The Batman's New Name In The Penguin Explained

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Penguin episode 1

HBO's The Penguin reveals that Gotham found a new name for Robert Pattinson's hero after the events of DCElseworlds' The Batman. Bruce Wayne established himself as a crime-fighting one-man army, turning his Batman persona into an urban legend. Batman's brutality spread fear across Gotham's underworld, forcing many low-level criminals to either abandon their nefarious goals or to double down and oppose him. In The Batman's first fight scene, Batman reaffirms his urban legend status when he beats up a group of bandits and tells them "I'm vengeance."

Robert Pattinson's Batman certainly gained more street cred in The Batman's epic ending, where he defeated the Riddler and his followers, saved dozens of innocent people, and stayed long enough to give the Riddler's survivors some hope. HBO's eight-episode The Penguin series takes place shortly after The Batman, but Batman's popularity has already increased a lot in Gotham. While Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight isn't expected to appear in the show, Batman continues to be an important looming figure that influences the decisions of criminals and regular Gotham citizens alike.

Robert Pattinson's Batman Has A New Name In The Penguin

Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight Officially Earns His Batman Name From Gotham's Media

The Penguin's opening news report provides some updates about the aftermath of the Riddler's terrorist attack on Gotham. Notably, though, the newsreader refers to Batman as "the Batman vigilante", praising him for helping people on the arena's roof at the end of Matt Reeves' The Batman. The Penguin's first news report marks the first time Batman is publicly called "Batman". Previously, Batman's tendency to mention "vengeance" had caused his enemies to know him literally as "Vengeance".

Batman's New Name Establishes What Gotham Really Thinks Of Him

Batman Is On Track To Flip His Public Image And Become A Full-Fledged Hero

The fact that The Penguin's newsreader mentions the word "vigilante" when talking about Batman suggests that Gotham no longer sees the Dark Knight as a dangerous urban legend, but as an independent crime-fighter. Of course, "vigilante" still holds negative connotations, but it's a considerable improvement over "Vengeance". After all, the Gotham Police Department already tolerated Batman's actions in The Batman, all thanks to James Gordon, who repeatedly hired the Dark Knight as a sort of independent detective.

Batman is no longer filled with rage after his experience thwarting the Riddler's plans, and Gotham has begun to admire Batman's selflessness. However, Batman still has a long way to go if he wants to save Gotham. The Penguin's titular crime lord and other experienced criminals are climbing the criminal ladder, a new villain is approaching ahead of The Batman - Part II, and the Riddler has befriended the Joker at Arkham. Batman's reputation could easily plummet again, and keeping the media on his side could be a strong asset for Gotham's vigilante.