Colin Farrell Willing to Return in Sequel to “The Batman”
Colin Farrell knows how to play the villain. The star stunned audiences with his performance as Percival Graves in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He astounded Marvel fans with his take on Bullseye in Daredevil. He chilled theaters everywhere as the serial killer Charles Ambrose in Solace. His most recent villainous role as the Penguin in The Batman is among his most charming and complex portrayals yet, and he is ready for a sequel.
Farrell recently confirmed his enthusiasm on the red carpet at the premiere of his latest film, Thirteen Lives. Speaking with ET’s Will Marfuggi, the actor affirmed his willingness to reprise his role, specifically praising the mastery of Matt Reeves, a director he deemed “meticulous.”
👀 🦇 🔥 pic.twitter.com/7Y60BN1eJ5
— The Penguin (@TheBatman) April 27, 2022
A sequel to The Batman was announced earlier this year at CinemaCon, with Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory) confirmed to return as the titular character. No mention has been made yet as to whether Zoë Kravitz (Leta Lestrange) will be returning as Catwoman, nor whether the Penguin will be included in the sequel’s story line. Regardless, Colin Farrell’s time as the Penguin is far from over.
HBO Max has ordered a spin-off series about the villain and his rise in Gotham’s world of crime. Viewers will be able to follow the character, Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, on his journey from a simple mobster to something much more nefarious. Farrell, for one, couldn’t be more thrilled.
The world that Matt Reeves created for ‘The Batman’ is one that warrants a deeper gaze through the eyes of Oswald Cobblepot. […] Will be good to get him back on the streets of Gotham for a little madness and a little mayhem.
Farrell attributes much of Oz’s character to Michael Marino, the Penguin’s makeup artist and prosthetics designer. The transformation required hours in the makeup chair, and Farrell noted later that the heaviness of the products on his face helped change the way he naturally spoke. Farrell also found ways to connect to the Penguin through his characteristic heavy scarring.
It was fun creating a backstory for every single mark and every single issue that he has, because there’s a wealth of a kind of information, of personal history that one can design. You would hope that from thinking about it — even subtextually or unconsciously — this information finds its way into the character and onto the screen.
With such an amazing team and thoughtful acting, we can only hope to see more of the Penguin in future projects. Keep checking Casting News for more updates on Farrell and other Wizarding World alumni projects.
