The Penguin's name change has sparked a fascinating fan theory about another key DC villain connection

Just days before The Penguin is due to drop, fans think they have finally figured out the reasoning behind Penguin’s name change in the upcoming HBO show, and it has something to do with another DC villain. 

In the HBO show, The Penguin’s name is changed from his official comic book name Oswald Cobblepot to Oz Cobb. Although his name was Oz Cobb in The Batman movie too, fans have begun to theorize why this may be, and that it's not just a fluke or to make him more "grounded," like the show’s creators told SFX magazine, but to link the villain to another Batman character, William Cobb. 

"My brother came up with a theory I love, that he will be related to William Cobb Talon," said the fan on Twitter, adding that The Pemguin's mother has ties to The Court of Owls AKA the secret society that employs William Cobb. See the full tweet below. 

So, who is William Cobb? In the world of DC, Cobb is the most formidable killer in a group of assassins named Talons who were used by the Court of Owls when Batman discovered their evil doings. In the comics, Cobb is also the great-grandfather of Dick Grayson, AKA the DC superhero Nightwing. 

Although William and Oz seemingly share a last name, it is not clear at this time whether they are of any official relation in this show. We are also uncertain if this means that the Talon will make an appearance in the series. But we sure hope he does!

The Batman spin-off, which is quickly becoming one of the most anticipated upcoming DC shows, picks up right where Matt Reeves’ 2022 movie left off as The Riddler left Gotham underwater. The show once again stars Colin Farrell as Oz and follows Penguin’s rise to power in the city’s criminal underbelly.

The show is developed by showrunner Lauren LeFranc, and also stars Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, James Madio, Scott Cohen, Michael Zegen, Carmen Ejogo, and Theo Rossi.

The Penguin will be available from September 20 on Sky and NOW in the UK and from September 19 on HBO in the US. Before you tune in, make sure to check out our spoiler-free The Penguin review and make sure to keep up with our The Penguin release schedule to find out when each episode drops.