DC Is Bringing The Penguin To Its Cinematic Universe
One way or another, the Penguin is coming to the DCEU.
According to reliable Variety reporter Justin Kroll, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are seeking to put the Penguin into one of their superhero movies ASAP, with the character reportedly on deck to appear as the main villain in either The Batman or Birds of Prey.
Kroll prefaced his report by emphasizing that "things are constantly changing in the DCEU", meaning that none of the following news is set in stone, and all of it is subject to change. With that said, according to the reporter's info, it appears the studio is keen to make the Penguin a big bad in at least one of its in-development projects.
"I'm hearing the Penguin is possibly the choice to play the main villain in The Batman," Kroll wrote in a Twitter post, citing multiple sources. "Sources add even if Reeves decide[s] to go another route the studio could then make him the main villain in [Birds of Prey]."
The Batman, of course, is the ever-evolving Dark Knight solo project that was originally to be written by, directed by, and star Ben Affleck.
Now, of course, we know that two out of three of those things ain't happening, with Affleck's involvement in the lead role remaining up in the air. The uncertainty makes The Batman project just one example of the constant state of flux that the DCEU operates in. (See also: The Flash/Flashpoint, the probably-never-happening Cyborg movie, or literally anything involving Jared Leto's attempt to play the Joker.)
The Batman is being written and directed by Cloverfield and War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves — and apparently, for now at least, the Penguin is the villain in that feature.
"Reeves is still working on the script, so that could always change but of the multiple Birds of Prey scripts submitted, one does have the Penguin as the main heavy," Kroll said. "Either way, it seems WB wants this character cast in the universe sooner rather then later."
Birds of Prey, directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, is one of the many Harley Quinn-related movies in development from the studio.
Though firm details on the movie have remained scarce, it is supposedly an R-rated female-focused squad jaunt centering on Quinn as she teams up with costumed crime fighters from the DC gallery like Black Canary, Batgirl, and Huntress.
According to Kroll, that film could end up playing host to the Penguin if The Batman spot doesn't shake out. But considering Birds of Prey apparently has multiple scripts under consideration, there's no way of knowing now if that arrangement will hold up either.
Overall, the news is par for the course for DC's comic book movie slate, where seemingly nothing is planned out and everything is subject to change.
Who the heck knows — for all we know, tomorrow could bring news of an R-rated, gritty Penguin solo movie, focusing on Oswald Cobblepot's previously-unknown life as a stand-up comedian who came up bullied on the streets of Brooklyn. With Zack Snyder out of the picture and chasing his Ayn Rand passion project, anything is possible.
The Batman and Birds of Prey will be in theaters, eventually, maybe. You can also see the Penguin on-screen now in Gotham, which was recently renewed for a fifth and final season on Fox.