The Penguin on HBO transforms the origins and backstory of the titular DC villain to fit Matt Reeves’ realistic and gritty Batman universe. Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb was previously introduced in The Batman as the menacing proprietor of the Iceberg Lounge dance club, closely associated with Gotham’s criminal underworld. While Oz remains a powerful figure, The Penguin reveals that there are always bigger fish in Gotham City and further establishes the city’s criminal hierarchy.
Both reviewers and the audiences have praised Matt Reeves’ The Batman and The Penguin. However, there have been substantial deviations from the original material in both installments. For example, Paul Dano’s Riddler takes on a darker, more somber criminal persona than most comic book Riddlers; Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is just as reclusive and deep-set as he is in his “Batman Vigilante” persona. Similarly, more realistically, The Batman and The Penguin depicts Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin.
The Origin Story of The Penguin from DC Comics Explained
Like most other characters in the DC multiverse, the Penguin has had multiple incarnations over the years. However, all of the Penguin’s origin stories share a few characteristics. Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot comes from a long line of affluent socialites dating back to the American Revolution.
Among the influential people in the Cobblepot family are mayors, colonels, and business owners. Oswald Cobblepot had a difficult childhood despite coming from a wealthy family because of the constant bullying he experienced from both his father and his peers because of the way he looked.
After giving in to his violent impulses and eventually losing control, Oswald Cobblepot began to develop a taste for murder and other criminal activity. According to DC’s Zero Year and Year Two, Oswald starts as Carmine Falcone’s golfer.
Accepting his “Penguin” moniker, Oswald Cobblepot shoves Falcone aside as he advances through the criminal underworld of Gotham, forming alliances with formidable antagonists such as the Joker and the Riddler. Parallel to Batman’s formative years, this portion of the Penguin’s past is adapted in The Batman and The Penguin.
Oz Cobb’s Penguin’s New Origin Revealed
It is revealed that Oz is much closer to his mother, Francis than any previous version of the villain and that this Penguin does not come from a wealthy family when he first meets her.
Oz lacked the capital to establish a criminal empire from the ground up and had to join the Falcons to get into the business. Although Oz has a visible deformity in his foot that accounts for his recognizable limp, The Penguin episode 1 demonstrates that Oz’s physical attributes are less significant to him than his comic book counterpart.
Because Oz made his name for himself as a low-level criminal in Gotham, the Penguin’s accomplishments with the Iceberg Lounge and his “drop” business seem all the more remarkable, given his lack of resources and connections in the Batman universe.
Colin Farrell’s portrayal of Oz Cobb is motivated by greed rather than bitterness for his physical attributes and difficult upbringing. Rather than employing a penguin motif to assassinate opponents and innocent individuals, Oz prefers to deceive and manipulate others to gain authority and clout.
Does The Penguin have brothers in the comics?
Oz Cobb mentions a store named Buddy’s when he talks with Victor Aguilar in The Penguin episode one to defuse the situation. Oz tells Victor that he and his brothers visited the Slush Puppies drink brand daily during the summer. We would combine the flavors, you know.”
Oz seems to have had a good relationship with his brothers because he remembers them with happiness. However, it’s possible that Oz purposefully omitted a tragic altercation with his brothers.
Equally cruel to Oswald Cobblepot, as his father was in the comics, were his brothers, Jason, William, and Robert. Oswald killed his brothers one by one because he thought it was too much when they attacked his pet birds.
Oswald became more bloodthirsty after killing his father and brothers. This descent led him to accept the nickname “Penguin” and become one of the most lethal crooks in Gotham City. This isn’t the case in Matt Reeves’ universe of The Batman, based on the Penguin’s references to Oz’s brother and relatives.
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About The Penguin
The Penguin is an American television miniseries created by Lauren LeFranc for HBO. Based on the DC Comics character Penguin, it is a spin-off from the film The Batman (2022) that explores the Penguin’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. LeFranc serves as the showrunner of the series, which is produced by DC Studios in association with Warner Bros. Television.
Colin Farrell stars as the Penguin, reprising his role from The Batman, alongside Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo, Michael Zegen, Berto Colón, James Madio, Joshua Bitton, David H. Holmes, Daniel J. Watts, Ben Cook, Jayme Lawson, Michael Kelly and Mark Strong. Development was underway by September 2021, and HBO Max ordered it in March 2022, after The Batman was released. The film’s director, Matt Reeves, supervised the writing and was involved in hiring the creative team. Filming began in March 2023 in New York, but was halted in June by the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. Production resumed in late November and concluded in February 2024. The series moved from HBO Max’s successor Max to HBO in July 2024. Craig Zobel directed the first three episodes.
The Penguin premiered in the United States on HBO on September 19, 2024, and is set to run for eight episodes until November 10.
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