Batman Villains: A Philosophical Duologue featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito
The odd combination of Danny DeVito's Penguin and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze has evolved in a fascinating mini-comic by cartoonist Dan Schkade. Renowned for their parts in the Batman movie series, this unusual team explores a deep philosophical question about life and death, so highlighting a depth and complexity sometimes disregarded in their performances.
Penguin by Danny DeVito and Mr. Freeze: A Philosophical Turn on Batman Villains by Arnold Schwarzenegger
While Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze from the 1997 movie "Batman & Robin" has been attacked for its campy tone and overuse of ice-related puns, Schkade's comic strips away the surface-level silliness to reveal a more reflective side of the character. Freeze's existential concerns fit DeVito's subtle and terrifying portrayal of the Penguin in " Batman Returns" (1992). Never seen in the movies, this unusual mix produces an engaging conversation on the essence of life and death.
Batman & Robin missed a great chance to investigate the depth of villains.
Inspired by an interview in Interview Magazine where DeVito and Schwarzenegger considered life and death, Schkade created his comic book. Transposing this deep conversation onto the Batman universe changes the enemies into nuanced people struggling with their own death. Particularly Mr. Freeze exposes a terrible view of death, questions the hereafter and expresses a great sense of loss. Freeze becomes a figure wrestling with the ultimate existential concerns from this introspection, instead of a basic villain.
The comic also exposes an unexpected friendship between Freeze and the Penguin that suggests transcending their villainous role. This subtle presentation highlights a more complicated and human aspect to the personalities of villains, so subverting the conventional picture of them as isolated and self-serving people.
Mr. Freeze and Penguin would be a fantastic villain team with a special dynamic for the Batman Universe.
The surprising philosophical depth and depth brought to Mr. Freeze and the Penguin by Schkade highlights the lost chance in "Batman & Robin." If these two characters had been given a more complex representation and a chance to interact, they could have created a quite fascinating and powerful villain team. Their introspection together and the sharp differences between their motivations and personalities might have produced a special dynamic that enhanced the Batman universe.
Under Schkade's perceptive interpretation, Mr. Freeze and the Penguin—unlikely friends—offer a glimpse of a Batman movie that might have enthralled viewers with its gripping villainous couple. With their common philosophical reflections, this surprising combination suggests a new dimension to the Batman universe and adds a level of depth and complexity hardly seen in superhero villains.
Dan Schkade is the source.
