Matt Reeves thought the Penguin’s real name, Oswald Cobblepot, was a little too silly, so he asked DC if it could be changed.
For decades, the Penguin’s civilian name has been the very extra Oswald Cobblepot, but in a movie as serious as 2022’s The Batman , such a name might seem a bit out of place (Though we can certainly suspend our feelings of disbelief at a man wearing Bat-themed military gear). As a result, the character’s name was changed to Oswald Cobb or Oz Cobb, which definitely doesn’t sound silly at all, according to a recent interview with SFX Magazine (via ComicBookMovie. com ), producer Dylan Clark provided some background on why this decision was made.
Manage cookie settings
“They never got around to changing [The Penguin’s] The names in the comics were like they did with the Riddler, from Edward Nygma to Edward Nashton, from an unreal name to a real name,” Clark said. “In doing so, they laid the foundation of the character.
“We had a lot of conversations with DC Comics and Jim Lee [president, publisher and chief creative officer]. They considered changing his name but never took action. Matt asked, “Can I call our character Ozzy Cobb?” Jim said, “Of course!” So we got the blessing of the King himself. This small change in name allows us to see the character in a down-to-earth way.
Penguin writer and showrunner Lauren LeFranc expressed her thoughts on Reeves’ take on The Batman, saying, “Matt has created new canon in his movies; I’m also creating new canon in this show. We have characters that you’re familiar with, but also a real person, which feels more right because Cobb is a real last name.
More than two years after “Batman” hit theaters, “Penguin” finally opens on HBO this Thursday, and will then be released on Max and then on Sundays next week.
