrapped. Either way, it would have been fascinating to see what Victor could have become if Oz hadn’t ended his life so young. As such, it kills me that Victor Aguilar was murdered shortly after being presented to the Batman universe.
All episodes of The Penguin they are now streaming on Max.
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