Batman has been depicted several times in live-action, as have most of his iconic super-villains, including Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, and the portrayals greatly differ. While many of DC Comics’ most beloved superheroes have come to life from page to screen, Batman may be the one to have most live-action adaptations throughout the decades. Whether it is on television or in theaters, multiple Batman franchises have added to the character’s media legacy. But one of the best things about the Dark Knight’s mythology is the varied rogue’s gallery he has to deal with as Gotham City’s protector.
As Batman’s existence has gone on, his villains only get bigger, weirder, and darker. It has gotten to a point where Bruce Wayne’s most famous enemy, the Joker, has gotten his own film franchise, with Joaquin Phoenix in the leading role. But despite Joker’s size, he isn’t the only beloved super-villain Batman takes on regularly, whether in the comics or media. One of the Caped Crusader’s oldest enemies is The Penguin, a powerful mob boss in Gotham City.
While Oswald is mocked for his size and appearance, The Penguin is one of Batman’s most ruthless and dangerous antagonists with a lot of power in Gotham. Penguin has appeared in several prominent Batman live-action properties throughout the years, both cinematically and on television. Since Batman, as a character, has only gotten darker for each project, so has the depiction of Penguin, with several actors bringing him to life.
Burgess Meredith (Batman ’66 TV Series & Film)
Most modern Batman TV shows and movies are used to displaying the Dark Knight as one of DC’s darkest and most brooding superheroes of all time. But that wasn’t always the case, especially with the Batman ’66 series starring Adam West as the titular hero. The show didn’t shy away from using Batman’s iconic rogue’s gallery, with The Penguin being one of them. The late Burgess Meredith became the first actor ever to play Oswald in a live-action Batman project. Like every other character on Batman ’66, Meredith’s Penguin was naturally over-the-top, campy, and comedic since it was targetting a younger audience.
In all fairness, it made sense due to the fact the Batman ’66 show was produced during the ’60s. But it doesn’t take away its essential place in Batman’s media history; it was simply a product of its time. Nevertheless, Meredith’s Penguin was fun to watch, especially whenever he would team up with other Batman villains. However, Meredith’s light-hearted version would be the first and final time the villain was portrayed this way, as the later iterations became darker.
Danny DeVito (Batman Returns)
Whenever mainstream audience thinks of The Penguin, Danny DeVito’s portrayal in Batman Returns is who they think about most of the time. In 1992, Tim Burton’s Batman sequel became another huge addition to the Dark Knight’s media history, particularly for The Penguin. In this incarnation, DeVito’s Oswald Cobblepot came from an immensely tragic background, as he was born deformed, which made it almost impossible for his parents to love him. After Oswald got more monster-like as a baby, they eventually threw him into a sewer, no longer capable of raising their child. While Penguin is defined as a gentleman of crime in the comics, Burton dialed up the psychopathic angle for DeVito’s take on the character.
While Penguin is certainly one of the more intense foes from the ’90s Batman films, DeVito’s performance was what made him stand out. DeVito perfectly nailed the aggressive tone with Penguin, who was targeting Gotham City’s elite and wanting to murder every firstborn son. Even though Batman Returns was criticized for how much darker it was, compared to the first installment, DeVito’s contributions to The Penguin are still recognized to this day. Despite having a different foundation than the comics, many see DeVito’s Penguin as the definitive version of Oswald in live-action.
Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham)
While Meredith’s run in the 60s series became iconic and highly remembered, it would almost take 50 years until The Penguin was featured on television in live-action. In FOX’s Batman prequel drama, Gotham, Robin Lord Taylor was cast as the latest actor to bring Oswald to life. Like most Batman villains on the show, Taylor’s version of Penguin got his own origin story as Gotham followed his journey to become the iconic super-villain. One of the most prominent aspects of this Oswald was that, at one point, he tried to be good and leave his life of crime behind him, even though it was a result of having been exposed to Hugo Strange’s brutal treatment.
Despite Oswald’s evil deeds, Taylor’s characterization made this Penguin a lot more tragic and somewhat understandable, especially in the beginning. The Gotham writers definitely reinvented Oswald, which was one of the stronger moves of the entire series. While Taylor absolutely nailed the insanity, instability, and cruelty that comes with Oswald, there was a sympathetic side to him before he reached the point of no return. Because of the nature of the Gotham-focused television show, it allowed the writers to craft Oswald’s story for five years and add layers to him. From the stories they gave him to Taylor’s incredible performance, it makes sense why many critics and fans saw Penguin as Gotham’s breakout character.
Colin Farrell (The Batman)
In 2022, it will be exactly 30 years since DeVito played The Penguin in Batman Returns, which marks the perfect occasion for the next big cinematic take on him. As Matt Reeves’ The Batman, the latest reboot of the DC icon, is coming next year, Robert Pattinson will be the next actor to portray the Caped Crusader. But with a reimagination comes new takes on his famous villains, and The Penguin will be one of them. Colin Farrell will be The Penguin to Pattinson’s Batman, with his take on the villain being significantly different from DeVito’s character.
While Farrell’s Oswald still has a Penguin-ish look, he isn’t deformed the way DeVito’s Penguin was, as this will also be a younger incarnation of the character. Even though Bruce is in his second year as a vigilante, The Batman will follow Oswald’s rise to power before fully taking on The Penguin moniker. Because The Riddler is the primary antagonist of the story, The Batman will likely set up Farrell’s character to be a bigger threat in the future. Whether it will be in The Batman 2 or The Batman 3, only time will tell. But from what has been seen of Oswald in the trailer and photos, Farrell is completely unrecognizable.
Not only did Farrell gain weight for the role, but he is wearing a combination of prosthetics and makeup. It will be quite intriguing to see what Farrell will bring to this role and how he differentiates from previous iterations featured in Batman-centric projects. As The Penguin is on his way back to the big screen, it will be interesting to see where he shows up in live-action on television. Perhaps the Arrowverse may be The Penguin’s next destination, given that Batwoman has confirmed Cobblepot’s existence and activity.
Key Release Dates
The Batman
Release Date:2022-03-04
