Thescreescore – Margot Robbie’s Birds of Prey almost featured a very different villain. In a recent Entertainment Weekly interview, Robbie revealed that an early draft of the script had The Penguin as the main antagonist. However, Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, intervened, requesting that the character be excluded to save him for his own film universe. This revelation offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into the complex world of DC film production.
Robbie, in conversation with Colin Farrell (who portrays The Penguin in Reeves’ The Batman), casually dropped the bombshell. She recounted how Christina Hodson’s initial script positioned Oswald Cobblepot as Harley Quinn’s nemesis. However, Reeves’ intervention led to a last-minute swap, replacing The Penguin with Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask. Farrell expressed astonishment at this news, prompting Robbie to playfully tease the "amazing" portrayal of Penguin that never made it to the screen.
This decision, while surprising, proved to be a shrewd move for Reeves. Birds of Prey, while a fan-favorite for some, faced mixed critical reception and underperformed at the box office. Had the film featured a poorly received Penguin, it could have negatively impacted audience anticipation for Farrell’s interpretation in The Batman. The success of Reeves’ film, and the subsequent spin-off series starring Farrell, directly benefits from this strategic decision. It also highlights the often-overlooked complexities of navigating multiple, interconnected (and sometimes not-so-interconnected) cinematic universes.
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The revelation raises intriguing questions. What exactly was Hodson’s vision for this version of The Penguin? Would it have been a drastically different characterization from Farrell’s? And will we ever see Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Farrell’s Penguin share the screen in James Gunn’s newly established DC Universe? Only time will tell. For now, the story serves as a compelling reminder of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering and crucial decisions that shape the cinematic landscape of our favorite superhero franchises.
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