Annlyel James 
Explore the rise and fall of The Penguin, one of the greatest comic book villains in Gotham. Discover the art of crafting compelling bad guys in live-action adaptations.
The Penguin has staked a claim on Gotham. Comic book villains are some of the greatest villains in fiction. They are persistent thorns in the sides of the heroes, and they can have some great character designs. Their actions throughout comic book lore make them stand out as the clear antithesis of the protagonist. In recent years, however, the art of crafting an unabashed bad guy in a live-action comic book adaptation has seemed to dwindle.
WE ARE VILLAINS!
The Venom movies aren’t about a morally bankrupt symbiote wreaking havoc as he seeks to take over the world to help his alien brethren. Instead, they’re a trilogy centered around a charming bromance between his carrier, Eddie Brock, and Venom as they save people from bad guys, making him less of an antihero and more simply put, a hero.
Erik Killmonger, the villain in Black Panther, had such a compelling story that he felt like a hero of his own story who just so happened to be on the wrong side of history. Thanos, whose plan to annihilate half the universe is as sinister as they come, was written so you can completely understand where he’s coming from. This makes him yet another sympathetic villain. And the list goes on: Morbius, The Riddler, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, Wenwu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Gorr the God-Butcher, etc. Even Kraven the Hunter seems to have been given a boring anti-hero story.
GOTHAM’S FINEST?
When I began watching The Penguin, I thought, “Here we go again. Another antihero redressing of a classic comic book villain.” Thankfully, this show committed to the wickedness of The Penguin, delivering a resoundingly entertaining depiction of a classic Batman antagonist that has only enriched the Matt Reeves Batman universe. With each episode, Oswald Cobb’s story only darkened as his actions became even more egregious. The last two episodes, though, transformed Oswald Cobb into a despicable character, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. As the series built up to a thrilling—and, yes, chilling—climax, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. At last, we had a storyline where the villain fully embraced their role. It was an invigorating change that really stood out.
Heading into The Batman: Part II, Gotham is in an even more precarious state. How will Penguin’s ascension into Gotham’s underworld factor into the exciting sequel? Will he be a major player in the chaos, or will he use his newfound power to steer the mayhem from his new penthouse or his connections in government? Oh, the prospect is exhilarating, and it’s thanks to this beautiful series, I have built my enthusiasm for The Batman: Part II.
ROGUES GALLERY
As a fan of comic book villains, I’d love to see more antagonists who embrace their wickedness and engage in nefarious deeds to amass greater power. Villain stories are some of the best stories ever told, and The Penguin proves we need more.
The Penguin is now streaming on Max in the United States and SKY/Now TV in the UK.
Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
