Bruce Timm said Batman: Caped Crusader would be a reimagined world, and he meant it. With double-digit hours to go until the show’s actual premiere on Amazon Prime, one would think there wouldn’t be much left to show, but the panel at SDCC pulled one last trick out of its hat: the reveal that actress Minnie Driver is playing The Penguin.
To prove it, Timm revealed a screenshot showing off what has been dubbed as “Oswalda.” There was no clip of what Driver sounds like in the role, but we did get a different scene released featuring Bats grilling one of Penguin’s goons in the traditional manner:
Penguin is far from the only reimagined character in Caped Crusader. The one Timm had a hand in, Harley Quinn, is also completely different here: a serious threat that only throws around jokes when she ISN’T in costume — as Bruce Wayne’s psychiatrist. Hamish Linklater plays Batman and comes pretty darn close to Conroy’s legendary tone; Christina Ricci backs him up as Catwoman while Diedrich Bader voices Two-Face and Jamie Chung is Harley.
In 2024, the gender of The Penguin will depend on what show you’re watching. One month after this series debuts, HBO will premiere a different show entirely about The Penguin, only this one will be the version from The Batman played by Colin Farrell. The series picks up where The Batman left off, with crime kingpin Carmine Falcone dead and domination of the criminal underworld up for grabs.
Penguin wants that throne, but so do both of Falcone’s children: Sofia, played by Cristin Milioti, and Alberto, played by Michael Zegen. The Batman director Matt Reeves is involved with the show, but only as an executive producer. The real showrunner is Lauren LeFranc.
Batman: Caped Crusader premieres on Amazon Prime this coming Thursday, August 1. HBO’s The Penguin premieres September 19 on the channel and on Max.
