Caped Crusader’s Penguin Shows the Value in Deviating From Canon

Making his first appearance in 1941, Penguin has endured many decades on page and screen, earning the title of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies. The Penguin has an iconic legacy as a mobster with a degree of class, providing them with access to some of the more influential voices in Gotham City. This legacy has expanded with the release of Batman: Caped Crusader.

The Penguin has established quite a polished image of this gentlemanly figure in the criminal world. Penguin tends to stick to a typical suit, with a monocle and top hat, with any major changes to their outward appearance dependent on the tone and style of the medium. Some comics, which include Penguin, for example, can project a more camp image, whilst Danny DeVito’s movie portrayal in 1992 was a lot grittier.

Released at the start of August on Amazon Prime, Batman: Caped Crusader makes one key difference to Penguin’s character. Although since his conception, Penguin has always been a male character, this animated series simply changed Oswald Cobblepot into Oswalda. Aside from her gender, the character is pretty loyal to their source material. However, the change does signify that there is great value in deviating from canon material as the character is given a completely new depth with such a simple change.

How Has Penguin Changed?

Yes, the main change is a simple gender swap for the character, and it is very fitting. Moreover, it has been quite successful, with the new characterization receiving great reviews, and helping to give the show a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Voiced by Minnie Driver, the show’s writers skillfully made use of Oswalda’s gender to play on audience fears. Making Penguin a mother, and having her children play a role in her mobster activities adds a deeper level of shock to her eventual violent actions toward them. In the show’s first episode, when Penguin makes her appearance, it turns out that one of her sons, Aaron, tipped off a potential victim to Penguin’s explosion attacks. In retaliation, she manipulates her maternal aura to lure him into a false sense of security, before locking him in a box and pushing him to the bottom of the ocean.

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The show does not focus too heavily on the gendered side of Penguin, which is a good thing. There isn’t a sense that it is being relied upon to solely differentiate this new Penguin, helping to produce a solid characterization. There was little deviation from the source material, as Oswalda both looked and acted the part. And, of course, she still had her umbrella, which ultimately got one over on Bruce in their final showdown.

What Does This Change Mean for the Canon?

The short answer is, not by much. The actual character of Penguin has not changed any more than other simple changes made in other Batman stories. Penguin is one of the few enemies of Batman who can keep a handle on their sanity, which creates a very different power balance between the two. With this in mind, Penguin’s acts of evil tend to be just that, evil. So, when Oswalda murders her son with ease for simply warning someone of an attack, audiences can appreciate that that decision was made 100% by her.

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Driver, who voiced Penguin in Batman: Caped Crusader, provides insight into this change. In an interview with GamesRadar+, she discussed her experience with the character as more “genderless.” Seeing Penguin more as a creature, reflecting more animalistic tropes than human, humans that the decision to make Penguin female was more stylistic, if anything.

This does raise an interesting question. Why do it all? One potential issue with having a character that has been making consistent appearances for over 80 years is running out of ways to make them interesting. Famously, Danny DeVito’s 1992 portrayal was a lot darker, leaning into the animal side of Penguin’s character. But in Batman: Caped Crusaders, the team was able to take this long-standing character and inject new life into them in a simple way. This new variation opens up many doors for future iterations of Penguin, hopefully encouraging a new way of interacting with Batman villains. The initial success of the show, and Penguin’s portrayal, bodes well for the future.

Therefore, it feels more appropriate to ask, why has it taken so long to reinvent the Penguins’ character in this way?

Iconic Penguin Portrayals in the Batman Universe

Penguin has been a fan favorite since his initial debut and has had some incredible appearances since then. Many fans tend to think back to the on-screen appearances of the 1960s, and particularly that of Burgess Meredith. From his purple hat, hook nose, and camp smoking pipe, his image inspired many generations of Penguins to come.

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Robin Lord Taylor’s portrayal in the 2014 television series, Gotham, is a more modern example of great depictions. Taking inspiration from both Meredith and DeVito’s characterizations, here fans are offered a more in-depth exploration, as they can watch him develop from a lower criminal with cunning ambition into a ruthless mobster. Moreover, the complicated nature of Cobblepot’s sexual identity is given room to develop in this series, which is greatly appreciated among many fans of the character, making this portrayal that bit more iconic.

Danny DeVito’s Penguin has already received mention, for good reason, but these two versions of the character offer great contrasts to DeVito’s. Firstly, the version from DC Animated Universe is interesting, as he often appears discourteous, but an emotional depth is offered when his love is betrayed, creating a rare, sympathetic Penguin. Released the same year as Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, the contrasts are glaring. Colin Farrell’s 2022 depiction almost seems the opposite to DeVito’s, opting to be more hands-on, instead of resorting to hiding in sewers and being more psychotic in his tactics.

Minnie Driver’s portrayal in Batman: Caped Crusaders is set to join these Penguins in being rightly iconic. Her life as a cabaret singer and mobster, working from a yacht with a massive top hat and an umbrella on the roof, is just brilliant. Audiences can only hope she makes more appearances in the second season. Stream on Prime Video.