The Penguinhas premiered with a bang, introducing new key players from Batman’s rogues gallery.The BatmandirectorMatt Reeveshas dubbed his universe The Batman Epic Crime Saga,which may potentially see more spin-offs in the future.The Penguin’s story was originally intended to be included inThe Batman Part II, but will now expand the world before Pattinson’s second outing as the Caped Crusader.The Penguinfollows the Falcone crime family in the wake of Carmine Falcone’s(John Turturro/Mark Strong)deathafter the events ofThe Batman. The series also introduces anotherinfamous Gotham City mobster, Salvatore Maroniplayed byClancy Brown. But this isn’t the first time Brown has played an iconic Batman villain.
Brown played another member of Batman’s rogues gallery in the 2004 animated series,The Batman, (not to be confused with Reeves’ film of the same name), which ran for 5 seasons and carved out a name for itself in the Batman canon. Animated Batman projects all suffer from living in theshadow of their predecessor,Batman: The Animated Series, which introduced The Dark Knight to an entire generation of fans. The 2004 series, however, ran for five seasons, introducing new voice actors for the iconic roles. While the show may not have garnered the same popularity among the fandom, itconsistently delivered engaging Batman stories with its own unique spin.
Clancy Brown’s Mr. Freeze Stands Out From Other Iterations
The Batmanenlisted several major stars, such asRon Perlman,Robert PatrickandAdam West. EvenMark Hamillreturned for the show, trading out the Joker for Tony Zucco, the mobster responsible for killing Dick Grayson’s parents. Clancy Brown voiced Victor Fries,otherwise known as the iconic Batman villain, Mr. Freeze. Mr. Freeze is generally portrayed as one of Batman’s more sympathetic villains; Victor Fries was originally a cryogenics expert, who descended into madness while trying to find a cure for his wife’s degenerative disease.Victor transformed into a cold-blooded metahumanafter GothCorp refused to keep funding his research, causing a technological malfunction in his laboratory.
Most of Mr. Freeze’s run-ins with Batman occur because his criminal pursuits are all in service to curing his wife, Nora,making him more empathetic than other staple villainslike the Joker and the Riddler. However, this iteration of the character diverges from tradition. Clancy Brown’s voice has becomesynonymous with many menacing characters in pop culture, fromInvincible’s Damien Darkblood to Lex Luthor in various projects, includingThe Batman(2004). Mr. Freeze is no exception, his low tone and grumbling vocals translate perfectly into this particularly monstrous rendition of the villain.
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In the 2004 series, Brown’s portrayal of Mr. Freeze is ruthless and obsessed with diamonds. His motivations no longer stem from Nora, as she is already dead. Instead, Freeze’s criminality is a response to the tragedy of losing his wife, and his humanity by extension. Interestingly,Freeze’s origin story is directly tied to Batman, as opposed to a corrupt corporation. Batman (Rino Romano) chases Victor through his cryogenics lab and causes him to fall into a freezing pod, giving him apersonal vendetta against the Caped Crusader. Brown’s portrayal also leans into the less human side of Mr. Freeze, which is reflected in his appearance — his face is engulfed in a block of ice, with only his glowing red eyes visible.The Batman’s iteration of Freeze has already lost the one person who kept him tied to humanity, so the series explores what would happen to a villain like that once that last remaining tie has gone.
From Mr. Freeze to Salvatore Maroni
It’s interesting to see Brown return to Matt Reeves’ universe, given thatthe director has been very outspoken in his love for Mr. Freezeas his favorite Batman villain.WhenColliderbroached the subject to him in a 2022 interview, Reeves seemed very open-minded about the prospect of introducing the villain to his Batman Epic Crime Saga:
“In my view, I just feel drawn to finding the grounded version of everything. So to me, it would be a challenge in an interesting way to try and figure out how that could happen, even the idea of something like Mr. Freeze, that is such a great story, right? I think there’s actually a grounded version of that story, which could be really powerful and could be really great.”
Brown brings something new to the table when it comes to Salvatore Maroni. Maroni is generally depicted as the figurehead of his organization and an undisputed patriarch who wields total control over his family. However, inThe Penguin,Maroni runs the mob alongside his wife, Nadia (Shohreh Aghdashloo). In the “Inside Episode 2” promo, Brown explains how Maroni has integrated Nadia’s henchman into his own mob. “Sal was so smitten by her…he’s replaced his entire mafia family with the Persian mob.“The Penguinhints at Sal’s softer side, and his unwavering loyalty to his wife,which sets his character apart from previous depictions. Salvatore Maroni certainly has a larger role to play in this universe, especially considering the new power gap in thecriminal underworld after Carmine Falcone’s death.
The Penguinis available to stream on Max in the U.S.
The Batman
A young vigilante patrols the streets of Gotham City, combating the sinister forces that threaten its peace. Early in his crime-fighting career, he faces off against iconic villains, while also uncovering the darker secrets of the city. As he establishes himself as the guardian of Gotham, he forms key alliances with characters who will become his most trusted allies.
Watch on MAX.
