Warner Bros. Discovery's Max streaming service isn't necessarily the most exciting of all those available and, in terms of subscribers alone, it will be a very long time before it even comes close to Netflix and Disney+.
However, as 2023 winds down, the platform is looking to get people excited about what's to come next year and beyond. For starters, we have brand new footage from The Penguin, Matt Reeves' first small screen The Batman spin-off. Oz's plan to fill the void left by Carmine Falcone's death appears to be well underway, though if what we see here is any indication, he's going to have to get his hands dirty!
In terms of plot details, very little is known about the series. However, we expect it to follow Oswald Cobblepot's rise to power in Gotham, establishing him as the city's new crimelord ahead of The Batman II; whether he'll be that sequel's big bad remains to be seen, especially with The Joker no doubt eager to escape Arkham.
Lauren LeFranc serves as The Penguin's writer, executive producer, and showrunner, while The Batman director Matt Reeves executive produces as well.
Colin Farrell, meanwhile, reprises his role as "Oz" and will also be joined in the series by Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni, Theo Rossi, Michael Zegen, James Madio, Scott Cohen, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Deirdre O’Connell.
The teaser also confirms that The Last of Us season 2 will return in 2025, while we have a "special first look" at footage from Welcome To Derry, the TV series which is going to serve as a prequel to Stephen King's IT (and, more specifically, Andy Muschietti's movies). That too launches in 2025.
Interestingly, there's no mention of Waller, Creature Commandos, or Peacemaker season 2, three DC Studios TV shows we'd expected to see launch on Max over the next couple of years. With any luck, we'll have updates on those soon.
For now, check out this promo in the players below.
Below is a full list of all titles showcased in the new Max brand spot:
*Indicates a new title debuting in 2024
And Just Like That... (Max Original Comedy Series), *Conan O’Brien Must Go (Max Original International Travel Series), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO Original Comedy Series),*Elizabeth (HBO Original Documentary), Euphoria (HBO Original Drama Series), *The Franchise (HBO Original Comedy Series), Hacks (Max Original Comedy Series), House of the Dragon (HBO Original Drama Series), Industry (HBO Original Drama Series), *Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show (HBO Original Unscripted Comedy Series), The Jinx – Part Two (HBO Original Documentary Series), The Last of Us (HBO Original Drama Series), My Brilliant Friend (HBO Original Drama Series), *The Penguin (Max Original Drama Series), Pretty Little Liars: Summer School (Max Original Drama Series), *The Regime (HBO Original Limited Series), The Sex Lives of College Girls (Max Original Comedy Series), Somebody Somewhere (HBO Original Comedy Series), *The Sympathizer (HBO Original Limited Series), Tokyo Vice (Max Original Drama Series), *True Detective: Night Country (HBO Original Drama Series), Welcome To Derry (Working Title) (Max Original Drama Series), The White Lotus (HBO Original Drama Series).