The Penguin Series Confirms Dolly Parton Exists In Robert Pattinson's Batman Universe

There have been a lot of questions surrounding HBO's upcoming "The Penguin" series. The show will see Colin Farrell step into the spotlight after he wowed everyone with his performance as Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot a.k.a. the Penguin in Matt Reeves' "The Batman." Playing a cross between Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito in "Goodfellas" and Bob Hoskins' Harold Shand in "The Long Good Friday," Farrell was almost unrecognizable in the role. The actor had "unbridled fun" with the character, disappearing behind the extensive prosthetics to bring us a version of the infamous Batman rogue that was much more of a wise guy/crime boss and less of a "hideous penguin man of the sewer" (to borrow a phrase used to describe Danny DeVito's Penguin in "Batman Returns").

But while Farrell was undeniably one of the best things about "The Batman," whether he can sustain an entire premium drama remains to be seen. Fans will also be eager to see whether Matt Reeves' Gotham can sustain itself without the focus being on the Dark Knight himself. But by far the biggest question most people have is: "Will Dolly Parton exist in this universe?"

Yes, while "The Batman" answered so many questions about the Reeves-verse, even revealing that Bruce Wayne's dad had some questionable ties with organized crime in Gotham, it failed to reveal whether Backwoods Barbie herself was knocking around somewhere outside of the city limits. Fortunately, "The Penguin" brings with it a definitive answer to this most pertinent question.

Colin Farrell delivered a much more entertaining version of Cobblepot/Penguin than ever before. Almost parodying Robert DeNiro in any one of his gangster roles, Farrell was oddly endearing as the right-hand of crime lord Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). Though he was undeniably slimy, his delivery of the now-infamous line, "Take it easy sweetheart," when faced with Robert Pattinson's fuming Dark Knight instantly made him a fan favorite. Oz became the perfect foil to Pattinson's brooding avenger, providing some much-needed comic relief throughout.

By the end of the film, Oz revealed a more menacing side as he glared out from his den at a flooded Gotham city, clearly harboring ambitions to take over following Falcone's death. The show will chart his ascension, with the trailer for "The Penguin" revealing that Oz starts a full-blown gang war in his pursuit of becoming Gotham's new kingpin. But his lust for power pales in comparison to his passion for Parton.

In the latest issue of Empire magazine, "The Penguin" creator Lauren LeFranc said she wanted to inject plenty of humor into the show, to distinguish it from Bruce Wayne's more somber narrative. Among those comedic quirks: Oz is a huge Parton fan. As LeFranc explained, "Oz is such a different guy, he's really a wild man, he's hard to pin down." Just how many Parton tracks we'll be treated to remains unclear, but it seems the connection between Farrell's crime boss and the country legend will actually have some resonance beyond providing comic relief.

Lauren LeFranc expanded on her vision for "The Penguin," explaining that, for her, it was important that Oz "respected women" and that the show included "complicated, interesting women." Evidently, this means much of the series will focus on the character's relationship with his mother. LeFranc explained:

"This is what differentiates him from previous versions of the Penguin in the comics, where he used to come from a wealthy, well-known family. Matt [Reeves] had already made him an underdog in that he was number two to Carmine Falcone in the film, but we didn't know anything about his family. So it was important to me that he comes from nothing, and he's really aching to get more status and be seen as more important."

Dolly Parton herself was born into a poor farming family and raised in a one-bedroom cabin alongside 11 siblings, only to become one of the biggest country legends in music history. As such, you might see some parallels between the Oz that "comes from nothing" and his country idol.

As fans try to figure out whether DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran will try to meld the Reeves-verse with their burgeoning on-screen DC universe, at least the other biggest question surrounding the whole enterprise has been answered. Now, we just wait to see if there's an episode where Batman and Oz patch up their differences on a road-trip to Dollywood.

"The Penguin" premieres September 8, 2024, on HBO.