Oswald Cobblepot has undergone a major name change in Matt Reeves' The Batman universe and it's something that ruffled the feathers of some fans. Now, The Penguin producer insists it was necessary for the villain's upcoming HBO series, and here's why.
Why The Penguin's Name Change Was Necessary According to Producer
In the comic books, The Penguin's real name is Oswald Cobblepot. However, Matt Reeves' The Batman shortened the name to "Oz Cobb", which established that the world the filmmaker was trying to build outside the DC Universe was completely different.
Reeves' Bat-Verse gives a different take on the main villain of the story by utilizing its continuation onwards to his own series on Max.
"We had a lot of conversations with DC Comics and with Jim Lee [President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer]," producer Dylan Clark explained in the latest SFX Magazine (via ComicBookMovie), adding that the establishment was thinking about 'changing his name' at some point, too, but 'never done it.'
So, when Matt Reeves called to ask them 'Can I call out character Oz Cobb?', Jim Lee told them an enthusiastic, 'Absolutely!'
"So, we got a blessing from the king himself," Clark continued, "That small change of the name allowed us to look at this character in a grounded way."
Clark added that DC Comics and Jim 'never got around to changing [Penguin]'s name like they did with the Riddler', but ultimately, turning Oswald Cobblepot to a simple Oz Cobb made the character "more grounded."
"Matt's created new canon in his film, and I'm creating new canon in this show," writer and showrunner Lauren LeFranc shared, "We have characters you're familiar with but there's a different spin on them."
LeFranc detailed that the Gotham City DC fans are about to see in The Penguin is the same world Matt created in his film, "Cobblepot 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."
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Meanwhile, DC fans can catch The Penguin premiere on Max on September 19.
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