The 10 Greatest Villains From DC Movies

9) The Penguin – Danny De Vito, Batman Returns

There’s a reason Christopher Nolan didn’t use The Penguin in his Dark Knight films – he often isn’t the most interesting of Batman villains. That’s not the case with the iteration seen in Batman Returns, however. In fact, he’s probably the most detestable but oddly pitiable of the lot.

Thanks to Tim Burton’s gothic direction and a committed performance from the perfectly cast Danny De Vito, Oswald Cobblepot became a literal penguin – a disfigured man warped on the inside, too, from living in the sewers after his high society parents abandoned him.

It is thanks to Penguin’s layered characterization that he remains a great villain despite having such a goofy plan – attempting to destroy Gotham with kamikaze penguins.