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The Penguin sets up an obvious villain for The Batman: Part II (and it’s not Oz)

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The Penguin sets up an obvious villain for The Batman: Part II (and it's not Oz)

As a lifelong Batman fan who has seen countless interpretations of Gotham City’s most notorious villains, I must say that the Court of Owls could very well be the most intriguing and formidable adversary yet for our caped crusader. The idea that an ancient secret society has been manipulating the city’s elite from the shadows, pulling the strings and shaping its history is a tantalizing concept that perfectly encapsulates the dark and twisted nature of Gotham City.

The final scenes of Lauren LeFranc’s series “The Penguin” have been shown, and after eight episodes filled with murder, mafia, and ‘ma,’ Oz Cobb (played by Colin Farrell) has climbed to the peak of Gotham City’s treacherous criminal hierarchy. Despite initial expectations that “The Penguin” would be a single-season miniseries, there are whispers of a possible season 2. As LeFranc, Farrell, and “The Batman” director Matt Reeves consider the possibility, fans can rest assured that Cobb is set to reappear in “The Batman: Part II,” scheduled for release in theaters in 2026.

Following the 2022 release of “The Batman”, its sequel, titled “The Batman: Part II“, will continue right where “The Penguin” left off and fully utilize the series’ winter backdrop. There have been rumors that Mr. Freeze could serve as the main antagonist, a role that director Matt Reeves has expressed interest in exploring with a more realistic portrayal of the character. Previous hints from “The Penguin” may have subtly suggested the appearance of Clayface, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and other villains, but some viewers might have overlooked a significant villain lurking in the background.

The Penguin sets up an obvious villain for The Batman: Part II (and it's not Oz)

Court is in session

Fans believe that in the intricate details and city setting of “The Penguin,” directors Reeves and LeFranc may have discreetly foreshadowed the enigmatic Court of Owls. Unlike the frequently recurring villains like the Joker, Riddler, or Penguin, the Court of Owls is a relatively new creation in the Batman universe, introduced by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo for the 2012 “Batman” #6 comic. This clandestine organization consists of some of Gotham City’s most influential figures, exerting power from behind the scenes.

Beyond the principal court, there exists a clandestine organization called the Talons, who perform their underhanded tasks. More contemporarily, the Court of Owls has expanded its power beyond Gotham City and is now recognized globally as the Parliament of Owls. Initially dismissed as an urban myth, Bruce Wayne encounters the Court of Owls in the comics, and he suspects they may have been involved in the demise of his parents. The killing of Thomas and Martha Wayne remains unsolved in The Batman, leaving room for speculation about incorporating the Court of Owls into Part II. The Court of Owls has the ability to revive deceased Talons using a unique serum, so it would be intriguing to see Reeves’ interpretation of this particular storyline. The green vial Batman injected himself with at the end of The Batman might hint at this resurrection capability.

In a Batman movie, the Court of Owls has yet to make an appearance, but it has been showcased in TV series like Gotham and Gotham Knights, as well as being a significant element in Warner Bros. Montreal’s Gotham Knights video game. Fans of Batman spotted what appears to be an owl outline in the curtains of Gotham’s town hall during the finale of The Penguin. Although this is a somewhat vague connection, it’s not the only clue suggesting that the Court of Owls may be active. Other hints include a Riddler’s calling card displaying an owl in The Batman, and Peter Saarsgard’s character Gil Colson mentioning that someone was watching, stating, “It’s so much bigger than you could ever imagine. It’s the whole system!

Taking flight

As a fan, I can’t help but feel a thrill when the Bat-Signal lights up at the end of “The Penguin,” summoning the absentee Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) back into action. With Oz throwing parties in his penthouse, it’s clear that something significant is unfolding elsewhere in the city. The ominous undertones of civil unrest and the stark contrast between the saved wealthy districts and flooded poorer areas like Crown Point hint at the Court of Owls orchestrating events, as Gotham’s elite continue to amass wealth by exploiting ordinary citizens.

The notion that a force maintains the criminal equilibrium in Gotham city seems plausible, and it appears some shady transactions took place involving the Waynes in the past. Some even speculate that the incoming mayor, Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson), might belong to the Court. If not, she may become part of the Court of Owls or be manipulated by them during The Batman: Part II. As for Oz, eliminating the Falcone, Maroni, and Gigante crime families leaves him at risk of being targeted by the Court of Owls. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Farrell mentioned he’s featured in approximately “five or six” scenes in The Batman: Part II, hinting at his involvement in multiple films. This suggests Oz is unlikely to be the main antagonist in Part II, but the Court of Owls could take on that role instead.

Reeves himself has stayed quiet on the possibility that the Court of Owls will spread their wings, and when Showsha asked if they’ll be the big bad of Part II, he simply said: “We can’t comment on the movie because we are doing the movie and then you’d know what movie we’re doing and we’re not going to say that yet.” This comes off the back of Pattinson throwing his own theories into the ring during a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair. Responding to the theory that Thomas and Martha were leaders of the Court, Pattinson mused: “If they disappear and [are] kind of secretly running it, that would really be a very difficult thing for Bruce to handle, oh it’d be a nightmare. I was definitely kind of thinking that Court of Owls is probably going to be in the sequel, definitely seems like… I mean, I’m literally just guessing.”

The Court of Owls isn’t just a transient threat that Batman can easily handle; instead, they have been a significant force, molding the past and future of Gotham City. Unlike the Riddler (Paul Dano), who wasn’t difficult to defeat in “The Batman,” but whose ideas lived on as a greater menace, the Court of Owls has been quietly growing in power over centuries. As for the theory that Thomas and Martha Wayne are somehow still alive and leading the Court of Owls, let’s set that aside for now. If this turns out to be the major plot twist in Reeves’ interpretation, we can only hope it’s executed better than Richard Parker’s continued existence in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

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2024-11-14 20:42

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