DC’s weirdest Superman movie reference is hidden in the penguin

A fun reference to 1978s Superman Movie was hidden in the beginning of The penguin Episode 1. Spinning Off by Matt Reeves The Batmanspin off the main DC Universe as an Elseworlds franchise, The penguin Premieres on September 19, with Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oswald “Oz” Cobb, also the titular Penguin. The penguin Keep going The Batman Dark, gritty and grounded themes explore Cobb’s rise to power in Gotham’s criminal underworld, but it distances the HBO series from DC’s other, sometimes more lighthearted, stories.

While DC Studios’ co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran work on developing their own rebooted DC Universe, The penguin is one of several expected spinoffs and sequels to The Batman. Matt Reeves’ 2022 hit starred Robert Pattinson in the titular role, however While The penguin Makes many references The Batman And Pattinson’s vigilante self, there’s a dearth of references to the franchise’s wider world. However, a hint was found that a catastrophic event took place in The penguin’s Universe.

The Penguin is surprisingly light on DC references

The Penguin is set outside the main DC Universe

The penguin takes the form of a very self-contained story, meaning there is a noticeable lack of reference to the wider world of the DC franchise. Oswald Cobb is well connected to the underground criminal groups of Gotham City, meaning The penguin Stays very grounded throughout. While Cobb’s rise to power as the Penguin will surely have an impact on future sequels The BatmanIt seems unlikely that any major superhero would care about Cobb’s low-life politics. even so, The penguin has found a way to call back to one brilliant joke from the 1978s Superman.

The Penguin Homages A Weird Superman Movie Joke

The Penguin calls back to the original Superman movie from 1978

In the opening moments of The penguin Episode 1, “Another Hour,” news footage reports on the devastating events of 2022 The Batman. Simultaneously, a ticker reveals the weather reports for various locations, including Crest Hill, the Financial District, Gotham Heights and Otisburg, as spotted by Bill “Jet” Ramey. The latter is a fantastic reference to a very funny joke in the 1978 original Superman Movie, which debuted Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent. As Lex Luthor reveals his plan to decimate California and establish his own districts in its place, his bumbling henchman, Otis, suggests that one might be named Otisburg.

It was a pretty strange and inconsequential moment in 1978 SupermanAnd the joke wasn’t even that funny, meaning it just felt awkward, misplaced and unnecessary. however, The moment was mentioned in subsequent DC projects, most notably in the 2015 video game Batman: Arkham Knightwhich established Otisburg as a district on the founder’s island. It is possible that, in the world of The penguinLex Luthor achieved his goal of wiping out the West Coast and establishing Costa del Lakes, perhaps including Otisburg along with districts including Lexington, Lex Springs, and Luthorville.

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