Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Penguin episode 3, "Bliss."

One theory concerning Gotham City's new drug, Bliss, in Colin Farrell's Oswald "Oz" Cobb has now gone into the drug business.

Oz Cobb has, so far, spent the majority of The Penguin trying to avoid being killed by Cristin Milioti's Sofia Falcone, and has kept the fact that he is her brother's killer well-hidden. Keeping his friends close and his enemies closer, The Penguin episode 3 saw Oz partnered with Sofia, as the pair entered into business with the Triads in an effort to disperse their new drug, Bliss. While Oz is playing a dangerous game, the introduction of Bliss in The Penguin could open the door for even more threatening villains to show their faces.

The Penguin's New Drug Explained - What Is Bliss?

Bliss Is Sofia Falcone & Oz Cobb's New Drug In The Penguin

The idea of Bliss was first mentioned in The Penguin's premiere episode by Alberto Falcone, with the drug said to be his and Sofia's ticket to the top of the Falcone family hierarchy, and therefore Gotham's entire criminal underworld. Following Alberto's demise, Sofia takes over the operation, and brings Oz into the fold in The Penguin episode 3, aptly titled "Bliss." Bliss is revealed to be a drug made from the basidiospores of Bleeding Tooth fungi. This blood-like substance hardens into a crystal that can be ingested, and creates a euphoric state in its .

There is a drug named Bliss in DC Comics, first seen in 2010's Titans (Vol. 2) #26, but there is little connection between this version of the designer hallucinogen and the drug seen in The Penguin. In the comics, Bliss is designed by Teen Titans villain Elijah, created from the reprocessed hormone secretions of kidnapped pre-adolescents. The Penguin's Bliss stems from mushrooms, and is a potent euphoric stimulant. However, Sofia also reveals that Bliss was given to inmates in Arkham Asylum to keep them "content and submissive," suggesting there may be a darker purpose to Bliss' creation.

The Penguin Could Set Up Poison Ivy As The Series’ Drug Mastermind

Poison Ivy Would Be A Fantastic Addition To The Penguin

The idea of a new substance being derived from mushrooms in The Penguin has led to some speculation that one iconic DC Comics botanist-turned-ecoterrorist could be making an appearance in the series. While Sofia Falcone is seemingly leading the drug operation in The Penguin, it's possible someone even more powerful could be masterminding the scheme, and this may be Gotham City's Pamela Isley, a.k.a. Poison Ivy. Introduced to DC Comics in 1966's Batman #181, Poison Ivy is a very powerful villain who has the ability to control plant life, and favors nature over humanity.

Dr. Pamela Isley was transformed into the superpowered Poison Ivy after being being injected with poisons and toxins as an experiment by Dr. Jason Woodrue.

While this darker and grittier franchise, currently comprising The Batman and The Penguin, has already introduced villains such as the Riddler, the Penguin and the Joker, it would be great to see more of Batman's rogues gallery brought into live-action. Poison Ivy is a brilliant candidate who fits perfectly into the Bliss storyline of The Penguin. She is one of Batman's most enduring and powerful enemies, and her hatred for humanity would certainly lead her to an attempt at subjugating the citizens of Gotham with a new addictive drug.

The Penguin's Bliss Can Offer A New Answer To Joker's Iconic Laugh

Bliss' The Penguin Debut Opens The Door For The Joker's Return

While Barry Keoghan debuted as "Unseen Arkham Prisoner" in The Batman, a deleted scene from the 2022 movie confirmed that he is this universe's version of the Joker. Imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, it's very possible that Keoghan's Joker has interacted with Sofia Falcone, given her stay in Arkham Asylum. Since she suggests that Arkham inmates were given Bliss to keep them submissive, it stands to reason that the Joker would also have been given doses of the drug. This can provide much-wanted answers about the Joker's personality and characterization.

As seen in The Penguin episode 3, Bliss can be used to incite pure euphoria in its . This is demonstrated during Oz and Sofia's test run at the nightclub, with many scrambling to use Bliss as escapism from the recent catastrophic events in Gotham, including the Riddler's attacks and the city being flooded in The Batman. The fact that Bliss creates this euphoria could explain the Joker's iconic and recognizable laugh, especially if he has been subjected to more Bliss than other Arkham Asylum inmates to keep him docile.

Barry Keoghan’s Joker Deserves Development Now More Than Ever

Barry Keoghan's Joker Could Be The Audience's New Favorite If Handled Right

Following the release of Joker: Folie à Deux, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a version of Joker, the movie has received criticism for not delivering a comic-accurate iteration of the Joker. This was, in fact, the point of the movie - for Fleck to renounce Joker. Even so, many wanted to see some of the Joker's violent and brutal actions in live-action again, and there is still demand for this, so the opportunity may be there for Barry Keoghan's Joker to get far more development, and perhaps become the new favorite interpretation of the iconic DC villain.

Barry Keoghan's Joker would, no doubt, be a darker, more raw and more threatening version of the villain than has been seen in DC's recent live-action projects. Arthur Fleck didn't harm anyone in Joker: Folie à Deux, though did murder six people in 2019's Joker, while Jared Leto's Joker never captured audiences' imaginations. The Bliss storyline opens the door for The Penguin to shed more light on Keoghan's Joker within the walls of Arkham Asylum before Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II sees him pose a true danger.

DC Movie Releases

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  Superman

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  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

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  The Batman Part II

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