Why is the Penguin a woman in Batman: Caped Crusaders? Exploring the gender swap

Batman: Caped Crusader released all its ten episodes yesterday, August 1, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video. Billed as a new take on Batman set in the 1940s, the series follows Bruce Wayne, who, fuelled by vengeance, becomes the Dark Knight to take on the villains of Gotham. The series features many iconic Batman characters and even puts a new spin on them.

One of those characters happens to be the Penguin in Batman: Caped Crusader. While traditionally the villain has been portrayed as a male in past Batman media and even comics, the show puts a certain twist on the classic rogue and makes the character a woman.

Voiced by actor Minnie Driver in the show, Penguin goes by the name of Oswalda Cobblepot, and the change was recently discussed by series' creator Bruce Timm at San Diego Comic-Con on July 27, 2024. Talking with IGN, Timm explained that they wanted to explore something new with the character and see where it would take them.

“You might think that we're changing something just to change it. But it was never about that; it was more about where will it lead us? Will it lead us to do something new?" said Timm.

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Actor Minnie Driver talks about playing Penguin in Batman: Caped Crusader

In Batman: Caped Crusader, Minnie Driver voices a female Penguin who goes by the name of Oswalda Cobblepot. She is a cabaret dancer and a crimelord who occasionally sticks to the character's roots of villainy. Showing up in the first episode, it's revealed that Oswalda is a mother too. Talking about the role at San Diego Comic-Con, Driver shared details and inspiration for the character.

Talking to various publications at SDCC, Driver revealed that her mother-in-law was a source of inspiration for the character. She even delved deep into talking about how this is a "very new character" and called it a "great reimagining."

"She's a very new character that so fits into the Batman oeuvre - it's a great reimagining. It's amazing as a lot of times today we are trying to redress the balance of representation and you sometimes feel that things have been shoehorned in - it's more performative than organic. This is organic - it's believable that this bizarre, strange, larger than life character is genderless because it's the essence of The Penguin," said Driver (via GamesRadar+).

However, The Penguin isn't the only character that Batman: Caped Crusader reimagines. Harley Quinn received a brand new characterization too. In the case of Harley, she isn't the Joker's girlfriend anymore but rather plays a much more sinister version of the supervillain. Playing a psychiatrist, she can switch into her supervillain persona and be quite intimidating as well.

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Batman: Caped Crusader is currently streaming on Prime Video

Batman: Caped Crusader is a series created by Bruce Timm, famous for helming Batman: The Animated Series as well. As per Prime Video, the official synopsis for the show reads as:

"Welcome to Gotham City, where criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the BATMAN. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications."

Starring Hamish Linklater, Christina Ricci, Jason Watkins, Eric Morgan Stuart, Jamie Chung, and more, the series is now streaming on Prime Video.