‘Gotham’s’ Robin Lord Taylor Discusses Penguin’s Father And Dark Direction, Christian Bale Discusses Dark Knight And ‘Batman V Superman’
Gotham Season 2 has been thrusting Batman towards where he will be in Batman v Superman later this year, but one thing the new movie Batman doesn’t have yet is the villain Penguin. Although Gotham is far from readying their version of Bruce Wayne for Batman-hood, Penguin, Riddler, Dr. Hugo Strange, and Mr. Freeze are much closer to their future as Gotham and Batman’s most dangerous foes. Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin was given a mother but not a father during his storyline through Season 1. Gotham Season 2 saw the death of Penguin’s mother, so now his father will be joining the show soon, and Paul Reubens has already been cast.
Robin Lord Taylor explains, according to Comicbook, that there happens to be a funny little story about how the Penguin himself brought Reubens to Gotham. As Robin Lord Taylor explains it, Reubens’ journey to Gotham started with a chance encounter.
“I met Paul Reubens a couple months before he was cast on Gotham, because he’s best friends with Carol Kane. ‘My friend Paul is coming,’ and we show up and it’s Paul Reubens! He was in town doing Blacklist, and we had an amazing, lovely brunch. The whole time we kept talking about it, like, ‘oh man, Paul, wouldn’t it be great if you played my dad? Carol’s my mom and you guys are best friends…'”
Batman Returns was the only live-action production that gave any sort of parental backstory for Oswald Cobblepot aka Penguin, but Gotham has been building one within the series. Reubens briefly played Penguin’s father in the beginning of said Batman film. Robin Lord Taylor was naturally shocked when, a few weeks later, he got a surprising announcement about Gotham’s casting choice for his character’s father.
“”A couple weeks later I sent the photo to executive producer Danny Cannon, just like, ‘ha ha ha this happened!’ He wrote me back immediately and said, ‘Oh my f***ing God, I’ve been trying to get him for three weeks! To play your father!’ Then it actually came through and happened!”
Considering that the second half of Gotham Season 2 has seen Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin locked up in Arkham under the care of Batman villain Dr. Hugo Strange, he might be needing a little familial help before this season is over. Although Penguin has been incapacitated, Gotham fans have already been treated to glimpse of Penguin new “dark path.” Robin Lord Taylor teased that fans should expect Penguin to get a lot “darker,” as the Gotham villain is now “untethered.”
“He’s untethered now, he can be the monster that everybody has always viewed him as.Now that he has that license, it’s going to get a lot darker.”
Speaking of dark, Dark Knight star Christian Bale has had some interesting things to say regarding Batman v Superman. Batman actors are always asked about the new actor and new movie, and Bale recently told Comicbook that he was an Adam West fan but was looking forward to Batman v Superman, which stars Ben Affleck.
“It depends on who you talk with. You can’t be Adam West, it just depends what you’re in the mood for. I love watching Adam West. Everyone brings their own element to that — Ben [Affleck] will do that as well. I think the trailers are looking great and I’m looking forward to that. But right on for Morgan [Freeman] for saying no one will ever be that, I very much like him.”
Bale’s co-star and Batman confident Morgan Freeman spoke highly of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, saying he didn’t think “You can beat that” and referred to the two Batman films as “it.” Batman fans will find out whether Batman v Superman can measure up later this year. Despite Morgan Freeman’s fondness for The Dark Knight, Christian Bale lamented his role in it, and he was not satisfied with his the finished product.
“I found when I put on the suit I just feel like a bloody idiot if I don’t use this as a means it’s of kind of his true monstrous self that he allows to come out in that moment. Heath turned up, and just kind of completely ruined all my plans. Because I went, ‘He’s so much more interesting than me and what I’m doing. I sort of go ‘I didn’t quite manage what I hoped I would through the trilogy.'”
Batman fans, for the most part, would disagree with his assessment. With Gotham Season 2 fast tracking Batman villains and moving the show in the right direction for the Caped Crusader’s evolution and Batman v Superman helping bring about the Justice League, there is a whole lot of Batman to be enjoyed for the fans.
[Image via FOX]
