BATMAN RETURNS Star Danny DeVito Hopes To Return As The Penguin: "We Ain't Dead Yet!"

BATMAN RETURNS Star Danny DeVito Hopes To Return As The Penguin: "We Ain't Dead Yet!"

Danny DeVito's take on The Penguin in Batman Returns is nothing short of iconic, and with Michael Keaton set to return as the Dark Knight in The Flash, his co-star is hoping to play Oswald Cobblepot again.

By JoshWilding - Dec 01, 2021 06:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Batman (1989)
Source: Forbes

In The Flash next year, Michael Keaton will once again suit up as the Caped Crusader after starring in Batman and Batman Returns in the late 80s/early 90s. The assumption is that we're going to see the Scarlet Speedster visit the world those movies took place in or create one where Keaton's Bruce Wayne is Gotham City's Dark Knight.

Whatever the case may be, there's been a lot of chatter about other cameos in The Flash and which characters could be plucked from those original Batman movies. 

During a recent interview with Forbes, Penguin actor Danny DeVito reflected on the legacy of Batman Returns and confirmed that he would be open to reprising the role two decades on. "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," the actor said, referring to filmmaker Tim Burton.

"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. "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."

Clearly, DeVito would only consider reprising the role if Burton was involved, so chances are we won't see him in The Flash next November. It would be quite something if Warner Bros. did convince the Dumbo director to return to this franchise for a follow-up, but we're not banking on it actually happening (despite the continued popularity of those early movies).

Then again, Burton never did get the chance to finish his trilogy, did he? 

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SaxoWolf
SaxoWolf - 12/1/2021, 6:37 AM
Well, why not.
Fogs
Fogs - 12/1/2021, 11:10 AM
@SaxoWolf - I'd love to. Such a contrast to the uber realistic CBMs we have nowadays.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/1/2021, 6:38 AM
Danny Devito is writing a Penguin story for DC Comics,I believe its out this week.
kider2
kider2 - 12/1/2021, 7:36 AM
@marvel72 - Yea it was released yesterday I think.
KWilly
KWilly - 12/1/2021, 9:33 AM
@marvel72 - Had no idea Devito was into comic stuff like that. Awesome.
LucasTurkeyNeck
LucasTurkeyNeck - 12/1/2021, 10:34 AM
@KWilly - he’s actually contributing to a DC comics villain anthology coming this month. He’s writing the penguin segment. Go figure
FearTheLiving
FearTheLiving - 12/1/2021, 6:48 AM
Go for it. I love DeVito his work on Always Sunny has been consistently amazing. While I don't particularly enjoy his version of Penguin (Not his fault, it's how he's written as a monster) bring him back in flashpoint to let him chew scenes one last time.
LSHF
LSHF - 12/1/2021, 7:05 AM
"We could do a continuation of what we had in the past because that was truly a brilliant movie..."

What they had in the past was his character dying, so I guess a "continuation" of that would be his body rotting in the sewer, while various sorts of small, living creatures ate away at his flesh.

Yes, that was sarcasm.

By the way, I love that movie and I've seen it several times.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 12/1/2021, 7:24 AM
Could see him as the villain for a Batman Beyond story with Keaton
TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 12/1/2021, 8:01 AM
I don't get the love for Batman Returns. To me Batman Begins is the top of the tree.
Mansuper
Mansuper - 12/1/2021, 8:35 AM
@TheManWithoutFear - The film is definitely nostalgic. I remember seeing it with my dad when it was released in theaters. I'm with you though. Although Burton's aesthetic made sense in his Batman universe, it's style doesn't really lend itself easily to modern comicbook movies. I thought it was fine for the time when it was released. It was unique and exciting because it featured (somewhat) comic accurate representations of Batman villains, which really hadn't been done in the movies, unless you count the Adam West tv series and movie. And even that was its own thing. The use of the multiverse in some of these upcoming comicbook movies is going to lead to some interesting scenarios.
Fogs
Fogs - 12/1/2021, 11:12 AM
@TheManWithoutFear - I love Begins, best of the DK trilogy IMHO.

But the Tim Burton bats was something else. Some very dated stuff if watched nowadays, but I love the surreal feeling from those films. Returns isn't as good as 89', but it's a lot of fun.
musicsuperhero1
musicsuperhero1 - 12/1/2021, 4:49 PM
@Waddles - Batman Begins is my favorite of all the Batman movies released thus far, with Mask of the Phantasm being a close second (and tied for first on some days haha).

But yes, Batman Returns has the nostalgia factor for me. I remember my mom taking me to see it in the theatre and i can still remember the sense of wonderment went the bats flew and the Batman Returns logo rolled out across the screen, with that awesome Elfman score.

And while not comic accurate whatsoever, Michelle Pfeiffer's catwoman /selina kyle is huge; a scene-stealing performance.


Lol and i love Devito as Penguin's quote: "I am not a human being! I am an animal!" lol that take-off on the elephant man quote is great!
musicsuperhero1
musicsuperhero1 - 12/1/2021, 4:50 PM
@Waddles - @Waddles - Batman Begins is my favorite of all the Batman movies released thus far, with Mask of the Phantasm being a close second (and tied for first on some days haha).

But yes, Batman Returns has the nostalgia factor for me. I remember my mom taking me to see it in the theatre and i can still remember the sense of wonderment went the bats flew and the Batman Returns logo rolled out across the screen, with that awesome Elfman score.

And while not comic accurate whatsoever, Michelle Pfeiffer's catwoman /selina kyle is huge; a scene-stealing performance.


Lol and i love Devito as Penguin's quote: "I am not a human being! I am an animal!" lol that take-off on the elephant man quote is great!
Solarkalel85
Solarkalel85 - 12/1/2021, 8:20 AM
It really is a brilliant film
LSHF
LSHF - 12/2/2021, 8:59 PM
@Solarkalel85 - It's the most fun (of all of them), and overall enjoyable to me.
TheMapleSyrup
TheMapleSyrup - 12/1/2021, 8:40 AM
I hope that Keaton has faced more villains in his universe. It's a small Batman universe if there's only a dead Joker and maybe penguin.
tmp3
tmp3 - 12/1/2021, 9:02 AM
The more times I've seen this movie the more I've grown to love it. A top 10 CBM for me for sure. Feel like Flashpoint is gonna do some dumb stuff with Keaton though
Dredd97
Dredd97 - 12/1/2021, 11:39 AM
@tmp3 - same! The atmosphere is perfect, especially set at Christmas time. And the performances are incredible
MuadDib
MuadDib - 12/1/2021, 9:33 AM
Would prefer a continuation of that timeline than brining in Keaton as a perm old Bats in the current timeline (those are the rumors).

MaxPaint
MaxPaint - 12/1/2021, 9:36 AM
I grew up watching this movie. So yeah I'm down for this.
BecauseICare
BecauseICare - 12/1/2021, 9:50 AM
Didn't he die at the end of that movie? I wonder how they would bring him back?

The power of Shakira! Of course!

LSHF
LSHF - 12/2/2021, 9:00 PM
@BecauseICare - LOL.
patmanqc
patmanqc - 12/1/2021, 9:59 AM
This was basically a Tim Burton film who just happen to have Batman as a character in it. Catwoman and Penguin were both drastically changed from the comics and it was just too dark and too weird. I think I actually preferred Batman forever and it's stupid little jokes over returns.
LucasTurkeyNeck
LucasTurkeyNeck - 12/1/2021, 10:31 AM
@patmanqc - you nailed that one, you couldn’t be more correct. The first Batman was pretty comic accurate but I feel only because Jon Peters/Peter Guber reigned in Burton’s more wilder ideas. But Batman returns was wholly Tim Burton’s vision unchained which is why is is so comic book inaccurate. Not to say it isn’t a good movie but as far as straying from source material it takes the cake.
Fogs
Fogs - 12/1/2021, 11:14 AM
@LucasTurkeyNeck - Yes. He went full Burton there. But think about the sheer contrast it is when we compare it to the realistic trend Nolan brought. A middle ground could be VERY interesting IMO.
YonnyLayna
YonnyLayna - 12/1/2021, 12:20 PM
@patmanqc - To be fair I found the regular penguin mob guy too silly and lame even for a Batman villian, Burton is the only time I found his gimmick making sense.
IronSpider101
IronSpider101 - 12/1/2021, 8:29 PM
@patmanqc - That's what makes it great imo. I don't want a boring copy/paste from comics to screen. Yes you want to see life brought to these characters, but a movie should feel like a unique take and experience. Rather than an adaptation of some kind of "general" sense of the comic character, it should feel like its own take on the character.

Burton definitely made a Burton movie first and foremost, but none of it feels incompatible with the essence of Batman imo. And I think he's able to raise some interesting questions and elements of the character that would otherwise go unaddressed in a more generic Batman movie.
LSHF
LSHF - 12/2/2021, 9:01 PM
@IronSpider101 - I thought it was the most fun of all of them (to me).
patmanqc
patmanqc - 12/4/2021, 7:47 PM
@LucasTurkeyNeck - I couldn't have said it better. Yet people think returns is the superior film just because it's darker. They should go watch nightmare before Christmas instead.
ElricReturns
ElricReturns - 12/1/2021, 12:23 PM
But... didn't he die? Penguin died, and his corpse dragged into the water by penguins.
LSHF
LSHF - 12/2/2021, 9:01 PM
@ElricReturns - I guess a "continuation" of that would be his body rotting in the sewer, while various sorts of small, living creatures ate away at his flesh.

Yes, that was sarcasm.

By the way, I love that movie and I've seen it several times.
YonnyLayna
YonnyLayna - 12/1/2021, 12:26 PM
Would like Danny Devito directing a comickbook movie, I found Matilda being a round film, pacing, aestethic, great FX, etc, the whole hide and seek scene at Trunchbull house was pure genius.
DesiSpiderman
DesiSpiderman - 12/1/2021, 4:14 PM
Please a Tim Burton directed Batman Beyond movie with Keaton.
musicsuperhero1
musicsuperhero1 - 12/1/2021, 4:43 PM
i'm just going to go ahead and echo what others have already said (which i initially came here to say anyway):

"...we ain't dead yet." -Danny DeVito
But but...Penguin literally died in BR.

LOL

i mean, i guess with this multiverse thing they could figure out a way to do it, but it would feel cheap IMHO. That Penguin died, let that version of the character stay that way. The only way i could see it maybe MAYBE working and not feeling like a rip off, would be if Danny D played a different version of--a different universe's--Penguin. ?
IronSpider101
IronSpider101 - 12/1/2021, 8:35 PM
I'm pretty sure "We ain't dead yet" is him referring to himself. As in "I'm still alive so as long as that's the case, you can still bring the character back if you can think of a way to do it."
TheMandalorian
TheMandalorian - 12/15/2021, 9:52 AM
I love him but... umm... he died at the end of Batman Returns...
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