10 Controversial Changes Movies Made To The Comic Book Source (That Actually Improved It)
6. The Penguin Is An Actual Penguin - Batman Returns
In the comics, The Penguin was always depicted as an urbane, sophisticated crime boss with a love for trick umbrellas. Unlike a lot of Batman’s foes he’s not actually insane, but his intellect makes him just as dangerous.
Tim Burton - being who he is - wasn’t content with a simple redesign for Batman Returns, and decided to turn the character into a penguin-like human instead. He rubbed his trademark angst and gothiness over the character, making him the deformed son of aristocrats who tossed him into the sewers when he was a baby. He was raised by penguins, loves to eat raw fish and has flippers for hands; he's also a pervert and potential child killer.
It’s a seriously dark reinvention, and despite some fans being very unhappy this take went onto to inspire future comic and cartoon appearances of the character.