He’s called “Oz,” “Oswald,” “little bitch” and “weak little pussy boy” in the first episode. But not once does anyone refer to Colin Farrell‘s title character as “the penguin.” And that’s pretty much how it is going to stay over the next eight episodes of the HBO series.
Though previous live action and animated depictions of the villain Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot have leaned into the distinctive moniker, The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc says she uses it sparingly for a reason in the series that following the events of Matt Reeves‘ The Batman.
“I knew that Oz didn’t appreciate the term, and that was something that felt derogatory toward him,” LeFranc tells Deadline. “Gangsters in mobs often they have these nicknames for people. So it made a lot of sense that his nickname from others would be the Penguin. But it’s not a term that he embraces.”
In fact, LeFranc tried to steer clear of any features that have made the comic book character so distinctive over the years. She does pay homage to the Penguin mythology by having Farrell use an umbrella early on in the pilot (sans built-in weaponry like a gun or flame thrower, of course). But a top hat, tails and black cigarette holder? Out of the question, at least for now.
“I wanted to make sure that we could appeal to people who didn’t see it or didn’t think it was for them, who wouldn’t necessarily be interested in a comic book show,” she tells Deadline. “I don’t view our show as a comic book show. I view it more as a crime drama … certainly a character-driven drama. I wanted to make sure we could appeal to more people because we’re trying to tell stories that are relatable and a bit different. I do hope that people who aren’t necessarily fans of the genre would be interested in this show.”
LeFranc even treats Oz’s club foot with a bit of sensitivity. “I’m trying to [work] from a place of empathy, but not an excuse as to why he’s the way he is,” she says. “It was important when we filmed it and when we chose music for it, that we don’t have saccharin music. It’s not something that’s supposed to say, ‘oh, look at Oz, poor him.’ He doesn’t view it as that, and that’s not why Oz is the way he is. That’s not something that Oz discusses with other people, so it just didn’t feel appropriate. Also, I am conscious of the terrible tropes in the comics in terms of disability and what defines a villain. A lot of it would be facial scarring or something that makes them feel other. I wanted to understand him psychologically and have his villainy come from who he is at his core emotionally and not have it because of any kind of physical ailment or disability.”
For his part, Farrell appreciates how the nickname was mostly left out of the script, though he wishes it remained in one particular scene that ended up getting cut. “There are kids who say to me, ‘you’re a penguin.’ And I say, yeah, ‘that’s right,’” Farrell recalls to Deadline. “I got the sense that Oz was actually stepping into the moniker and into his own kind of mythos. It’s not essential, but I like that idea that by the end, he’s okay with it. He sees the power in having a moniker like that.”
