Oswald Cobblepot's new name in The Penguin, Oz Cobb, may have a deeper meaning that connects the new DC series to The Batman - Part II's main villains. Matt Reeves' grounded The Batman universe presents a version of Gotham City where only a few DC characters have taken the spotlight. The Riddler's attack on Gotham in The Batman's ending unleashed a sequence of events that led to a power vacuum in the Gotham criminal underworld, and The Penguin's opening scene turned what could have been an easy power grab into a chaotic gang war. And at the center of it all is Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb.
Following his secondary antagonist role in The Batman, The Penguin makes some changes to its titular villain. For instance, the Penguin no longer comes from a wealthy family, and he's known as "Oz Cobb" instead of his traditional name, Oswald Cobblepot. The latter change seems to be a small departure from the comics, but it could also hold major implications for Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise, especially the upcoming The Batman - Part II. More specifically, the Penguin could be closely tied to The Batman - Part II's antagonists, as suggested by his updated last name.
The Court Of Owls' Most Famous Talon Assassin Could Be The Penguin's Relative
The Court of Owls has been theorized to be The Batman - Part II's main antagonistic force due to The Batman and The Penguin's heavy focus on Gotham's complex layers of corruption and its secret connections to important figures like the Wayne family. In the comics, the Court of Owls is a secret society that has influenced Gotham from the shadows for centuries. When they need to assassinate high-status figures, they employ Talons — skilled assassins with fighting abilities comparable to those of Batman and the Bat-Family. The Court of Owls' notable Talon is William Cobb, who could be Oz Cobb's relative in The Batman universe.
Instead of being Dick Grayson's great-grandfather, William Cobb could be a relative of the Penguin
The Penguin episode 1 reveals that Oz Cobb doesn't have wealthy parents. Instead of a long line of highly influential Gotham figures, this version of the Penguin seems to come from a regular middle-class family. DC's William Cobb joins the Court of Owls after having his heart broken by a wealthy woman due to his middle-class roots. Now, instead of being Dick Grayson's great-grandfather, William Cobb could be a relative of the Penguin. This connection would go in line with The Batman and The Penguin's bird theme, which brings together Batman, the Penguin, the Penguin's new sidekick Victor Aguilar, and potentially the Court of Owls.
How The Batman Part 2 Could Adapt Talon’s Comic Book Origin
Matt Reeves' The Batman - Part II Would Need To Make Some Changes To Talon And The Court Of Owls
In the comics, the Court of Owls' Talon assassins are inherently mystical characters. The Court of Owls employ a metal alloy named Electrum — discovered by the seemingly immortal Doctor Leviticus — to resurrect their Talons. Several Talons born in the 17th century have come back from the dead to fight Batman, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, and even the Penguin himself, who survived an assassination attempt by the 300-year-old Talon Ephraim Newhouse. If The Batman - Part II introduces the Court of Owls and their Talons, it may have to skip their resurrection elements in order to help them fit into the franchise's grounded tone.
Alan Wayne, Bruce Wayne's ancestor who founded Wayne Enterprises, is believed to have been assassinated by a Talon.
Instead of a circus performer-turned-assassin born in 1901, The Batman universe's William Cobb could be a modern-day Gotham citizen struggling to make ends meet who gets recruited into a secret society. Electrum's resurrection properties would have to be abandoned as well, and if it's introduced, it could instead be a new brand of street drug. In fact, The Penguin's most ambitious change to the Court of Owls' DC lore would be to reveal that the new drug Oz mentioned to the Falcones is Electrum, and that Victor Aguilar's stint as the Penguin's sidekick is just proving his worth as the Court of Owls' next Talon assassin.
The Penguin’s Link To Talon Makes The Batman Part 2’s Court Of Owls Villain Theory Even Better
The Court Of Owls's Influence May Go Deeper Than It Seems
In The Batman, Paul Dano's Riddler uncovered various cases of deep corruption in Gotham and showed Bruce Wayne how evil isn't as clear-cut as he originally thought. Apparently, Gotham isn't crime-ridden just because of street gangs, mob bosses, and rotten apples in the justice system. The Wayne family, the Arkham family, and the Gotham PD also seem to have been submerged in more than questionable activities since Gotham was founded. On top of that, The Batman - Part IIcould reveal that a centuries-old secret society called the Court of Owls has kept Gotham in an endless cycle of chaos for their own profit and pleasure.
If The Penguin or The Batman - Part II reveal that Oz Cobb is related to the Court of Owls' main Talon, it would confirm that nothing in Gotham happens by chance. The Waynes may not have gained their wealth on their own merit, and Oz Cobb's apparently self-made criminal career might have been carefully shaped from the shadows by the Court of Owls. The Batman - Part II, The Batman - Part III, and the remaining spinoffs in Matt Reeves' The Batman universe have enough time to get to the bottom of the Court of Owls' deep-rooted influence on Gotham throughout the decades.
The Penguin’s Possible Link To The Court Of Owls Could Make Him A Hero
Oz Cobb Could Help Batman Eliminate The Court Of Owls From Gotham In Future Sequels
In both The Batman and The Penguin, Oz Cobb has made it clear that he wants all the power for himself. Oz had been a loyal underling for Carmine Falcone for years before The Batman, but Carmine's death led Oz to lose respect for the rest of the Falcone family. Even though he lacks his own resources and network to achieve it, Oz has set his sights on Carmine Falcone's empty throne, and he's capable of doing anything to replace his former boss. Knowingly or unknowingly, Oz Cobb could become a pebble in the Court of Owls' shoes.
The Penguin could topple the Court of Owls by limiting their influence on Gotham or helping reveal their existence to the public
If the Penguin realizes the true nature of Gotham's criminal underworld, he could eventually join forces with the Batman in order to rid Gotham of the Court of Owls' influence, potentially placing him face to face with his relative, William Cobb. With the drug business under his thumb and with Batman actively fighting the same threat, the Penguin could topple the Court of Owls by limiting their influence on Gotham or helping reveal their existence to the public. The Penguin's Oz Cobb isn't a good man by any measure, but he could be well on his way to redeem himself in The Batman - Part II.
