Though fans still have a considerable wait until The Batman is released, excitement is already through the roof for this latest take on the Caped Crusader. Matt Reeves and his team certainly look to be doing something new and bold with the Batman lore and its iconic characters. Certainly, fans are very excited to see what Robert Pattinson brings to the lead role as Bruce Wayne and Batman. A recent glimpse at Paul Dano's Riddler also hints at an interesting new direction for that villain. But perhaps the most intriguing character in the whole movie is Penguin as played by Colin Farrell.
Much like the rest of the movie, little to nothing has been revealed about the character or his role in the movie. But Farrell's take on the famous villain immediately drew interesting when fans got a glimpse at his look. Farrell initially seemed like a strange choice for the role as he doesn't quite fit the character's traditional depiction as a short, stout, and unsightly older man. Fans were expecting a very different interpretation of the character who fit Farrell's movie-star good looks.
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But the first trailer proved that not only was Farrell's portrayal embracing the classic look of the character, but it also made Farrell unrecognizable in the role. Even after the trailer hit, many fans failed to realize they had seen the actor in the trailer. With extensive and very convincing prosthetics, some of Farrell's co-stars in the movie even admit to not recognizing him in person. It is an impressive transformation that will no doubt lend a very interesting element to the character's impact on the movie.
Of course, Farrell will not be the first actor to play Penguin in a live-action movie. Burgess Meredith reprised his role from the 1960s Batman series to play Penguin in Batman: The Movie. Meredith's cartoonish take on the character was perfectly in line with the campy feel of that version of Batman although he wasn't a particularly intimidating villain. Then in 1992's Batman Returns, Danny DeVito stepped into the role. Tim Burton was going for a much darker and gothic feel for the sequel and DeVito's take on the role resulted in a grotesque and monstrous bad guy. DeVito gave a big performance, fully embracing the depravity of this version of Penguin and infusing the role with a good deal of dark humor as well.
Farrell's take on the character will assuredly be quite different than both Meredith and DeVito. Reeves looks to be going for a dark yet realistic approach inspired by film noir. Though the footage released so far hasn't revealed much, it would appear that Penguin is a member of Gotham's criminal underworld in this movie. He appears to be a gangster with no issue of using violence who, naturally, runs afoul of Batman.
Given what is known about the movie, it seems like The Batman will try an equally bold take on Riddler, reimagining him as a Zodiac-type serial killer. A gangster version of Penguin feels like a nice counterpoint to that villain and is closer to many of the comic book versions of the character. It also could establish Penguin as a crime figure who has long been influential within Gotham. Seeing as the movie seems to be exploring the dark history of Gotham City, it could reveal that he has deeper ties to the story than it seems.
Along with the physical transformation and the more grounded approach, Colin Farrell is probably the most exciting aspect of Penguin in this new movie. Again, looking at the other actors who have played this role, he doesn't seem like an obvious choice, but his career really shows what interesting things he could do with this character. Farrell first gained attention in Hollywood for standout roles in movies like Phone Booth and Daredevil. He showed real intensity as an actor that demanded attention and was willing to take risks with his roles. Based on his talent and movie-star good looks, he was pushed as the next big action star in Hollywood.
Sadly, his projects as a leading man were rather forgettable, such as The Recruit and S.W.A.T. Wisely, Farrell started to reinvent himself as more of a character actor. He began appearing in less as the leading man in blockbusters and turned more to supporting roles as well as challenging smaller movies, like In Bruges and The Lobster. The result was a reminder that Farrell was a great actor and it gave him the opportunity to try some exciting new things. There was a time when he would have been a top contender to play Batman, but he now seems like the type of actor who would be more comfortable as a secondary villain in a movie like this. The size of the role is not a sign of diminishing star power but rather an opportunity for him to give a stand-out performance without having to carry a movie.
Fans still have a long wait for The Batman to hit theaters and the lack of footage has kept them in the dark while also increasing excitement. Time will tell how the movie delivers, but with such intriguing elements as Farrell's Penguin being promised, it's hard not to be optimistic about the final result. Time will tell how this version of the Penguin will match up to those of the past, but it can certainly be guaranteed it will be an interesting take at the very least.
The Batman is set to hit theaters on March 4, 2022.
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