‘The Penguin’ is the latest character study of the charming, rage-filled Batman villain

One of the few scenes involving the Penguin in Matt Reeves’ 2022 superhero crime thriller “The Batman” ended up on the cutting-room floor. Comic book writer Tom King, who is also working on HBO’s DC comics-based “Lanterns” series, describes the Penguin as “iconic.” “The Penguin is one of those characters — and they are few and far between — that lives in the subconsciousness of not only America but the world,” says King, whose bibliography includes more than 100 issues of “Batman” as well as a 12-issue “Penguin” series. Danny DeVito as Penguin in “Batman Returns.” Farrell says Meredith’s portrayal in the 1960s “Batman” series, which he grew up watching, was his introduction to the character. What success looks like for somebody in Gotham would come from a void at their center.” “We’re custodians and guardians of the IP,” says Dylan Clark, Reeves’ producing partner and an executive producer on “The Penguin.” “We’re interested in the contemporary parts of the characters … but there are aspects of the history of the Penguin in the comic book canon that I think fans will see and like.” Matt Reeves on the Penguin: “I wanted to do something where he was someone who had been underestimated … somebody who was made fun of and overlooked.” Seeing this more grounded mobster version of Oz created by Reeves and Farrell helped LeFranc feel that this “was an opportunity to do something different.” “Every previous depiction that I was familiar with felt less grounded and was fantastical and interesting and fun and amazing in its own way,” LeFranc says. But unlike the HBO series, which is about the Penguin’s rise to power, the latest “Penguin” comic book story starts with a version of the character who is trying to retire from the criminal lifestyle.