The Batman: Colin Farrell Was Excited To Inhabit Penguin’s Look

Colin Farrell was excited to really dig into the distinct look created for the Penguin in The Batman. Set to finally arrive in theaters in just under one month, Matt Reeves’ The Batman will introduce viewers to a brand new iteration of the Caped Crusader. Robert Pattinson plays a Bruce Wayne in his second year of being Batman, and any stability he might’ve found in his new position is swiftly rocked by a string of gruesome murders among Gotham’s elite. The person responsible is none other than the Riddler (Paul Dano), here a puzzle-obsessed villain more in the vein of the Zodiac killer than, say, Jim Carrey’s campy trickster from Batman Forever.

The Batman also features several other members of the character’s rogue’s gallery, including the Penguin. Farrell will be the latest actor to bring Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot to the big screen, and he’s guaranteed to be unlike any version of the character fans have seen before. For one thing, this Penguin isn’t yet the fully-formed villain seen in the comics. For another, Farrell is nearly recognizable when he’s in costume for this role; when the first Batman trailer was released in 2020, it took viewers a little bit to realize they had seen Farrell among the rest of the star-studded cast.

Naturally, developing Penguin’s look was quite a process, but it was one Farrell was pleased to be a part of. Speaking to Total Film (via CBR), Farrell explained how Reeves and makeup artist Mike Marino pooled their visions to create Penguin’s prosthetics and general physical appearance. As it came together, Farrell became more and more excited to actually inhabit it. He said:

“[Reeves] had a clear idea about the silhouette of the man. But I gotta give massive props to the artistic brilliance of [Marino] who designed the face… It felt like [Marino] created this amazing marionette and asked me to help inhabit/animate it. I’d no idea we were gonna travel this route. But once we agreed on it I got excited. Then I saw the design on a computer screen and I got more excited. Then we did a make-up test and I just felt so fortunate to be able to play in such a sandbox.”

The Penguin has always been a character with a distinctive physical look, and the version featured in The Batman is no exception. There’s long been a debate over whether such dramatic prosthetics help or hinder a performance, and Farrell’s Penguin appearance hasn’t come without some pushback from fans. However, the fact that a Penguin-centric spin-off has already been greenlit indicates Farrell is going to be a great fit for the role. It seems that, based on his comments, the extensive makeup and prosthetics really helped him build his Penguin from the ground up.

Fans will get to form their own opinions on Farrell’s Penguin when The Batman arrives next month. Overall, the character isn’t expected to have a major role in the film, only offering up a hint of what his in-development spin-off can offer. Between him, the Riddler, and Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman, The Batman will offer a very well-rounded view of Gotham and all its intriguing inhabitants. This is going to be an exciting ride.