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Penguin in other media

Appearances of the DC villain outside comics From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Penguin in other media

The supervillain Penguin, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger,[1] made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941). Since then, he has been adapted into other forms of media, including feature films, television series, and video games.

Quick Facts Adaptations of Penguin in other media, Created by ...
Adaptations of Penguin in other media
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A cosplayer dressed as Danny DeVito's depiction of the Penguin.
Created byBill Finger
Bob Kane
Original sourceComics published by DC Comics
First appearanceDetective Comics #58 (December 1941)
Films and television
Film(s)See below
Television
show(s)		See below
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Television

Live-action

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Burgess Meredith as the Penguin in Batman.
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Robin Lord Taylor, who portrays a young Oswald Cobblepot in Gotham.

Animation

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Penguin, as he appears in Batman: The Animated Series (left) and The New Batman Adventures (right).

Film

Live-action

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Danny DeVito as the Penguin in Batman Returns (1992).
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Colin Farrell as the Penguin, as depicted in The Batman (2022).
  • The Batman (1966) incarnation of the Penguin appears in the series' film adaptation, portrayed again by Burgess Meredith.
  • Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin appears in Batman Returns, portrayed by Danny DeVito. As an infant, this version was left for dead by his family due to birth defects before he is found by penguins from a condemned Gotham City zoo. As a child, he joined the Red Triangle Circus Gang as part of their freak show before eventually taking over. DeVito's portrayal as the Penguin was largely praised, though some considered him inferior to Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman (1989). Additionally, DeVito was suggested for the role by his friend Nicholson following Batman (1989)'s success.[12] According to DeVito, "It was four-and-a-half hours of makeup and getting into the costume. We got it down to three hours by the end of the shoot".[13] Uncredited script doctor, Wesley Strick, recalled, "When I was hired to write [Batman Returns], the big problem of the script was the Penguin's lack of a 'master plan'."[14] He took inspiration from a Moses parallel that had the Penguin killing the firstborn sons of Gotham. A similar notion was used when the Penguin's parents threw him into a river as a baby.[14] While this Penguin retained many trademarks, such as his top hat, a variety of trick umbrellas and the use of a monocle, he was given a dramatic visual makeover. Where the comic version varies between having a balding head of short cropped hair and varying degrees of thinning, this Penguin is still bald at the top but with his remaining length of hair long and stringy. His hands are flippers with a thumb and index finger, and the remaining three fingers fused together. An unidentified thick, dark green bile-like liquid sometimes trickles from his nose and mouth. Instead of a tuxedo, he wears a more gothic, Victorian-style outfit with a jabot as opposed to a bow tie. In certain scenes, he also wears black boots, a dickey, and a union suit. He also has a penguin-like appetite, as shown in a scene where he devours a raw fish, and uses a vehicle shaped like a giant rubber duck to move around the sewers and the city. Janet Maslin in The New York Times described DeVito as "conveying verve".[15] Peter Travers in Rolling Stone wrote that "DeVito's mutant Penguin — a balloon-bellied Richard III with a kingdom of sewer freaks — is as hilariously warped as Jack Nicholson's Joker and even quicker with the quips."[16] Desson Howe in The Washington Post wrote that the Penguin holds court in a penguin-crowded, Phantom of the Opera-like sewer home. He also described DeVito as "exquisite".[17] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times compared the Penguin negatively with the Joker of the first film, writing that "the Penguin is a curiously meager and depressing creature; I pitied him, but did not fear him or find him funny. The genius of Danny DeVito is all but swallowed up in the paraphernalia of the role."[18] Jonathan Rosenbaum called DeVito "a pale substitute for Jack Nicholson from the first film" and felt that "there's no suspense in Batman Returns whatsoever".[19]
  • Oswald "Oz" Cobb / The Penguin appears in The Batman (2022),[7] portrayed by Colin Farrell, who received DeVito's blessing for the role.[20] This version is the right-hand man of crime lord Carmine Falcone who resents the "Penguin" nickname.[21][22]

Animation

Video games

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Perspective

Lego Batman

Main article: Lego Batman

Batman: Arkham

Main article: Batman: Arkham

Penguin appears in the Batman: Arkham franchise, voiced primarily by Nolan North and by Ian Redford in Batman: Arkham VR.[33][34][9] This version's monocle is part of a broken glass bottle that was shoved into his face and became lodged too deeply to safely remove. He also speaks with an East London dialect, which is heavily implied to be an attempt at making himself more intimidating to his followers.

Merchandise

  • The Penguin received an 8" figure from the Mego Corporation via their "World's Greatest Super-Heroes" line in 1974.
  • The Penguin received a ⁠3+3/4⁠" figure from the Mego Corporation via their Comic Action Heroes line in the 1970s.
  • The Penguin received a minifigure in the Lego Batman set The Batcave: The Penguin and Mr. Freeze's Invasion.
  • The Penguin received a figure in the Super Powers Collection toy line in the 1980s.
  • The Batman Returns incarnation of the Penguin received a figure in the film's tie-in toy line.
  • The DCAU incarnation of the Penguin, based on his Batman: The Animated Series design, received a figure in the series' tie-in toy line.
  • The Batman (2004) incarnation of the Penguin received a figure in the series' tie-in toy line.
  • Several incarnations of the Penguin received several plush dolls and vinyl figures from Funko.
  • The Batman Returns incarnation of the Penguin served as inspiration for Madame Alexander's DC Fashion Squad line.
  • The Batman Returns incarnation of the Penguin received a 6-inch action figure as part of Mattel's DC Multiverse Signature Collection.

References

External links

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