7 of our all-time favorite film versions of Batman supervillains

Still from Batman Returns (1992). Image via Warner Bros./DC Entertainment

Amid the remake frenzy in Hollywood, there’s some potential to revisit some of our most favorite Batman supervillains.

A couple of days ago, Josh Gad dropped another breadcrumb to fans of the DC Extended Universe. The Beauty & The Beast co-star has been dropping conspicuous hints on social media that suggest he might be filling the role of The Penguin, a classic villain of Batman. On June 1, he posted a picture of himself between two Warner Bros. executives, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns. Gad, Berg and Johns are all standing in front of a DC logo while Gad holds a copy of Batman Adventures, Vol. 1, in which The Penguin debuted. The Instagram caption merely reads, “Nothing to see here.” Oh really, Josh? You can’t pull one over on us… also, I’m now really digging the idea of Gad as The Penguin.

The Penguin is one of the most iconic bad guys from Batman, at least for the millennial generation–we all grew up with Danny DeVito’s disgusting portrayal in Batman Returns. And what if Josh Gad attempted a reprisal of the role? I think The Penguin would suit him perfectly–he’s a physically awkward monster with a dark sense of humor, all qualities shared with Gad. How would his Penguin stack up against the DC legacy of the eighties and nineties, ranging from Batman Forever to Batman Begins?

As DCEU embarks on a new generation of young actors to play their classic heroes and villains, let’s look back on all of our most favorite Batman baddies from the last few decades.