HBO’s The Penguin started as a spin-off of the 2022 film The Batman, but the show soon cemented its status on the small screen. The Colin Farrell-starrer gained popularity due to its dark, gritty, and violent display of the notorious villains of Gotham.
An online debate stirred by some fans claiming the new Agatha All Along was just as good as the DC show, enraged fans. People were quick to come to the support of the miniseries, declaring the new Disney+ show couldn’t compare to the brilliant screenplay of its counterpart.
Online community rallies against unpopular opinion
The anticipated spin-off of Marvel’s WandaVision, Agatha All Along premiered on 18 September 2024. The show’s premise was set at the end of the events of its parent series, following Agatha Harkness’ escape.
The Kathryn Hahn-starrer gained mostly positive responses from the critics, who claimed the show was fun. Fans also commented that the mysterious and compelling narrative stood up to the glory of the Elizabeth Olsen starrer.
However, a recent debate on X sparked fury amongst fans of another popular TV show. It all started when fans of the actress claimed that the recent Disney+ show was just as good as HBO’s The Penguin.
Marvel and DC setting the standard for television lately 😮💨🔥#AgathaAllAlong #ThePenguin pic.twitter.com/iIELe5t684
— BLURAYANGEL 🦇 (@blurayangel) October 14, 2024
Not one Marvel tv show comes close to the emotional beats and character centred story telling displayed in The Penguin
— Just Nola (@itsNolaMuu) October 15, 2024
Agatha is definitely doing nothing
— Geek news overload🇮🇪 (@GOverload85653) October 15, 2024
Setting the standards is a good joke
— TheMadFanBoyBlack (@MadFanBoyBlack) October 14, 2024
You’re not a serious person if you think Agatha is anywhere near the same level as the Penguin.
— Straight Ice Man (@str8iceman) October 15, 2024
Stop it 🤣 The Penguin Clears bro
— TopOpp 9ine (@Topopp9ine) October 14, 2024
You are such a retarded human it’s actually hilarious. Agatha is straight up dog shit and the fact that you show it next to actual great television is crazy.
— Ceyion 🦁🌪️ (@JLB2348) October 15, 2024
Just DC ATM lol
— kushologist420 🌱☮️💨🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@kushologist420) October 15, 2024
Dc takes the W by miles
— 𝕽 𝖊 𝖛 𝖊 𝖗 𝖘 𝖊⚡️🎃 𝕲 𝖔 𝖇 𝖑 𝖎 𝖓 (@ReverseGoblin) October 15, 2024
This absurd claim amused fans of the latter show, who were quick to come to its defense. Most of the comments ridiculed Marvel’s previous projects that failed to gain the viewers’ appreciation.
Some pointed out that the Colin Farrell-starrer was in a league of its own, and none of Marvel’s TV shows could compete with it. The DC miniseries premiered with a lot of buzz and managed to establish itself as one of the most popular shows at present.
Why did DC win over Marvel on the small screen?
The Penguin is a spin-off series for the 2022 Matt Reeves film, The Batman. Farrell portrayed the iconic Gotham villain in the movie alongside Robert Pattinson and reprised his role for the miniseries.
The introduction of the How I Met Your Mother star Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone also garnered a positive response from fans. The series’ exploration of the psychology of popular DC antagonists also contributed to its popularity.
Fans of the dark and melodramatic tone of the older Batman projects naturally gravitated towards the show. The stellar performance of the cast involved was a cherry on top, spearheading Lauren LeFranc’s creation’s monumental success.
All of this led to the series becoming a sort of beacon of light for fans who had been waiting for a good superhero TV show. Even its Rotten Tomatoes score of 94% trumped Marvel’s show score of 83%. This is why the unpopular opinion of the new Marvel show being at par with The Penguin shocked and upset fans of the latter show.
The Penguin is currently available to watch on Max.
Agatha All Along is currently available to watch on Disney+.
