The Penguin Might Be Hiding Batman: Part II Villain in Plain Sight

Created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, the Court of Owls emerged as one of Batman’s most formidable adversaries during DC’s New 52 reboot in 2011. This clandestine organization of Gotham’s wealthiest and most influential families has secretly controlled the city since its founding in the 1600s. Their existence was long considered nothing more than a nursery rhyme meant to frighten Gotham’s children: “Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime.”

The organization’s influence runs so deep that even Batman initially dismissed its existence as mere urban legend. As a child, Bruce Wayne suspected the Court was responsible for his parents’ murder. He launched his own investigation, only to find dead ends — a rare investigative failure for the World’s Greatest Detective. This blunder would later haunt Batman, as the Court was indeed connected to several tragedies in the Wayne family’s history, including the murder of Bruce’s great-grandfather, Alan Wayne. 

As the New 52 storyline reveals, Bruce is personally connected to the Court of Owls through his ancestors. For instance, Alan Wayne created a trust to develop Gotham’s infrastructure through various construction projects, including the iconic Wayne Tower and numerous other skyscrapers. The Court manipulated these developments, incorporating hidden chambers and passages throughout the city’s most prominent buildings. These secret spaces, known as “Owl’s Nests,” were built between the 13th floors of Gotham’s skyscrapers, a number deliberately chosen for its connection to death and misfortune in various cultures.

Despite the fantastical nature of the Court of Owls’ history, it fits like a glove in Reeves’ Batman crime saga. With The Batman and The Penguin, the filmmaker has established a version of Gotham City stripped of all supernatural elements of the Dark Knight mythos. Even the fantastic technology used by Bruce Wayne has been grounded, so the story focuses on street-level criminals and Batman’s investigative prowess. Still, Batman wouldn’t be Batman if he couldn’t get into a fistfight with mighty enemies. Fortunately, the Court of Owls also has a battalion of assassins to do their dirty deeds.

The Deadly Talons of the Court of Owls

The Court’s most terrifying weapons are its Talons, highly skilled assassins utterly loyal to the organization. Each Talon is selected from childhood, often from among circus performers and acrobats for their physical prowess. After that, they are trained in combat and infiltration to act as near-invisible killers no one knows exist.

In the comic books, the process of becoming a Talon pushes the boundaries of a grounded story. The Talon transformation involves a complex chemical procedure using a rare metal called Electrum, which contains traces of Dionesium, a substance with regenerative properties. This process fundamentally alters their biology, granting them enhanced strength, speed, and, most importantly, a form of immortality. 

Talons can survive injuries that would be fatal to regular humans, including decapitation, and continue fighting after that. Their only significant weakness is extreme cold, which can temporarily neutralize their healing factor. It’s unlikely Reeves will ever use immortal warriors in his cinematic universe. But even stripped of regenerative powers, a squad of professional assassins would still push Robert Pattison’s Batman to his limits. Given that even the actor thinks the Court of Owls could be a good fit for the sequel, it’s hard to argue against that.

The Court of Owls Is a Perfect Fit for Reeves’ Gotham

Reeves has explicitly stated that Batman: Part II will “dig into the epic story about deeper corruption, and it goes into places that he couldn’t anticipate in the first one.” This direction aligns with the Court of Owls’ narrative, particularly after The Penguin. The series has shown how Gotham’s elite manipulate essential services like electricity distribution, redirecting power from vulnerable areas like Crown Point to wealthy neighborhoods. 

The Court of Owls could represent the ultimate form of this corruption. They would show how the city’s problems cannot be solved just by taking down corrupt officials or crime families. Instead, The Batman: Part II could explain how an ancient cabal has orchestrated Gotham’s tragedies to keep power while the masses suffer. 

The Martha Wayne connection established in The Batman provides another entry point for the Court of Owls storyline. The first film revealed Martha’s troubled history of mental illness and her connection to the Arkham family. In the comics, the Court of Owls storyline introduces Lincoln March, who claims to be Thomas and Martha Wayne’s supposed second son, allegedly born in Willowwood Home for Children (a secret Arkham facility) and abandoned there when Martha’s mental health deteriorated. This connection would allow Reeves to expand on the Wayne family’s dark history while maintaining the noir detective elements that made The Batman successful.

Tying Arkham with the Court of Owls for The Batman: Part II could also force Bruce to face the horrible reality of the psychiatric institution, an essential step in his journey to becoming a better protector. Finally, any Arkham storyline is a great excuse to bring Sofia back, especially after her relationship with Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) was teased in The Penguin.

The Penguin is currently streaming on Max. The Batman: Part II will hit theaters on September 30th, 2026.