DC Comics acknowledged Penguin Awareness Day with the perfect screenshot from Batman Returns. As it sounds, the idea behind the annual date is to bring awareness and attention to the aquatic birds. While penguins are certainly wonderful creatures adored by all animal lovers, perhaps nobody appreciates them more than Oswald Cobblepot – one of Batman’s worst enemies known better by his “Penguin” moniker. With this in mind, DC posted a photo of Danny DeVito’s take on Cobblepot from Batman Returns with a caption acknowledging the special day.
My dear penguins, we stand on a great threshold! For today is #PenguinAwarenessDay. pic.twitter.com/ILVUOeMNqI
— DC (@DCComics) January 20, 2020
Danny DeVito is one of many actors to submit a unique and memorable performance of the Penguin character. Going back to the start, longtime DC fans will remember his legendary portrayal by Burgess Meredith in the original Batman television series. Tim Burton went a bit darker with his depiction of Penguin with DeVito in the role, which imagined him as a deformed man raised by penguins at an abandoned zoo. Robin Lord Taylor more recently played a younger version of the supervillain in the prequel series Gotham, which was one of the standout performances of the show.
Next year, Oswald Cobblepot will finally make his way back to the big screen, as Colin Farrell will next play the part in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Also playing notable Batman villains in the movie are Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, with Robert Pattinson in the lead role as Bruce Wayne. For his part, DeVito has given his seal of approval for Farrell as the new Oswald Cobblepot. “I’ve known him for many years and I think he’s going to do a great job as the Penguin,” DeVito said of the casting in November. He added: “It’s going to be really interesting to see his take on it.”
Penguin has been fighting Batman in DC Comics dating all the way back to the early ’40s. A Gotham City mobster, the character is most often depicted as wearing a monocle and a top hat with a tuxedo. He is also known for carrying his trademark umbrella, which is sometimes modified into some kind of weapon to help him carry out his crimes. As for why he goes by “Penguin,” the nickname typically comes from the supervillain’s physical resemblance to the animal, as he’s typically drawn as short and obsese with a long, pointy nose. Other versions acquire the nickname not by the way he looks, but by how he walks, which is reminiscent of a penguin’s waddle.
The Batman will premiere in theaters on June 25, 2021, giving us our next big screen version of the Penguin. In the meantime, we can always go revisit the classic take on the character from DeVito by going back and watching Batman Returns, which still holds up as a quality sequel all these years later. Best of luck to Farrell, but for many Batman fans, nobody will ever top DeVito’s iconic Penguin portrayal. This news comes to us from DC Comics on Twitter.
