“Insolent cretins! Feed him to the fish, or I’ll feed you to the fish!” — Penguin
It has been a few weeks since the last fan-cast, and I felt we were due to look at another member of Batman’s rogues gallery. Namely, the businessman/gangster known as the Penguin. Shall we…?
(The) Penguin
Penguin, by Carlos Amaral
Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot came from a well-to-do Gotham family, but he was bullied as a child for his physical peculiarities. His overprotective mother insisted he carry an umbrella wherever he went, and it became part of his trademark style as an adult. (He has been known to employ “trick umbrellas” with a variety of capabilities — e.g., sword, gun, gas emission, propelled flight.) He also took the derogative “penguin” nickname (because of the waddle in his gait) and made the bird- and/or artic-theme a regular motif in both his criminal activities and legit business (e.g., the Iceberg Lounge).
Penguin is an entrepreneur who rules the roost in his endeavors, but he does occasionally team up with other criminals (e.g., Two-Face, Kadaver, Suicide Squad). On the other hand, he is often a target of other criminals and gangs, either because he is a competitor, or because he has information they want. His crimes have ranged from bank heists to extortion, and from arms-dealing to kidnapping pregnant girls and selling their newborn children for adoption. Since most of his activities are Gotham-centric, Batman and associates have been a major collective thorn in Penguin’s side. In later years, he went legit and served as a sort of information broker. Heroes like Robin, Batgirl, and Slam Bradley were among his clients.
Penguin is not insane like many other Gotham villains. He even tries to maintain a certain class and gentlemanly manner when doing business, in keeping with his high-society upbringing. But, he can also be quite ruthless and violent when it comes to his “empire”. Not surprisingly, he is a criminal genius with impressive leadership skills. To compensate for his physique, he developed a mastery of both boxing and judo. He has an impressive knowledge of and kinship with birds, as reflected in the aforementioned recurring bird motifs. To his benefit, he also has an unusual (though not superhuman) tolerance for sub-freezing temperatures.
Cobblepot is listed by DC Comics as 5’2″, 175 lbs, so… rather short and rotund. Not easy to find. I’d prefer to find an actor who is a bit on the tubby side (or can safely put on a few pounds for the role), but using a fat-suit is a valid alternative. (Not like the puffy thing Danny Devito wore, though.) As for height, I think a maximum of 5’6″ would work. Age-wise, I always thought of Penguin being 10-20 years older than Batman, but even a 30-year difference might be acceptable.
A distinguishing feature that the character must have is a beak-like nose. Some artists have made it huge, but I think something more within human parameters (though still unusual) is fine. Also, some interpretations of the character (for example for Batman Returns) have Penguin with flipper-like hands rather than digits. I could go either way on this, depending on how much they want to emphasize his freakishness. I’d also like to see the usual fancy suits/tuxedos, cigarette holder, monacle, tophat, and, of course, a waddling walk. (Burgess Meredith was the master.)
Who did I consider for the role but ultimately reject? Believe it or not, I considered Daniel Radcliffe (5’5″,b.1989), but he’s too young and not quite right for the part. The late Bob Hoskins (5’6″,b.1942) would have been great for it, say, back around 2000 or so. But, even if he hadn’t passed away in 2014, he’d be too old now. Andy Linden (5’4.25″,b.1953?), who you may remember as ‘Mundungus Fletcher’ in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, might be a decent fit if he wasn’t already in his mid-60s. Another Harry Potter alum, Timothy Spall (5’8″,b.1957) is, I decided, just a little too old and a little too tall. (Sorry, dude.) Jonny Coyne (5’7″,b.????) would be great but is also a little too tall and probably a tad too old (though I couldn’t find a source with his birthdate).
This leaves us with our three candidates:
Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock
The incredibly talented stage-and-screen actor Toby Jones (5’5″,b.1966) seems to be a natural choice for the role of the Penguin. In fact, as I was putting this together, I read that he is indeed being considered for the role in The Batman. For a brief selection of his genre work, consider Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Atomic Blonde, “Wayward Pines”, The Hunger Games, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a couple Captain America films, “Doctor Who”, et al. And, of course, his voice work includes ‘Dobby’ from the Harry Potter movies and the ‘Librarian’ in “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance”. Put him in a fat-suit and some prosthetics and he’d make a top-notch Oswald Cobblepot!
Patton Oswalt
Comedian/actor Patton Oswalt (5’3.5″,b.1969) is another possibility. He has had roles in Blade: Trinity, Ratatouille, “Dollhouse”, “Caprica”, Odd Thomas, “Justified”, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, et al. He has also done a lot of voice work, including for “Static Shock”, “Grand Theft Auto” videogames, “Kim Possible”, “Robotomy”, “Axe Cop”, “Archer”, and many more. Though his live-action roles are usually more comedic, he definitely has a dark, angry side. I think he might surprise people if given a chance to inhabit a brutal freak like the Penguin. (Plus, there’s the Oswalt/Oswald thing.) Oh, yeah! Oswalt also played Penguin in a video short by College Humor. So there!
Clark Middleton
Clark Middleton (5’3.5″,b.1960s?) is not a name that’s all that familiar, but you’ve probably seen him in various things. Most recently, he has had a recurring role on “The Blacklist”. He has also appeared in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Sin City, “CSI”, “Fringe”, Aftermath, Snowpiercer, “Gotham”, “Twin Peaks: The Return”, “American Gods”, et al. He is slightly deformed and moves rather stiffly, all (along with his shortened stature) due to having suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since childhood. I think his ailment would in fact be a plus when performing as Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin. Wearing a fat-suit and maybe other prosthetics would contribute too, of course.
I think these three are pretty solid candidates. Do you have someone else in mind who might fit the bill? Let us know below…
* All ideas copyright Christopher Harris, 2013-2019.
Heroes and Aliens 