The Penguin gives a very disturbing role to a Netflix Marvel villain

It's no secret that two episodes later The penguin presents Cristin Milioti's Sofia Falcone with a difficult task. After the death of her father Carmine in the year The Batmanthe Falcone clan is in disarray. Sofia's brother Alberto was also killed, meaning they were targeted by the Maroni mafia.

Sofia has no idea that Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobb (aka Oz or the Penguin) is pulling the strings and playing both crime families against each other. This creates tension, sadness and trauma for Sofia as she has lost a lot. As she tries to center herself, The penguin introduces a disturbing new character. This person is played by Theo Rossi, who had another villainous role for Marvel TV as Shades Luke Cage.

Who does Theo Rossi play in Penguin?

Theo Rossi plays Sofia Falcone's therapist Julian Rush

The penguin Episode 2, “Inside Man,” begins with Sofia trapped in a facility. These look like flashbacks from her time in Arkham, where she was sent for the “Hangman” murders. Sofia talks to Alberto. She is obviously distraught. Shockingly, someone appears from behind and shoots him.

The fact that he is missing his finger and her father's ring confirms that she is internalizing the condition of the corpse that was in the trunk from Episode 1. She believes that the Maroni family murdered Alberto and put him in the car, when in fact it was Oz. Nonetheless, Sofia doesn't cope well due to this hallucination and stops what turns out to be therapy.

Julian Rush actor profile

Theo Rossi's character is portrayed in this sequence as Dr. Introduced Julian Rush, a therapist who examines her mind. As she hyperventilates and has her panic attack, he hugs her. As he cradles her, it feels more intimate and personal than professional. When she recovers, she leaves. Julian protests because he wants to know what visions she saw. He keeps telling her that she is safe, but she disagrees.

From Julian's brief interaction, an atmosphere similar to that of one of the Batman villains, Hugo Strange, emerges. He feels like he is gathering information for a sinister purpose. He could use it to make Sofia even more spiritual, or he could sell it to her enemies. What is certain is that Sofia doesn't completely trust him. Fans wonder if he will even be like that Batman: Caped Crusader's Harley Quinn and try to become her own master manipulator.

How does Theo Rossi's Julian Rush compare to Shades?

Luke Cage's Shades knew restraint, but Julian could create a monster

Shades was a villain from Netflix Luke Cage Series. His real name was Hernán Enrique Salazar Álvarez. He grew up as a gangster in New York but was eventually incarcerated at Seagate Penitentiary. In time, Shades was recruited by Diamondback and sent to monitor the New York crime scene, namely the underworld ring run by Cottonmouth.

This led to various gang wars, among other things game of Thrones Story. Shades eventually matched with Mariah Dillard, not only as her muscle but also as her lover. However, he realized that it was out of control and would cause too many deaths. Shades switched sides to Luke Cage and became an informant for Misty Knight and the NYPD. He helped Luke rise to become a mafia boss and the kingpin of Harlem.

After all the mafia bosses – including Mariah – died, Shades was taken back to prison. He had too much red in his account, including innocent people like Pops in Luke's life. Ironically, Shades viewed it as karma. When he lost people close to him in the gang wars, he knew that fate would catch up with him. He was a fan favorite because of his style, the mental games he played, and his physically imposing performance as a shooter and fighter.

In the end, there was too much collateral damage under his thumb. However, he regretted his decisions. That's not the aura that Rossi's Julian exudes. He seems to want a challenge and wants to control the game. While Shades feared and disliked Mariah's plan to burn down the Big Apple and retain power, there is an air that Julian wouldn't mind unleashing Sofia's full potential. Ultimately, this is a new take on the doctor-patient relationship between Harley and Joker that's worth keeping an eye on, as it may have an impact on Sofia's development as a monster that her father's empire wants.

New episodes of The Penguin air Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.