‘Batman: Caped Crusader' introduces gender-swapped Penguin, Internet says 'go woke, go broke'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A major twist awaits DC fans in upcoming animated superhero series 'Batman: Caped Crusader'. Cast and creative team of the Prime Video series marked their attendance at San Diego Comic-Con, unveiling a gender swap for one of the most iconic villains in Bruce Wayne's mythology.
The series reimagines The Penguin as a woman, voiced by Oscar nominee Minnie Driver, best known for 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Grosse Pointe Blank’.
The gender-swapped supervillain is named Oswalda Cobblepot, a female incarnation of Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin. While the name of the character has been slightly changed, it will still be referred to as Penguin in the Prime Video series.
Unhappy fans label Penguin's gender swap a "woke disaster"
DC fans seem unhappy with the recent change to the upcoming 'Batman' series. Some view the new bender characters as a ‘woke’ choice, while others accuse the creators of "creative bankruptcy."
Calling out the creators of the series, a DC fan wrote on X, "Instead of making every other male character a woman, why don't you just write better female characters?"
Joining the thread, another wrote, "I feel this way about ALL types of "bender" characters. Why not instead of changing the race, gender, identity of pre-existing characters; why not create interesting NEW ones?? Unless, of course, it's the POINT to piss ppl off; in which case, good job lol."
Instead of making every other male character a woman, why don't you just write better female characters?
— mikeymumbelz (@mikeymumbelz) July 27, 2024
Weird, am I right?
I feel this way about ALL types of "bender" characters.
— Bill Lee (@will84ny) July 28, 2024
Why not instead of changing the race, gender, identity of pre-existing characters; why not create interesting NEW ones??
Unless, of course, it's the POINT to piss ppl off; in which case, good job lol 🤦♂️😂
"Get woke go broke,” said an X user, citing that Disney suffered a setback in an attempt to be woke.
"It’s an Amazon show people. It’s all corporate nonsense, what did you expect,” wrote another disappointed fan.
It’s an Amazon show people. It’s all corporate nonsense, what did you expect.
— Jordan Eshelman is ready for summer (@anime_esh202) July 27, 2024
Someone labelled the series as "Another woke disaster," while another claimed that with the gender-swap decision, "all the users on X that were interested went out the window."
And just like that, all the users on X that were interested went out the window.
— Glass Experience (@metalmayfantasy) July 27, 2024
What does Minnie Driver say about the gender swapping of The Penguin in 'Batman: Caped Crusader'?
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Minnie Driver admits that some fans might not like a female Cobblepot, but she believes the character still captures the true spirit of The Penguin.
“If we’re lucky enough to be invited onto the stage to inhabit these characters that already exist in the ether, we just sort of rise up to meet them. And this was such a beautiful retelling of that villain. It was joyful. And, I mean, she’s dreadful," says Driver, as reported by Variety.
How to stream 'Batman: Caped Crusader'?
Directed by Christopher Berkeley, Matt Peters and Christina Sotta, 'Batman: Caped Crusader' is scheduled to premiere on August 1, 2024, at 3 am ET.
Fans will be able to stream all the episodes simultaneously on Prime Video.
The official synopsis for 'Batman Caped Crusader' Season 1 reads, "Welcome to Gotham City, where criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the BATMAN. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications."
'Batman: Caped Crusader' trailer