Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel wasn't just a movie. It was a fever dream. When we talk about The Penguin in Batman Returns, we aren't talking about the dapper mobster from the comics who likes umbrellas and fine cigars. We’re talking about a nightmare in long johns. Danny DeVito didn't just play a role; he basically birthed a tragic, leaking, fish-eating monster that traumatized an entire generation of kids who just wanted to see a superhero movie.
Honestly, the studio was terrified. McDonald's had a massive Happy Meal tie-in, and then parents saw a guy with black bile dripping from his mouth trying to drown babies in a sewer. It was a mess. But that’s exactly why it works so well thirty years later. It’s weird. It’s gross. It’s incredibly human in the worst way possible.
The Origin Story That Changed Everything
In the comics, Oswald Cobblepot is usually just a short guy who got bullied. Burton and screenwriter Daniel Waters went way darker. They turned him into a literal "bird-man." Abandoned by his wealthy aristocrat parents—the Cobblepots—because he was born with physical deformities, baby Oswald is tossed into the Gotham River. It’s very Moses-in-the-reeds, but with more sewage and carnivorous penguins.
He grows up in the Red Triangle Circus Gang. This matters because it informs his entire aesthetic. He’s not a businessman. He’s a carnival freak who wants revenge on the "surface world." Most people forget that The Penguin in Batman Returns is actually a mirror for Bruce Wayne. Both are orphans. Both are rich kids who ended up in caves. But while Bruce turned his trauma into a quest for justice, Oswald turned his into a literal campaign for Mayor based on lies and spite.
It’s actually kinda brilliant how the movie handles his descent. He starts the film wanting to find his "real name" and his parents' graves. He wants to be accepted. By the end, when he realizes Gotham will never love a monster, he decides to just lean into the monster bit. "I am not a human being! I am an animal! Cold-blooded!"
Makeup, Prosthetics, and Black Bile
The look of The Penguin in Batman Returns is the work of Stan Winston, a legend in the industry. DeVito spent hours in the chair every single day. They used a combination of foam latex appliances, a fake nose, and those iconic flipper hands.
But the real kicker? The mouth.
That black liquid Oswald is always oozing? That was DeVito’s idea, or at least he leaned into it. It was a mix of mouthwash and food coloring that he would swish around before a take. It made him look like he was literally rotting from the inside out. You’ve probably noticed that in modern superhero movies, everything is clean CGI. This was the opposite. You can almost smell the rancid fish through the screen.
And the costumes! Colleen Atwood designed these heavy, Victorian-inspired furs and filthy onesies. He looks like a discarded Victorian doll that’s been sitting in a basement for eighty years. It’s tactile. It’s gross. It’s perfect.
Why the McDonald's Controversy Happened
You might remember the "Happy Meal Fiasco." 1992 was a different time. Parents took their kids to see Batman (1989) and thought the sequel would be more of the same. Instead, they got a scene where The Penguin in Batman Returns bites a campaign staffer’s nose so hard it bleeds everywhere.
- McDonald's pulled the toys.
- The New York Times ran op-eds about the violence.
- Warner Bros. eventually got cold feet, which is why the next movie, Batman Forever, looked like a neon-lit toy commercial.
It's funny looking back. By today's standards, it’s dark but not "unwatchable." In 1992, it was a cultural scandal.
The Political Satire You Probably Missed
If you watch the movie as an adult, the Max Shreck plot is actually the most interesting part. Christopher Walken plays Shreck (a name borrowed from the actor who played Nosferatu), and he basically uses Oswald as a puppet.
They stage fake "heroic" moments so Oswald can run for Mayor. It’s a cynical look at how the media can be manipulated. They take a guy who literally lives in a sewer and try to dress him up as a man of the people. It feels surprisingly relevant today. Oswald doesn’t care about policy. He cares about being seen. He wants the keys to the city because he wants to belong, but he’s also willing to kill every first-born son in Gotham when things go south.
He’s a tragic figure, but he’s also a total jerk. He’s sexist, he’s violent, and he’s incredibly entitled. That nuance is what makes DeVito’s performance so high-tier. You feel bad for the baby in the basket, but you're terrified of the man in the sewer.
Comparing DeVito to Farrell and Burgess Meredith
Every generation gets the Penguin they deserve.
Burgess Meredith in the 60s was all about the "Quack, Quack, Quack" and the cigarette holder. He was a fun, campy villain. Then came DeVito, who brought the body horror and the Shakespearean tragedy.
Recently, we’ve seen Colin Farrell in The Batman (2022) and his own HBO series. Farrell’s version is a grounded mobster. He’s "Oz," a guy climbing the ladder in the criminal underworld. It’s a great performance, but it’s a completely different genre.
The Penguin in Batman Returns remains the only version that feels like a creature from a dark fairy tale. He’s a Gothic monster. He fits into Tim Burton’s world of "misfits who can't find a place" along with Edward Scissorhands and Catwoman. While Farrell is playing a crime drama, DeVito was playing an opera.
The Penguin’s Commandos
Let’s talk about the penguins. The actual birds.
Burton used a mix of real African penguins, people in suits, and mechanical puppets. The real ones had their own refrigerated trailer on set. They even had little rocket launchers strapped to their backs in the climax. It’s absurd. It’s totally ridiculous. But within the logic of the movie, it somehow fits. The image of the penguins carrying Oswald’s body into the water at the end is surprisingly moving. It’s the only family he ever really had.
Technical Mastery: Lighting and Sound
Stefan Czapsky, the cinematographer, shot the film on soundstages at Warner Bros. It’s all very controlled. The lighting on DeVito is always harsh, emphasizing the white face paint and the dark circles around his eyes.
And Danny Elfman’s score? Forget about it. The "Penguin Theme" is this low, brooding choral piece that builds into a chaotic circus march. It tells you everything you need to know about the character before he even speaks. He’s a fallen prince. He’s a joke that isn't funny.
Most people don't realize how much the sound design contributes to the character. The squelching noises, the heavy breathing—it’s all designed to make you feel slightly nauseous.
What We Can Learn From This Version of the Character
When you analyze The Penguin in Batman Returns, you realize that the best villains aren't just "evil." They are broken versions of the hero.
Batman is a man who dresses as a bat to hide his humanity. The Penguin is a man who was treated like an animal until he became one. The tragedy is that if Oswald had been found by someone other than circus performers, he might have been Bruce Wayne’s peer.
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If you're a writer or a creator, there’s a massive lesson here in character design:
- Physicality tells a story. Every scar and stain on Oswald’s clothes tells you about his life in the sewer.
- Contradiction creates interest. He wears a top hat and a monocle but eats raw fish and lives in filth.
- Give them a "Why." Even his most insane plan—kidnapping children—is a direct reaction to his own abandonment.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of this specific version of the character, there are a few things you should do.
First, watch the "Shadows of the Bat" documentary series. It goes into the grueling makeup process and the friction between the studio and Tim Burton. It’s eye-opening to see how much they got away with before the "toy-etic" era of the mid-90s took over.
Second, check out the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series tie-in episodes. While the show had its own version of Penguin, you can see the influence of the movie's darker tone creeping into the animation shortly after the film's release.
Finally, if you’re a collector, look for the NECA 1/4 scale Penguin figure. It’s arguably the most accurate representation of DeVito’s likeness ever made, capturing every gross detail from the greasy hair to the stained waistcoat. It’s a reminder of a time when blockbuster movies were allowed to be genuinely weird.
The Penguin in Batman Returns isn't just a comic book villain. He’s a piece of cinema history that challenged what a "summer movie" could be. He’s disgusting, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. Next time you watch it, pay attention to the eyes—behind all that latex, DeVito is doing some of the best work of his career.