‘The Penguin’ Changes Batman’s Nickname and That Means More than You Think

When Colin Farrell was cast as Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, many fans were skeptical since they didn’t know what to expect from the performance. Fans were concerned that Farrell did not look the part, but Farrell made up for a fantastic villain, and the costume designers did a fantastic job of making him look authentic. In fact, The Penguin became so popular that HBO immediately ordered a stand-alone spin-off series.

The television series, simply titled The Penguin, had its premiere on September 19, 2024, and it has received nothing but positive reviews from viewers and critics. They call it a worthy sequel to Reeves’ film and an amazing example of world-building. The cast’s performances are highly commended, but the fans are also praising the world-building aspect, which is why this report is going to be dedicated to the lore of Reeves’ world.

As we’ve said, this article is going to be dedicated to the lore of Reeves’ fictional world, as you are going to find out more details about a seemingly small, but actually very significant detail from the series that is related to the absent superhero of the series, Batman, whose nickname has been changed in the series.

If you remember Reeves’ film, which was sort of a “Year Two” rendering of the story, Batman was still a semi-mythological figure in Gotham. People knew he was there, but he was such a mysterious figure that so many exaggerated stories circled around, with people being more afraid of what Batman represented than Batman himself. In that aspect, he was also given many supernatural attributes in those stories.

At the time, Batman’s nickname was “Vengeance,” as you probably remember. This was due to him often uttering the “I’m vengeance,” which became a trademark of his. Sort of. But yes, he was perceived very differently than he is perceived now.

Namely, after Batman helped with the flooding incident the Riddler caused, the public perception of him changed. He is not considered a menacing, supernatural threat to the city anymore, and while the criminals still fear him, the general public is not that afraid of him. Not anymore.

This is evidenced by the fact that the media are calling him “the Batman vigilante“ now, which means that the perception has indeed changed.

Batman is no longer a threat, someone that the regular citizens of Gotham have to fear. He is also not a supernatural menace. He is simply a man who wants to make Gotham a better place, and the public has realized that now, which will probably lead to a very different evolution of the story in The Batman: Part II.

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