'The Godfather' star Marlon Brando almost played Penguin in 'Batman Returns'

Legendary actor Marlon Brando was a renowned, albeit fading star even before he portrayed the titular role in the 1972 crime drama film 'The Godfather'. But the Francis Ford Coppola directorial catapulted him to the very top. Even now, he is considered among the greatest actors of all time. Now it has come to light that the late thespian was considered for the role of the Penguin, one of Batman's greatest foes, in the 1992 Tim Burton-directed DC movie, 'Batman Returns'. But Warner Bros, the studio behind DC films, said no. The role eventually went to Danny DeVito, whose performance was praised almost universally.

The revelation came courtesy of Rob Nixon of Turner Classic Movies. Apparently, Christopher Lloyd, the 'Doc' of the 'Back of the Future' franchise, was also under consideration. But clearly, DeVito was the final choice.

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Featuring Michael Keaton in the titular role, 'Batman Returns' was a sequel to 1989's acclaimed 'Batman'. It was scripted by Daniel Waters using a story penned by himself and Sam Hamm. Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Michael Murphy were also featured in the movie. The film was both a critical and commercial success, grossing $266.8 million on a budget of $50–80 million.

Also Read:Colin Farrell on 'The Batman' spinoff series on Penguin: 'It's so tasty and unusual'

Penguin was portrayed by Irish star Colin Farrell in Matt Reeves' 'The Batman' which featured Robert Pattinson in the titular role. Since Farrell did not look like the comic-book Penguin with an obese body, rough and scarred face, and crooked teeth, the performance required the actor to wear thick makeup and prosthetics. He will reprise the role in the upcoming HBO Max series centering around the character.