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The Penguin is set to premiere this week on Max and HBO, and before the release of episode 1, it was revealed that the titular character's real name won't be Oswald Cobblepot in the upcoming series. Rather, Penguin's real name will be Oz Cobb in the series—a controversial decision that has caused some stir online.
However, talking about the name change in The Penguin, showrunner Lauren LeFranc explained the decision in an interview with SFX Magazine. She said that the show itself is based on a new canon, which puts a new spin on familiar characters. She also explained that Cobb just felt like a real last name in this world too.
"Matt's created new canon in his film, and I'm creating new canon in this show. We have characters you're familiar with but there's a different spin on them. It felt like in the Gotham City that Matt created in his film, Cobblepott seemed less of a real person in the way that Cobb is a real last name. He's a gangster and it just kind of felt more correct," explained LeFranc via SFX Magazine.
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The producer of the series, Dylan Clark, also revealed that the name was changed to ground the story further. He spoke about how Jim Lee gave his blessing to change the character's name too, which further helped establish this story.
"We had a lot of conversations with DC Comics and with Jim Lee [President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer]. They had thought about changing his name at some point but had never done it. Matt asked, 'Can I call our character Oz Cobb?' And Jim said, 'Absolutely!' So we got a blessing from the king himself. That small change of the name allowed us to look at this character in a grounded way," said Clark via SFX Magazine.
Fans can stream The Penguin on Max and HBO on September 19, 2024.
What can fans expect from The Penguin?
Fans can expect The Penguin to pick up right after the events of The Batman. Since the show is set to take place a week after the events of the film, fans can expect to see exactly how Gotham is dealing with Riddler's attack on the city and flooding it as well.
The other thing fans can expect to see going in is the power struggle that's set to take place in Gotham city following Carmine Falcone's death. With Falcone killed by The Riddler, the other mob families will be making a play for his empire, and that's where we will find Oz Cobb as he tries to make a name for himself in the criminal underworld as well.
What is The Penguin about?
The Penguin is an upcoming DC comics series created by Lauren LeFranc. It is a spinoff of Matt Reeves' The Batman. The official synopsis reads as:
"This thrilling crime drama follows Oswald “Oz” Cobb’s quest for control in Gotham City. With the city in peril following the seawall’s collapse, Oz (Oscar® nominee Colin Farrell) seeks to fill the power vacuum left by the death of Carmine Falcone and finally give his mother Francis (Deirdre O’Connell) the life he’s always promised.
It stars Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, and more. The first episode airs this Thursday.
