3 DC Comic Characters That May Have Inspired The Penguin’s Victor Aguilar Twist

Once again, HBO has delivered another series worth following, The Penguin, inspired by the character of Oswald Cobblepot or Oz Cobb from the Batverse. DC tends to deliver the darkest and most gruesome on-screen versions of various storylines, and this is what fans probably expect from The Penguin.

Here’s a short backstory on Oz Cobb for those who aren’t aware of him. Oz Cobb, popularly known as the Penguin, is arguably the biggest criminal underworld mastermind in the Batverse.

Oz Cobb’s motives are fueled by a desire to be recognized by Gotham’s elites. Cobblepot tries to take over the underworld from the Falcones. And who tries to stop the Penguin from his antics? Batman.

HBO’s adaptation of the story features Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, the lead role. Cristin Milioti and Michael Zegen act as Sofia and Alberto Falcone. Theo Rossi plays the role of Dr. Julian Rush while Rhenzy Feliz appears as Victor Aguilar, the Penguin’s ally. While Aguilar isn’t directly from the comics, other characters could have inspired him. 

DC Comics characters that possibly inspired the addition of Victor Aguilar to The Penguin

In episode one, we witnessed Oz Cobb kill Alberto Falcone who seemingly mocked him for his aspirations to become a great mobster. 

While trying to dispose of Alberto’s body, the Penguin comes across a group of juveniles trying to steal the rims off of a car. Oz Cobb recruits Aguilar, who was a part of the group of juvenile delinquents, thus including the youngster in his twisted world. 

Before any other spoilers get out, let’s move to the main topic! Who is Victor Aguilar? There isn’t much known about the young character, however, Aguilar may be one of Cobb’s allies, just like in the comics. 

In the comics, there is a character that goes by the name of Lark, the head of security at the Iceberg Lounge. Lark runs into Batman quite often in the comics, but she is as loyal as they come. While serving as his chauffeur at times, Lark would also protect the Penguin from enemies with her skills in martial arts. 

Aguilar could have also been inspired by Cobb’s illegitimate children, Aidan and Addison. In the comics, both of them never got along with Oz Cobb. However, they chose to join the family business to make ends meet. 

Just like them, Aguilar could’ve also joined Oz Cobb to help his case while pursuing a better life. 

The Penguin is likely to be a prequel to The Batman Part II

HBO’s The Penguin isn’t the first time Colin Farell has suited up as Oz Cobb. This character was a part of Bruce Wayne’s quest to track down The Riddler, in the movie. We remember the intense car chase from The Batman when Cobb thought he managed to get rid of the Dark Knight.

But then the masked vigilante ramped over the flames caused by an accident and apprehended Cobb.

Let’s just say Oz Cobb will be setting up his empire in HBO’s miniseries, potentially making him the main villain in the next movie. The Batman Part II is expected to come out in 2026 starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz once again. 

However, Oz Cobb’s plan to become the biggest underworld personality in Gotham City will be hindered by characters such as Sofia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti. This is one of Milioti’s first main roles since the iconic “mother” of How I Met Your Mother. 

And then there’s Salvatore Maroni, one of Falcone’s biggest rivals. After Sofia gets out of the Arkham Asylum, she captures Cobb and tortures him. But then Aguilar tries to implicate Maroni’s group to aid Cobb’s release. 

Things are bound to get intense with Craig Zobel’s The Penguin. There are eight episodes in this series, with a new one out every Sunday until November 10, 2024. Helen Shaver, Jennifer Getzinger, and Kevin Bray were also a part of the directing crew.

The Penguin can be streamed on Max.