Who is Magpie in Batman? Everything About the Villian

Magpie is a minor villain in the Batman universe. She became a criminal after stealing valuable items from the Gotham City Museum.

by Aishwarya R

Updated Oct 14, 2024

Advertisement
Who is Magpie in Batman? Everything About the Villian
Fresherslive

Who is Magpie in Batman?

Magpie is a lesser-known villain in the Batman universe. Her real name is Margaret Pye, and she first appeared in The Man of Steel #3. Magpie has always had a fascination with shiny objects. To be near valuable items, she got a job at the Gotham City Museum for Antiquities. However, her obsession became too strong, and she eventually snapped. This led her to become Magpie, where she began stealing valuable items from the museum.

Article continues below advertisement

Magpie doesn’t have any superpowers, but she is a skilled gymnast and uses various weapons, including explosives and razor blades. One of her unique tricks is creating deadly duplicates of the museum items she steals, which can trap or harm others.

Although she has been part of Batman comics since 1986, Magpie hasn’t appeared much in movies or shows, with notable appearances in the series Gotham and Batwoman, and a background role in The Lego Batman Movie. In the HBO show The Penguin, she introduces herself as Magpie, emphasizing her identity as a villain in Gotham's world.

Magpie in The Penguin Origin

In The Penguin, Magpie is a character who is quite different from the traditional version of Oswald Cobblepot in the comics. The show explores its own version of Gotham's lore, which allows for new interpretations of characters.

Magpie finds herself in Arkham Asylum, a place where many Gotham villains end up. In the show, there are no comic book stories that show her alongside Sofia Falcone in Arkham, giving the creators freedom to develop their own storyline.

Botha explains that she created her own version of Magpie by drawing on her unique characteristics, like her obsession with shiny objects. When Sofia Falcone arrives at Arkham, Magpie sees her as a "shiny thing" she wants to possess and befriend. This obsession highlights Magpie's erratic behavior and her mix of joy and rage.

Although Magpie only appears briefly in the episode, she is portrayed as a complex character, showing both her childish wonder and her deeper trauma. Botha wanted to give Magpie a sense of sadness, reflecting the impact of Arkham on its inmates. By the end of the episode, it becomes clear that Arkham has a damaging effect on everyone, including Magpie, who represents the consequences of being trapped in such a dark place.

Article continues below advertisement

Who Plays Magpie in The Penguin?

Marié Botha is a South African actress best known for her role as Margaret Pye, also known as Magpie, in the show The Penguin. She has also appeared in Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play. (2024) and the series Dickinson (2019).

Not much personal information about Marié is publicly available. Details about her family background, relationship status, and other aspects of her life remain private.

The Penguin

The Penguin is an American crime drama miniseries created for HBO. It is based on the DC Comics character the Penguin and serves as a spin-off from the movie The Batman (2022). The show focuses on the Penguin's rise to power in Gotham City's criminal world.

The development of the series began in September 2021, and HBO Max officially ordered it in March 2022, after the success of The Batman. Matt Reeves, the director of the film, was involved in the writing and hiring of the creative team.

Filming started in March 2023 in New York City but was temporarily halted in June 2023 due to labor disputes in Hollywood. Production resumed in late November and wrapped up in February 2024. The series premiered on HBO in July 2024, moving from HBO Max to HBO. Craig Zobel directed the first three episodes of the show.

Article continues below advertisement

The Penguin Plot

The Penguin follows after the events of The Batman (2022) and focuses on Oswald Cobb, also known as the Penguin. The series follows his journey as he tries to rise to power in Gotham City's criminal underworld. It explores the challenges he faces and the people he encounters along the way. As he navigates the dangerous world of crime, he aims to establish himself as a significant player. The show delves into his character and the gritty reality of Gotham.

The Penguin Cast

Colin Farrell stars as the Penguin, reprising his role from the film. The cast also includes Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo, Michael Zegen, and many others.

Cast Character 
Colin Farrell Oswald "Oz" Cobb / The Penguin
Cristin Milioti Sofia Falcone / The Hangman
Rhenzy Feliz Victor "Vic" Aguilar
Deirdre O'Connell Francis Cobb
Clancy Brown Salvatore Maroni
Carmen Ejogo Eve Karlo
Michael Zegen Alberto Falcone
Berto Colón Castillo
James Madio Milos Grapa
Joshua Bitton Mikey Stone
David H. Holmes Nick Fuchs
Daniel J. Watts Bruno Tess
Ben Cook Calvin
Jayme Lawson Bella Reál
Michael Kelly Johnny Viti
Mark Strong Carmine Falcone
Scott Cohen Luca Falcone
Shohreh Aghdashloo Nadia Maroni
Theo Rossi Julian Rush
Aleksa Palladino Carla Viti
Craig Walker Detective Marcus Wise
Tess Soltau Tina Falcone
Marié Botha Magpie
Jared Abrahamson Squid
Aria Shahghasemi Taj Maroni
François Chau Feng Zhao

Where to Watch The Penguin?

You can watch The Penguin on HBO. The series premiered in the United States on September 19, 2024, and will have a total of eight episodes, airing until November 10, 2024.

Disclaimer: The above information is for general informational purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information on the Site.

Recent Articles

Advertisement