Batman Returns redefined what comic book movie villains should be

The new terrifying and driven Penguin

Oswald Cobblepot is evil, plain and simple. Batman Returns nailed that aspect of the character but, just like Burton’s twisted sequel did with Catwoman, it also made him a more complex and compelling villain by giving him a very human backstory.

His parents couldn’t wait to discard him, using their own fear of him as an excuse to get rid of him. As a result, he was raised in the sewer. Who knows the kind of horrors he had to endure, the things he had to eat, and the harsh lessons he had to learn.

What’s funny is, despite all of that, Oswald became an articulate villain with a genius criminal mind, setting up complicated and shady undertakings and always managing to divert attention to someone else when it came to accepting responsibility.

There aren’t many people who fit the role like Danny DeVito did. He took the part of The Penguin and has become the person we associate with the character for years to come. He was the Robert Downey Jr. of the role years before RDJ even became Iron Man. To this day, no one can say anything bad about DeVito’s role in Batman Returns. He took this character and became a classic villain.