The Penguin: The Character's Background & Previous On-Screen Appearances
This character is rightly considered one of the best villains in DC history.
HBO's The Penguin, a crime spin-off of The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, has launched. Colin Farrell returns as the villainous outcast Oswald Cobblepot, and Cristin Milioti joins him.
There's never been a better time to revisit the origins of the Penguin – his role in DC Comics, and his iconic appearance in Tim Burton's film and Gotham.
The Penguin in the Comics
Oswald Cobblepot, or Penguin, has been a regular character in DC Comics since his first appearance in 1941. He has appeared most often as an enemy of Batman, and less often as an ally. The character, an eccentric, hunched-over man with a bird-like profile, was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
Like all DC Comics villains, the Penguin is more than just a bitter outsider. The heir to a wealthy family, Cobblepot was cast out of high society because of his congenital deformity and decided to devote his life to crime. Over the years, Penguin distanced himself from the fringes of society and began to run an honest business – in later comics, Cobblepot is depicted as the owner of the Iceberg Lounge nightclub.
Even in his "respectable" form Penguin was never afraid of doing dirty deeds for money. On occasion, he has been able to provide his nemesis Batman with vital information if he was willing to fork over the cash.
The Penguin's On-Screen Debut
The Penguin made his big screen debut in 1966 in Leslie H. Martinson's Batman: The Movie. At the time, the Penguin was a popular character in comic books. Oswald Cobblepot was played by actor Burgess Meredith.
Meredith also played the Penguin in the Batman television series that aired in the same 60s. Unlike the show's other antagonists, who plotted deadly but terribly mundane schemes against Batman, the Penguin played intricate and complex mind games, gradually raising the stakes.
In essence, he did what Heath Ledger's character would later do in The Dark Knight. Unlike the Joker, however, the Penguin has always had his sights set on the big leagues – in later episodes of the series, Cobblepot becomes the new mayor of Gotham City, perhaps the most corrupt in the city's history.
The Penguin in Tim Burton's Batman Returns
In Tim Burton's cult film Batman Returns, the Penguin was played by Danny DeVito. In this version, Cobblepot became a victim of genetic mutation. Rich parents decided to get rid of him because of his ugliness and aggressive behavior – the baby carriage with Oswald was thrown into the sewer, where the child was saved and protected, yes, by penguins.
After 33 years, the mature man returns to the city to take power. The Penguin teams up with local businessman Max Shreck and prepares to become Gotham's new mayor. He also plans to kill three sons of powerful aristocratic families, including Bruce Wayne.
At the end of the movie, Oswald Cobblepot dies after a failed terrorist attack. In Batman Returns, the Penguin is seen in his darkest, most villainous incarnation, but one that fits perfectly with the fairytale atmosphere of Tim Burton's film.
The Penguin in the Gotham Series
The series Gotham debuted on Fox in 2014. The show has no direct connection to the original Batman comics and is a backstory for police sergeant James Gordon. The main arc of Gotham is James' fight against the Italian mobsters Carmine Falcone and Sal Moroni.
The series also features younger versions of popular comic book characters: the Joker, Batman and, of course, the Penguin, played by Robin Lord Taylor. Despite his limited screen time, the Penguin is one of Gotham's best villains.
The young version of Cobblepot is power-hungry and ambitious, but still has a lot of humanity in him. Taylor's Penguin is funny and socially awkward, smart and witty, devious but not scary. And he doesn't look like a creepy hunchback; the show's Oswald is an attractive young man with a certain charm and charisma.
The Penguin in Matt Reeves' The Batman
The Penguin's most recent and notable appearance was in Matt Reeves' The Batman, with Colin Farrell playing the villain. According to the plot, Cobblepot is not yet an authority figure, but already a notable player in Gotham's criminal underworld.
This Penguin is particularly notable for his plastic makeup, which made Farrell almost unrecognizable. In The Batman, the Penguin has what could be called a cameo – just ten minutes of screen time, during which he manages to take part in a car chase and become the new successor to Carmine Falcone.