The Penguin Could Be On His Way Into The DCU

It looks like exploding, wind-up penguins are coming into the DCU as a new rumour suggests a major Batman villain is coming back to the big screen.

Variety’s Justin Kroll tweeted yesterday that Warner Bros and DC are looking at bringing in The Penguin aka Oswald Cobblepot as the main villain into either Matt Reeves’ The Batman or Birds of Prey.

Take this with a grain of salt as things are constantly changing in the DCEU but I'm hearing the Penguin is possibly the choice to play the main villain in THE BATMAN. Sources add even if Reeves decide to go another route the studio could then make him the main villain in BOP

— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) 30 May 2018

Reeves is still working on the script, so that could always change but of the multiple BIRDS OF PREY scripts submitted, one does have the Penguin as the main heavy. Either way, it seems WB wants this character cast in the universe sooner rather then later.

— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) 30 May 2018

If it is true and we should take that as a massive if at the moment as Kroll pointed out Reeves is still writing his Batman script and WB can change attack whenever they like, but the idea of bringing him in the DCU is exciting.

I know fans will want to see someone new like Deathstroke, Black Mask, Clayface, Court of Owls and plenty more. However, if the other rumours are true and 2020 is the release date for The Batman that would mean Penguin hasn’t been showcased in a feature film since Tim Burton’s Batman Returns in 1992! 28 years ago!

IMAGE VIA WARNER BROS

The only thing that seems odd is the Apes director has previously talked about how he’s inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and to have an emotional Dark Knight and it’ll be interesting to see how adding Cobblepot as the main villain would fit in his Batman film.

Then again, if he does then it’ll be pointing towards Penguin being the main antagonist in Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn/Birds of Prey film instead.

As for casting after the different tweets and the fact he’s met with former DC Films Chiefs Geoff Johns and Jon Berg, Josh Gad is likely the frontrunner. Additionally, since it’s a Reeves movie and Andy Serkis recently came out and stated he’d want to work with his Apes helmer on anything, fans have also got behind him.

pic.twitter.com/36NBBdA3g6

— Josh Gad (@joshgad) 2 May 2017

Nothing to see here... pic.twitter.com/3wIc1Fj4Wr

— Josh Gad (@joshgad) 2 June 2017

On the other hand, each live-action Penguin has been different from Danny Devito in Batman Returns to Gotham’s Robin Lord Taylor. While I’m sure Gad would do a decent comic accurate take, I’d love to see something different and a bit new.

Which is why Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry is my guy. I think since Cobblepot describes himself as the “gentleman of crime” Henry could be apart of Gotham’s socialite and celebrate scene as they all go to the hottest nightclub in the city, the Iceberg Lounge.

He could also control the underworld as the Lounge is used as source and cover for his crimes like illegal drugs and since Penguin is a villain that knows what he’s doing. Henry could really bring the level headiness and confidence which would make him so dangerous.

He could see him rocking the top hat, monocle and tux meeting the Mayor of Gotham in one scene, then killing someone in another and fighting Batman/BOP in the next frame.

IMAGE VIA DC COMICS