In 2022, Matt Reeves surprised audiences with one of the best Batman adaptations to date. Then again, when you look at the pedigree of the filmmaker, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Reeves was a perfect candidate for the Dark Knight. Within The Batman was Colin’s Ferrell’s version of The Penguin, which was a stark contrast to the past incarnations of the live-action character. The latest portrayal of the DC villains was a wildly entertaining one that stole the show at certain points. However, there was some question on whether a spin-off solely focus on Penguin would work or not.
As of right now, that answer is still unclear, but the first teaser trailer was a very promising start. The series is supposed to pick about the events of The Batman, as Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) is looking to seize control of the crime world in Gotham. That nearly two minute teaser highlighted how perfect Collin Ferrell is as The Penguin and why the gangster version of the character works so well within the confines of Matt Reeves Batman saga.
The Smart Differences That Matt Reeves Made From The Comics
Within the comics, Penguin is showcased as a deformed crime lord who often resembled a penguin, which is where Oswald got his name. However, alot of the live-action incarnations have leaned too far into the deformed and penguin nature of the character. This isn’t to say that the past portrayals of the character have been bad; Danny DeVito was actually quite good because Penguin nicely resembled the comics and he genuinely a scary villain.
Fox’s Gotham version was more of quirky take of the character, but he was easily one of the best parts of the series. Taking away the Penguin aspect of the character allows for the series to shine away from the quirky aspects of the character that could be a distraction. Wisely, keeping his deformity allows for his motivation to remain intact from the comics. Collin’s version genuinely looks frighten, but in a realistic manner. While well-acted, the previous version felt cartoonish because they hammed up the comic book nature of the Penguin.
Given the grounded and realistic nature of Reeves’s version of Gotham City, that would’ve stuck out like a sore thumb and taken audiences out of the story. Taking the comic book aesthetic of the character and focusing on the rich lore that made Penguin such a popular name in the comics will only do wonders for the character.
The Dark and Gritty Nature Of The Series
Batman isn’t particularly a stranger to dark and gritty. Even before Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton played into the darker aspects of Gotham City. Batman is at his best under this tone. Batman’s tend to be murderous and crazed psychopaths, so the grim nature of Gotham is a valuable characteristic from the comics. There’s a Sopranos vibe to this trailer. It perfectly fits because Penguin is a smart crime lord. Oswald recalling his memory of Rex Calabrese means that the series would be tapping more into the DC lore.
What’s even better is that we only see Penguin in this teaser. That means that the series isn’t trying to lore audiences with cameos that turn out to be disappointing. Going back to Fox’s Gotham, that show was a beautiful mess. A big part of that mess was that they were so focused on easter eggs and cameos winking at future Batman villains that it became chaotic and overstuffed. It wouldn’t be surprising if The Penguin had some other notable names in the series, but the key takeaway from the trailer is that this is Penguin’s show first and foremost.
A Fully Developed Study On The Penguin
Oswald Cobblepot has always been a fascinating character. It wasn’t just the fact that he was a crime lord, but his original motivations for going into such a corrupt world. Mocked and tormented over his physical appearance, that sympathetic element brings out the full dimension of an otherwise tragic villain. Going deeper into the roots of Penguin should allow the creator to explore more than his criminal dealings within Gotham City.
It’s necessary that audiences understand the psyche of the character. Thankfully, the trailer seems to indicate that we will spend some time with the DC villain before he came such a murderous crime lord. The Penguin shouldn’t just be another generic gangster story. There’s too much rich material from the comics that can separate him from other shows just like it. All signs point to a series that can be truly special if done correctly.
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