OK, ‘Batman: Caped Crusader,’ You Have Our Attention With This Major Character Change

Criminals of Gotham beware, there’s a new caped crusader in town. Batman: Caped Crusader is out today on Prime Video, and with it, an unexpected change of a long-standing Batman character. The Penguin, tuxedoed crime lord extraordinaire, is now a badass lady.

First off, who is the Penguin?

The Penguin is one of Batman’s longest-standing enemies. He’s been an integral part of the Rogue’s Gallery since the Golden Age of Batman comics. Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, is a Gotham City mob boss who styles himself as “The Gentleman of Crime.” He’s a man of taste. He sports a fancy tuxedo and a monocle, along with a top hat and only smokes with the use of a Cruella DeVille style cigarette holder. He also carries an umbrella, which tends to be outfitted with blades, poison gas, flight abilities, and a bulletproof cover. It also keeps the rain off, which is an added perk.

Despite Penguins’s erudite presentation, he’s just another run-of-the-mill thug. He operates out of the Iceberg Lounge, a nightclub in Gotham’s entertainment district that he owns and uses as a rather obvious front for his criminal enterprises. Unlike most of Batman’s certifiably insane villains, The Penguin is a cool customer who is in full control of his actions. He’s not on super steroids, he doesn’t have a penchant for twisted comedy, and he certainly doesn’t have any cryogenically frozen wives. He’s in the crime biz for one reason: money. He doesn’t want to cause a ruckus, he just wants to get paid.

Due to Penguin’s restraint and skill at intelligence gathering, he and Batman have a sort of an … understanding. When Batman is trying to get the scoop on a new crackpot villain who’s come to town, Copplepot is often the first person he visits for information. In return, he promises not to break The Penguin’s legs—an offer Copplepot wholeheartedly accepts. However, Cobblepot’s greed often puts him at odds with Batman, and the Caped Crusader is forced to clip the Penguin’s wings with a Batarang when he attempts to take flight on another criminal enterprise. It’s a love/hate relationship. Well, pretty much all hate. Hate/loathing.

Part of a larger rebranding

The announcement came during a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, and while Batman: Caped Crusader co-developers Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams haven’t publicly shared their reasons for gender-swapping the Penguin, for those who know a thing or two about the new animated series, the decision is in line with the overall effort to rebrand.

Oswald, now Oswalda Cobblepot isn’t the only major Batman character who’s gotten a makeover. Harley Quinn is now a cool-headed killer clown in her own right, with no relationship to her formerly beloved Mistah J. whatsoever. Golden Boy Harvey Dent is not so golden anymore. Rather than the shining voice of hope for Gotham incarnate as a principled District Attorney, he’s willing to put his principles aside in exchange for political favors. He’s closer to Two-Face than ever before. Finally, Selina Kyle is a cash-poor socialite who wants to keep up appearances at any cost … even if that means outsourcing those funds from unwilling financial establishments and donors.

So who is Oswolda Cobblepot?

Oswolda Cobblepott is a woman of many talents. She’s just as clever, ruthless, and brutal when it comes to crime, but she also has other hobbies. She’s a cabaret singer! Despite her newly artistic temperament, developers for the series have assured fans that The Penguin is still “properly evil” and “does some terrible things.”

And no one is more excited about Oswolda than her voice actor: Minnie Driver.

Driver recalls her experiences playing Oswolda as “joyful” and a “beautiful retelling of that villain.” She also emphasizes that The Penguin is still just as “dreadful” as the character has ever been.

Batman purists are sure to be upset by the casting decision, but purists tend to be upset by any casting decision that deviates from previous iterations of comic book characters. Is there precedent for The Penguin to be a woman? There is not. The closest DC has ever come to a female Penguin in ages past are some tuxedo-clad henchwomen that Copplepot has employed from time to time. Does that matter? Hell no. It’s f*cking Minnie Driver as f*cking Penguin. It’s gonna be deviously glorious.