MOVIE NEWS – Tim Burton wanted the original Godfather for the Penguin in Batman Returns…
Thanks to Colin Farrell’s powerful performances in Batman and, most recently, The Penguin, DC fans are now having a serious debate about who is the best live-action Oswald Cobblepot (or Cobb). Like Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Farrell put a lot of effort into making his character as perfect as possible. But in a world where some fans still feel Jack Nicholson was the best Joker, some say Danny DeVito’s performance in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns will never be surpassed. But is it so? This topic deserves hours of discussion.
In 1992, Danny DeVito wowed audiences with his gruesome version of the Gotham criminal. His Penguin wasn’t a scheming Cosa Nostra looking to cause institutional cracks in the city’s biggest crime family. After being born deformed and thrown into the gutter by his indifferent elitist parents, he made the best of his life. The penguins became his “famiglia”, and when he grew up, Gotham became his playground. DeVito’s version was more Penguin Man than Penguin. Although his performance is now iconic, interestingly, he was not director Tim Burton’s favourite for the role.
Tim Burton approached several prominent actors
When The Penguin was cast, the studio wouldn’t let Tim Burton go after his own head. The director wanted the real Godfather to play Gotham’s godfather. However, Warner Bros. executives rejected the idea of casting Marlon Brando in favour of Dustin Hoffman. Christopher Lloyd was also considered for his resemblance to the tuxedoed criminal from the 1966 humorous Batman TV series. In the end, neither actor got the part.
When Burton and screenwriter Daniel Waters rewrote the character as a deformed villain whose natural habitat was the sewer, attention shifted to Danny DeVito because he was more like what was written on paper.
According to TCM, DeVito was in high demand at the time and briefly considered turning down the role.
However, after talking to his pal Jack Nicholson about what it was like to shoot this type of film, he agreed to take it on. And to get a clear idea of what he wanted, Burton handed DeVito a picture he had painted of the villain with an interesting caption:
“My name is Jimmy, but my friends call me the hideous penguin boy.”
After that, the actor completely immersed himself in the role. He kept the details of the character’s appearance a secret (even from his family), so it came as a surprise to the audience after the release of the film. Burgess Meredith, who played the Penguin in the TV series, was also approached to play the villain’s father in the film’s opening, but fell ill and the idea was scrapped.
Like Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito exaggerated his character
Batman Returns is an excellent film, and that’s partly why Danny DeVito’s version of The Penguin is held in high esteem. But was DeVito really that good? Unlike Jack Nicholson, DeVito didn’t impress everyone. He received a Saturn Award nomination in the best supporting actor category but was also “honoured” with a Razzie (Golden Raspberry) award in the same category. In addition, perhaps beyond the actor, Warner Bros. received thousands of letters of complaint from parents, particularly about the Penguin’s black drool and mannerisms, which made him scary.
However, there is little difference between DeVito’s and Nicholson’s performances. Both are extremely exaggerated. In Batman Returns, the Penguin performs many circus stunts and roars at almost every moment. Everything makes sense. In the film, his character reminds us:
“My name is not Oswald! It’s Penguin! I am not a human being! I am an animal! Cold blooded!”
After Batman came out, DeVito didn’t hesitate to speak his mind. He told Vanity Fair outright that his Penguin is much better than Collin Farrell’s. With this comment, DeVito continues the tradition of older actors in the Batman franchise disliking newer versions of their characters. Nicholson was reportedly not a fan of Heath Ledger’s Joker. And Michael Keaton kept saying that he was the only Batman.
Could Marlon Brando’s Penguin have been closer to Collin Farrell’s version?
Many industry insiders have revealed that Marlon Brando was a strange and reclusive man who was difficult to win over to a role. Considering how difficult he was to work with, fans can forgive Warner Bros for vetoing him as the Penguin.
Still, the veteran actor would have been perfect for the role of the umbrella-loving villain in Batman Returns. Especially since he has played this character well before. In the film, The Penguin is the leader of the Red Triangle gang and the centre of most of Gotham’s criminal activity. Farrell’s Penguin presents something similar. He’s not a great guy yet, but he’s getting there. Despite this, he is the mastermind behind most of the city’s criminal enterprises.
The role of Don Vito Corleone is proof that Brando could have easily channelled the best qualities required for a crime kingpin like Oswald. And for critics who feel The Godfather was a long time ago, Brando played a similar character in The Freshman just two years before Batman Returns. He was no stranger to the world of superheroes either, as he played Jor-El in Superman. Most importantly, Keaton was a big fan of the actor. Like Coppola, he thought Brando was a genius. A great working relationship could have developed between the two of them, resulting in something magical.
It’s a pity that all this could not happen. But there’s nothing wrong with what we got instead…
