It’s no secret that Matt Reeves’ BatVerse is keeping things grounded. There are no superpowers to be found, and even the most eccentric villains are toning it down a bit. However, one small change to the titular character in The Penguin is rubbing fans the wrong way.
With The Penguin preparing to release its first episode, the creatives behind the project are doing the rounds, speaking to different publications about how everything came together. Well, via ComicBookMovie.com, SFX Magazine got a pretty big scoop, getting the skinny on why Penguin’s name in the show isn’t Oswald Cobblepot.
“We had a lot of conversations with DC Comics and with [DC’s President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer] Jim Lee,” executive producer Dylan Clark explained. “They had thought about changing [Penguin’s] name at some point but had never done it. Matt asked, ‘Can I call our character Oz Cobb?’ And Jim said, ‘Absolutely!’ So we got a blessing from the king himself. That small change of the name allowed us to look at this character in a grounded way.”
Related: All Major Actors & Cast List for The Penguin
People Really Care About Penguin’s Name
Clark mentioned how The Riddler went from Edward Nigma to Edward Nashton in The Batman during the interview, but it doesn’t seem like fans remember that, as they’re taking to social media to voice their displeasure with the change to Colin Farrell’s villain.
“The explanation for changing the Penguin’s name lacks depth and fails to justify how ‘Oz Cobb’ achieves the intended groundedness for the character,” said Fahad Sharif on X.
“Honestly, Cobblepott sounds like an old money family that has lost its money and fallen out of favor with society only to be rebuilt in a criminal empire,” added X user Liz. “Cobb sounds like the name of a farmer from Indiana. I supposed that is more grounded.”
While there were plenty of rational arguments for not changing the name, like the ones above, more than a few fans decided to be blunt. “That’s stupid. Rare Matt reeves L,” said R27.
Of course, fans will just have to tune into The Penguin to see whether the change ruins the show or helps enhance it as it did for Riddler in The Batman.
The Penguin premieres on HBO and Max on Sept. 19, 2024.
Published: Sep 17, 2024 02:21 pm