Has The Batman spinoff series The Penguin finally confirmed who the villain, or villains, will be in The Batman Part II? Fans of The Dark Knight have taken to social media to share an interesting theory about what could happen in the sequel following the reveal that The Penguin’s real name, which is traditionally Oswald Cobblepot, has now been changed to the simpler, and apparently more grounded, Oswald Cobb. But, has this change accidentally revealed who Batman will face when he returns to the big screen in 2026?
While the name change has been met with some criticism from DC fans, many have been left wondering if it connects the character to The Court of Owls, an organized crime group and secret society of wealthy Gothamites who have manipulated the citizens of Gotham for their own gain for centuries. The reason this theory has taken hold is that William Cobb is the name of one of the high-ranking Talons, a highly-skilled group of Court of Owls assassins. Surely, giving The Penguin the surname “Cobb” can’t just be a coincidence? Can it?
This theory has now even been addressed by The Penguin director, Craig Zobel. And, while some have taken it as a rejection, it’s just as easily argued that he is merely keeping things close to his chest. Check out what Zobel had to say below, courtesy of The Hollywood Handle.
“I can’t 100% answer that because I don’t know everything in Matt Reeves’ mind… largely we all kinda felt like Cobblepot wasn’t a real person’s name… the goal was to just find a real rooted more grounded name.”
The Penguin Bridges the Gap Between The Batman & The Batman 2
So, how likely is it that The Court of Owls will finally make its big screen debut in The Batman Part 2? It has already been revealed by The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc that the spinoff will “bridge” the gap between Matt Reeves’ Batman movies. Meaning that, if Oz Cobb really is a link to the clandestine organization, it’s very likely that this is who Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader will do battle with in the follow-up.
Not only that, director Matt Reeves recently hinted that it is indeed The Court of Owls who will make Batman’s life hell when The Batman Part 2 lands in theaters. He revealed to SFX magazine:
“We’ve shared [the script] as we’ve been going along with DC, and they’re super excited… The seeds of where this goes are all in the first movie & it expands in a way that will show you aspects of the character you never got to see. Batman is constantly battling these forces. But those forces can’t be entirely exorcised. So the next movie delves deeper into that.”
Starring Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobb / Penguin, as well as Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Mark Strong, and Clancy Brown, The Penguin tells the next chapter in The Batman saga, and follows Oz Cobb’s quest for power and control in Gotham City.
The Penguin
is scheduled to premiere on HBO on September 19, 2024.
The Batman Part II
, meanwhile, is scheduled to be released on October 2, 2026.