Danny DeVito has discussed the possibility of returning as the iconic Batman villain Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin. The actor played the conniving villain in the 1992 Tim Burton film Batman Returns.
Devito is known for delivering one of the most iconic portrayals of the Penguin in cinematic history. For Batman Returns, Tim Burton raised the bar by depicting Oswald Cobblepot as a grotesque villain who was half-human and half-penguin. Seeing the Penguin with blood and slime dripping down his face really made the character's monstrous internal personality appear on the outside.
With Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman in Ezra Miller's The Flash film, the door seems to have been opened for other characters from Burton's DC universe to return as well. During an interview with Forbes, DeVito discussed the likelihood of seeing his version of the Penguin appear on the silver screen again. "I feel like it’s not out of the question that The Penguin will return someday, but this is all up to Tim, whether or not Tim wants to do this," he said. "I would say that could be in the cards because we ain’t dead yet [Laughs]. We could do a continuation of what we had in the past because that was truly a brilliant movie." DeVito continued by noting how much he enjoyed the opportunity to play the character when he first got the role, saying, "They afforded me that opportunity and I feel very grateful and would I like to revisit it? Why not! It was a really great moment in time for me."
The first teaser for The Flash film not only provided a brief glimpse at Keaton's return as Batman, but it also included a tease of the original Batmobile from Burton's film and featured a few cues from Danny Elfman's iconic score as well. Plot details on The Flash film are few and far between, but it appears to be based on The Flashpoint storyline from the comics, which involved Barry Allen traveling back to the past to prevent his mother from being murdered. By altering history, however, Allen finds himself returning to an alternate universe where the DC universe has undergone significant changes.
If an actor had an enjoyable time playing a character, there's a good chance of getting them on board for a second chance at their role. Usually, an actor doesn't return to a role due to either not liking the script or being too busy. DeVito seems willing to return as the Penguin, but there's been no word on anyone aside from Keaton reprising their roles from the Burton Batman universe.
Keaton seems to be enjoying his time in the comic book world, recently confirming that he shot some more scenes as the Vulture for Marvel. Hopefully, the comic book scene continues to allow for more returning characters as the old generation passes the baton to the newcomers. Seeing DeVito and Keaton in the same movie again would be fun for many fans.
Keaton's Batman returns when The Flash releases in theaters on November 4th, 2022.
Source: Forbes