Penguin the (Rumored) Villain of The Batman Movie?

[Spencermalley935]

Hugo is main villain material, sorry but Penguin isn't. He's the resident jobber. He's iconic for appearing in the 60's show but thats all that he is. Please tell me of a major Penguin story by a major Batman writer in the last...well 40 years.

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice comes to mind and even disregarding that, Penguin has been a part of Batman's mythos for well over 70 years to the point where it's almost impossible to imagine Batman without him. He's just as much main villain material as Hugo Strange if not more so

[Aahz]

I think the Problem with both Strange and Penguin as villains in a big Blockbuster Movie is that they can't really go up in physical Fight against Batman.

[tbgo]

The Penguin absolutely is main villain material and he didn't need that awful characterization from Batman Returns to make him as such. He's one of the Batman's intelligent enemies (Batman's even admitted that he considers Penguin smarter than him) and one of the most influential crime lords in Gotham City.

Turining him into a goo-spitting, child-murdering, perverted sewer mutant was a slap in the face to who the Penguin is supposed to be.

Penguin had no backstory. BR was brilliant.

[Confuzzled]

The Penguin is the perfect villain during this Trump tenure. A highly corrupt businessman belonging to the 1%, underestimated and ridiculed for his looks/gaudy extravagance, and yet incredibly cunning and effective at gaining power and placing himself at the top of the rung.

I think the Problem with both Strange and Penguin as villains in a big Blockbuster Movie is that they can't really go up in physical Fight against Batman.

And Joker, Riddler and Two-Face realistically can? I'm sure there will be a muscle subordinate baddie in the film if people are worried about fight scenes.

[Vakanai]

I think the Problem with both Strange and Penguin as villains in a big Blockbuster Movie is that they can't really go up in physical Fight against Batman.

Neither is Joker, Riddler, Two-Face, or many of his foes, so...Bane?

[Vakanai]

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice comes to mind

*looks it up on Amazon*

Why are physical copies so much? Is it printed on gold leaf?
Guess I will cross my fingers for a reprinting.

[Naked Bat]

pain and préjudices is a great story. You should definitely read it. Penguin is totally worthy as the main foe in a movie. I loved Burton's take, but I would gladly take a more traditional one in the next movie.

[RedQueen]

I'd love to see Penguin. Really hope they just absolutely go for it with him. I'm not really fussed if it's for Batman or BoP. Leto's Joker should be the villain in BoP so Barbara and Harley can team up to basically pound on the twerp.

What about Cameron Monaghan? Would make an excellent live-action (real) Joker. Already about did so as Jerome Valeska on Gotham.

Jerome is pretty much my ideal Joker. He's got the right amount of campy Joker and Heath Ledger's Joker. It's a shame he's stuck in the Gotham verse because he's absolutely stellar. Leto's Joker doesn't even hold up to Monaghan great performance, who I can actually see being an arch enemy for Batman.

[Raijin]

Riddler, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Hush, etc. Out of all the villains to use, they pick the lamest one. Might as well put Kite Man, Condiment King and Calendar Man in it as well. Seriously i don't see how Penguin is suppose to be formidable. Penguin?

[Armor of God]

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice comes to mind and even disregarding that, Penguin has been a part of Batman's mythos for well over 70 years to the point where it's almost impossible to imagine Batman without him. He's just as much main villain material as Hugo Strange if not more so

Thats not a Batman story, they're not making a solo Penguin film. Hugo Strange has believable stories as the big bad like Monster Men, Prey and Batman Annual 10. Penguin just doesn't have anything going for him beyond the Trump comparisons. He's not the most dangerous,not the most interesting, not the smartest, not powerful and frankly not even Gotham's top crime lord. He's just someone DC keeps around because he's iconic. He doesn't have any interesting dynamic with Batman either.

[Armor of God]

Again, to the non-comic reader, what makes Hugo main villain material? Whether Penguin has had a good comic story or not is irrelevant to film, they make up their own stories. All that matters is the audience know who Penguin is. Besides, the best Hugo stories for me is Prey and Monster Men, and this film won't be adapting those stories.

First and foremost you can actually recommend stories to over the years to the non comic reader. Penguin has one good story that came out all the way back in 2012 in a 70 year history. I cant even remember any Batman writer treating him as a big bad.

Secondly Hugo is unique, we've seen Penguin before, we've seen crime lords. We've yet to see Batman go up against an enemy like Hugo. The originality factor is the biggest.
Prey is easily workable as a basic pitch for a film and Monster Men can certainly open new fronts for the Batman franchise. I honestly hope he ends up in BOP, Hugo, Deathstroke, Ivy, Riddler anyone would be preferable over the Penguin imo.
Batman villains have been a draw for a while now. A character like Penguin can never be a draw, he doesn't have a cool factor or an intimidating factor. Deathstroke atleast had that going for him. Even if the movie does well I dont see Penguin being talked about much.

[Confuzzled]

Riddler, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Hush, etc. Out of all the villains to use, they pick the lamest one. Might as well put Kite Man, Condiment King and Calendar Man in it as well. Seriously i don't see how Penguin is suppose to be formidable. Penguin?

Formidable in his manipulations. Most Bat-Villains aren't brute strength powerhouses anyhow.

First and foremost you can actually recommend stories to over the years to the non comic reader. Penguin has one good story that came out all the way back in 2012 in a 70 year history. I cant even remember any Batman writer treating him as a big bad.

And Guardians of the Galaxy didn't have one memorable story until their movie came out. Your point?

Batman villains have been a draw for a while now. A character like Penguin can never be a draw, he doesn't have a cool factor or an intimidating factor.

Batman Returns actually out opened the original Batman '89 film at the box office, being a record setter at the time. So was that all thanks to just Catwoman?

For all we know though, Catwoman may be in this movie too.

[Armor of God]

Formidable in his manipulations. Most Bat-Villains aren't brute strength powerhouses anyhow.



And Guardians of the Galaxy didn't have one memorable story until their movie came out. Your point?



Batman Returns actually out opened the original Batman '89 film at the box office, being a record setter at the time. So was that all thanks to just Catwoman?

For all we know though, Catwoman may be in this movie too.

This isn't Guardians of the Galaxy. This is Batman, villains are a major selling point.

For all we know the world ends next month. I'm responding to this development as I see fit based on the news I've been given. Why should I speculate about Catwoman or anyone else?

Also selective memory much? Batman Returns made considerably less than Batman anyway. If it did have stronger initial numbers(undoubtedly due to the bump from being a sequel to a successful film) then those mean jacksquat overall.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

I'm gonna say something controversial here, but bare wih me here - the audience, the film makers, and the Hollywood executives don't care. As long as he makes an interesting villain for Batman and makes money, that is all that matters.

Well, I'm not arguing what executives will do. I'm expressing my opinion as a fan.

Besides, Kingpin originated as a Spider-Man villain, and now he is Daredevil's main foe. Who can say that a hundred years from now Joker might be better known as a Superman villain, and Lex Luthor the arch foe of Wonder Woman. As long as the stories and characters are good it will be fine.

Kingpin has several decades of fighting Matt Murdock in the comics making him a Daredevil villain. The same can't be said for Deathstroke and Batman.

And until I see plans for a Teen Titans movie outside the Go! variety, why keep their villains in reserve? Heck, Deathstroke in Batman might do the impossible, greenlight a TT live action film.

Again, because Batman already has a great reserve of villains, many of whom have never even been used in a film, and on top of that, taking every cool villain you have in your universe and corralling them all into ONE franchise makes it seem like all you have going for you IS that one franchise. DC already has an image problem with the general public that they're the company that has only Batman and the rest of their universe is mediocre/uninteresting. They don't need to be exacerbating that by corralling all of their cooler characters into the Batman franchise.

And finally, Deathstroke has a long history with Robin/Nightwing, and he will more likely appear on a Batman movie long before Titans.

Yeah, Nightwing....when he was leading the Titans. He's fought him after that, but again, his ire is focused entirely on Dick traditionally. He has no beef with Bruce. If this were a Nightwing movie, I wouldn't bat an eye, but its not. He'd be more at home appearing in the live-action Titans series before the Batman movie (and he actually might).

One appearance won't make him a permanent Bat rogue, or keep him out of the Titans franchise.

Its not just this ONE appearance. They've been trying to make him a Bat rogue for a little while now.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

Riddler, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Hush, etc. Out of all the villains to use, they pick the lamest one. Might as well put Kite Man, Condiment King and Calendar Man in it as well. Seriously i don't see how Penguin is suppose to be formidable. Penguin?

Penguin's actually been portrayed as a very formidable mob boss...