Colin Farrell’s Penguin Wasn’t Allowed To Do This One Thing in ‘The Batman’

The big picture

• The Penguin is one of Batman's most famous villains, having been played by Danny DeVito and Burgess Meredith.
• Warner Bros. imposed restrictions on Colin Farrell's version of The Penguin, such as not allowing him to smoke.
• The penguin will evolve in the Max spin-off series, showing a dark and violent path.

when Colin Farrell He was confirmed to take on the role of Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot (aka Penguin) in Matt Reeves' The Batman, many might have been skeptical. However, after just one moment of Farrell's Penguin on screen, it was obvious that Farrell understood The Penguin and the fascinating new version of Gotham in which he resided. Unrecognizable under piles of prosthetic makeup, Farrell's Penguin exists in the early days of Gotham lore, pitted against Bruce Wayne / Batman (Robert Pattinson), Selina Kyle / Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), and James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), as they navigate the terror and tricks brought by the Riddler (Pau Dano).

Farrell's Penguin is as bombastic as we've come to expect throughout the villain's frequent appearances on page and screen, but you've probably noticed that he went without many of his iconic visual cues. Despite Farrell's efforts, the studio was pretty adamant about certain things this version of the villain could and couldn't do. With a sequel on the way and a spin-off series for Farrell, the penguin, coming soon to Max, this isn't the last we'll see of the mob lord. While the flipper-like hands will likely remain out of the equation, Farrell's upcoming penguin evolution may bring him closer to the image engrained in pop culture.

'The Batman' is an origin story for villains

For the penguin, this is just the beginning. When Batman first meets him in the Iceberg Lounge, he isn't very guarded, at least for The Dark Knight. Struggling into the inner chambers is more of a nuisance than a challenge, and by the time he arrives, Selina Kyle has already infiltrated his way. Under the guise of an employee, Selina searches for answers about her missing friend, having grown up in the criminal world that the penguin inhabits. In The Batman, the Penguin we know works within the ranks of Gotham's pre-established mob. In larger DC history, we know him as the top dog (most of the time), but Reeve's universe gives us an Oswald who still has a thirst for power. Having so far set out to take a more realistic approach without supernatural evil, this iteration of the character could be progressing into the realm of film. Godfather-like crime lords.

Batman's villain origin style doesn't just apply to Penguin. The Riddler, the film's central villain, is just beginning to blossom. His suit is a makeshift model that conveys how the full percentage of his processing power is put into his mental plot, not at all the colorful showman of other iterations of the Riddler. As the film progresses, when Riddler is captured and Bruce gets the chance to question him, he fully admits that Batman was his inspiration. Riddler's cohorts, young recruits who were fascinated by his impassioned propaganda, echo this sentiment. “Revenge,” they reply when unmasked and asked to identify themselves, simultaneously mocking, accusing, and admiring Batman for his self-description. Also, when Riddler is defeated, a random companion who made a cell in Arkham Asylum is the Joker (Barry Keoghan). The two form a quick connection and laugh maniacally together, hinting at evolution and more evil to come.

Colin Farrell's penguin was not allowed to smoke

Jake's Takesa Hollywood interview channel created by Jake Hamiltonposted a video with the cast of The Batman just ahead of its release in 2022. During a duo interview with Farrell and John Turturro (the film's Carmine Falcone), Farrell admitted that the studio's involvement prevented his Penguin from using one of the villain's most iconic props. “… the cigarette in the bag. Big studios make big decisions about things like the presence of cigarettes in movies” Farrell told Hamilton. “I fought bravely for a cigar. I even said at one point, “I can have it off! Just let me have it off,” and they were like, 'No!'” They all laughed together at the levity of the subject, but Farrell have more to divulge than this interesting detail alone. He has a clear understanding of who Penguin is. the legacy of the performers he's joined, and where the character may venture in the future After joking about his lack of cigarettes or a monocle, Farrell elaborated “The Oz we know has not embodied the energy of the penguin we recognize from the original comics and previous films.”

Colin Farrell's Batman villain will evolve into Max's “The Penguin.”

Ironically, after Farrell doesn't smoke, the short teaser for Max's the penguin introduces his character by emphasizing the act of smoking a cigar when recounting a memory. It's a meaningless coincidence, of course, but it makes for a fun transition into the theory of how his penguin might evolve. We already know this from Farrell himself the penguin will allow his version of the character to take a violent and dark path. “It's dark, that's all I can tell you about it,” Farrell said Jonathan Blomberg from MovieZine. “It's very dark and very heavy, I think. I was definitely doing it. Which doesn't mean I wasn't having fun. I had an amazing time doing it. It's incredibly violent.”

We knew that before The Batmanthe release that a Penguin spin-off series was already underway. In the aforementioned Hamilton interview, Turturro joked, “I think I'd pay to see Colin discover the cigarette holder.” Farrell agreed and replied with a smile, “That would be a good time, man. That would be for the TV show. HBO will give me the green light for this!”

Even in a lower-level position of power, Farrell's penguin The Batman he is bold, brash and surprisingly fearless in the face of those who could easily take him down. The moment Falcone is arrested and presented as the potential “rat” in his crime scheme, Penguin openly challenges him and threatens him with violent competition. As Gotham's reigning leaders fall, Penguin's path to becoming the city's biggest crime boss continues to be paved. Even with Carmine Falcone dead, Penguin probably won't conquer easily. Cristin Milioti will play the daughter of the former crime lord, Sofia Falcone. The series resumes right after The Batman and will lead directly into the film's sequel.

The iconic Batman villain has been adapted many times

The Penguin recently, after all this time, received his first solo outing d.cwith Tom King i Rafael de Latorrethe first issue of the penguin launched in 2023. Of course, Danny DeVitoIt's the penguin's turn Tim Burton's batman returns it will always be the screen adaptation that immediately comes to mind. Its single-minded dedication to the intense air of Burton's outdoor premise is both comical and menacing, a caricature of villainy that never takes itself seriously, yet somehow remains thoroughly unsettling and formidable.

90s kids will always have The Penguin of Batman: The Animated Series engraved in his memory. Expressed by Paul Williams, the Penguin cartoon made a direct leap from the pages of comics to our television screens, complete with all the iconography we associate with the antagonist. Finally, we can never forget Burgess MeredithThe penguin of Batman series in the 1960s as one of Batman's most intelligent villains. Setting the stage for the pantheon of performances to come, Meredith's Penguin will remain a piece of genre history.

Farrell's version is already on its way to join the ranks with a new interpretation that still honors the beloved tropes that made The Penguin an enduring figure in the media. Combined with Reeve's adjacent gritty, black atmosphere, Farrell conjures up a penguin that can straddle the line between flamboyant and grounded realism. His version is as extraordinary as one might expect in an era that favors naturalistic portraiture over fantastic interpretations. It's a testament to Farrell, first and foremost, that anyone else trying the same could have made a caricature reminiscent of Jared Leto in House of Gucci, seemingly playing in a separate movie from everyone around him. Assuming his character survives, there's no doubt Farrell's Penguin will bolster any sequel The Batman to come.

The Batman is available to watch on Max in the US

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