Penguin's Family Portrait

[johnnygobbs]

[BatmAngelus]

I know from the descriptions that the family is named Van Dahl and that this isn't in Burton's continuity, but I would've loved it if they were the Shrecks and the young man in the picture was Max. It would've played with characters familiar with fans as well as brought Daniel Waters's original idea to life in having Penguin and Max as brothers.

[johnnygobbs]

I know from the descriptions that the family is named Van Dahl and that this isn't in Burton's continuity, but I would've loved it if they were the Shrecks and the young man in the picture was Max. It would've played with characters familiar with fans as well as brought Daniel Waters's original idea to life in having Penguin and Max as brothers.

It looks and sounds to me as if the 'Van Dahls' will be an upper-crust, high-society family much like the parents who abandoned The Penguin at the start of Batman Returns, and unlike poor immigrant Gertrud Kapelput, so it's possible this will play out with Oswald trying to reclaim his 'birth-right' by targeting his half-siblings, although that's only speculation at present.

The Max Shreck played by Christopher Walken in Batman Returns was a self-made, presumably working-class-guy-made-good (it was his son, Chip, who was born-to-the-manor), but you're right about Daniel Waters' earlier screenplay in which both Max and Oswald were siblings born to an upper-class family.  I suppose it would be a great nod to that draft if Oswald's half-brother was a version of Max.

[Slash Man]

This was a great way to incorporate another telling of Penguin's backstory from the comics (him being a member of high society). We were already introduced to the weirdo and outcast killer; I know it's a stretch, but I'm reminded of Penguin in Returns.

What can I say about Paul Reubens? He's great, and everyone loves the nod to his previous appearance as Tucker Cobblepot. And who isn't in favor of expanding the role of Penguin's dad? We saw him make a brief cameo with old age makeup before, now we see him appropriately aged and in a prominent role.

Would love it if Max Shreck is somehow brought up. They've already shown that greed and jealousy has divided the new siblings.