Batman: Caped Crusader has finally been released, and significantly changed DC’s Penguin in a way that I would love to see more of. Batman: Caped Crusader has delivered a compelling take on the titular hero engaging in his typical MO in a stylized 1940s Gotham. The animated Batman series is helmed by a whose-who of Hollywood and DC icons, with JJ Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm as executive producers. Timm, the head producer behind Batman: The Animated Series, is also the showrunner.

Every episode of Batman: Caped Crusader is available to stream on Prime Video, and it’s safe to say that the series hit the ground running with episode 1: In Treacherous Waters. The episode introduces Batman: Caped Crusader‘s main cast, including Batman, Barbara and Jim Gordon, Alfred, and a litany of Gotham mobsters. From the jump, Caped Crusader has taken a darker turn than its animated predecessor by turning Gotham into a seedier and more violent setting akin to the one seen in Reeves’ The Batman trilogy. It is also taking some drastic but welcome creative liberties.

Batman: Caped Crusader’s Penguin Is A Majorly Changed Character

Oswalda Cobblepot Is Caped Crusader’s Version Of The DC Villain

In DC Comics and most other DC media, Oswald Cobblepot is Penguin, one of the most infamous in Batman’s iconic rogues’ gallery. In Batman: Caped Crusader, however, Penguin is Oswalda Cobblepot – a female version of the same character. Voiced by Minnie Driver, this marks the first time that Penguin has been portrayed as and by a woman.

In Batman: Caped Crusader, Oswalda Cobblepot is a burgeoning crime boss hellbent on seizing territory within Gotham from the more well-established Rupert Thorne. Her Iceberg Lounge – a mainstay of Penguin’s DC lore – doubles as a yacht from which she can launch missiles into the city, destroying and disrupting criminal rivals and Gotham authorities alike. The episode sees Batman foil her plans to encroach on Thorne’s territory before subsequent episodes see him moving on to other villains. Nevertheless, Oswalda made an impact that, dare I say, her male counterpart could not have emulated.

Batman: Caped Crusader’s Penguin Still Keeps The Core Elements Of The Villain Alive

Penguin Is Still A Money-Hungry, Conniving Crime Boss

Oswalda is introduced as a larger-than-life character who was just as recognizable from the jump despite the show’s changes to the villain. This is thanks to Batman: Caped Crusader‘s faithful characterization. Penguin still has a unique penguin-like build, sports a tux and top hat, a prominent beak-like nose, and a signature umbrella which, for this iteration of The Penguin, conceals a blade in its tip. Her debut scene sees her cavorting with Gotham’s elite as she hosts a gala within the Iceberg Lounge with the express purpose of embezzling money, procuring information, and goading her criminal rival in one fell swoop.

All of these factors make Oswalda as comic-accurate as any other adaptation. Her characterization also works particularly well in the period setting of the show, as she wears a black-and-white getup that’s as consistent with 1940s black tie as it is with Penguin’s traditional look. The show goes even further, however, towards making Penguin a force to be reckoned with, probing new directions that double down on her sinister elements in a way that can only be catered to by her reimagining.

Caped Crusader’s Villain Changes Show Just How Much You Can Change Major DC Villains & Still Have Them Work

Oswalda Proves DC Should Venture Into New Territory More

Batman is DC’s most commonly adapted character, with the 2020s threatening to house two cinematic live-action versions of the character in Matt Reeves’ The Batman trilogy and James Gunn’s DCU concurrently. With that in mind, the Caped Crusader benefits hugely from fresh takes on well-established Batman tropes, which includes his rogues’ gallery. Penguin is second only to Joker in enjoying multiple adaptations, yet Oswalda proves that you can adapt the same villain multiple times and still deliver a compelling iteration with seemingly major changes.

After establishing that Oswalda is a mother in Batman: Caped Crusader, her villainy is quickly demonstrated by having her murder one of her sons by shutting him in a suitcase and throwing him into the sea. Her flagrant disdain for traditionally “motherly” traits helps to compound her villainy, giving her a storyline that male iterations of the villain couldn’t use in the same way. By taking a risk and changing the character in an obvious way without being too drastic, DC has proved that there is plenty of scope – perhaps even incentive – to start taking bold new directions in future adaptations.