It seems DC’s really keen on putting classic Batman villain the Penguin back up in the big leagues of the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery.
Earlier today, we reported that Matt Reeves’ The Batman might feature Oswald Cobblepot as the central antagonist. But even if that doesn’t happen, it’s possible that the Penguin will still make his way onto to the silver screen in a major role, as he could appear as the main villain in Birds of Prey instead.
Variety’s Justin Kroll broke the news on Twitter of Penguin’s potential involvement in The Batman, and at the same time reported that he also features prominently in one of multiples scripts written for the touted Birds of Prey movie, to be directed by Cathy Yan and penned by Christina Hodson. As Kroll points out, it seems the studio has big plans for the supervillain, no matter where he ultimately ends up.
The Penguin has appeared in numerous Batman adaptations over the years, of course, from Burgess Meredith in the campy 1960s series to Robin Lord Taylor’s interpretation on the contemporary Gotham. However, he hasn’t appeared in a movie since 1992’s Batman Returns, where the character was played by Danny DeVito. Perhaps the reason why is because the Penguin doesn’t represent the major threat against the Caped Crusader that other, more physically or mentally adept, villains do. Still, that’s apparently not the thinking behind the scenes at Warner Bros.
No doubt Josh Gad is getting very excited right about now, too, as he’s been pretty open on social media about how much he’d love to play Cobblepot on the big screen. Depending on what WB want to do with the character, he could be a pretty good choice for the part as well.
If it were up to me, I’d say the villain would be a better fit for Birds of Prey, as there are other lesser known antagonists that deserve a shot in The Batman. But what do you think? Have your say in the comments section down below.