Much has been made about the gender-swapping of BATMAN: THE CAPED CRUSADER‘s version of The Penguin. Not here at BOF, but out there on social media. Minnie Driver, who voices Oslwalda Cobblepott in the series, had this to say to VARIETY when asked about any “backlash” over making the classic Batman villain female: “The essence of The Penguin is the essence of The Penguin.”
Well said. She added…
Here’s the thing: If it hadn’t been so beautifully imagined or reimagined, if it had somehow just been shoehorned in to tick some box of ‘Oh, we have to now have a fluidity around characters,’ That’s not it. She’s properly evil. She really does some terrible things, and I hope that she will be embraced as the villain that she always has been.
The essence of this show is quintessentially Batman. Make no mistake, and the fact that the Penguin is a really terrifying woman speaks volumes about the imagination of Bruce [Timm] and the whole team.
BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER made its debut this past weekend at San Diego Comic Con and the reviews have been tremendously good. The series drops August 1st — this week! — on Prime, so we all get to watch and judge it for ourselves.
For the full interview featuring Hamish Linklater (Batman/Bruce Wayne), the aforementioned Minnie Driver, and Jamie Chung (Harley Quinn), CLICK HERE. Also, stay tuned to BOF’s coverage of BATMAN: CAPED CRUSADER as we’ll be discussing the series and episodes in depth as soon as we lay eyes on it! – Bill “Jett” Ramey
