Colin Farrell’s ‘The Penguin’ Has Already Beaten Robert Pattinson’s ‘The Batman’ in One Regard and It Only Makes Us More Excited for ‘The Batman 2’
- Colin Farrell has nailed his role as The Penguin in the HBO Max spin-off series.
- The Penguin has surpassed Robert Pattinson's The Batman in terms of critical appreciation.
- Farrell is not sure if he is willing to return as The Penguin for a new project.
Colin Farrell is making waves in the industry again and this time he might as well give some of the best creatives a run for their money. The Irish actor is known for his lead roles in blockbuster movies as well as independent ones. He has two Golden Globe Awards under his belt along with an Academy Award nomination.
These days, Farrell is the talk of the town, and for all the right reasons it seems. He took on the role of the DC supervillain The Penguin in 2022’s The Batman, which stars Robert Pattinson in the lead role. A spin-off series based on the Penguin was green-lit and is now scheduled to premiere soon. Critics have had the opportunity to watch it and they are beyond impressed. In fact, the upcoming show has left behind The Batman in one regard.
The Penguin Has Surpassed The Batman‘s Success On One Ground
The Penguin is one of the most iconic DC supervillains and has been adapted for different media such as animated series, movies, and even TV shows. Burgess Meredith was the first actor to portray the character in a TV series and a movie, both of which were released in the same year.
Over two decades later, Danny DeVito played the role in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. His performance was highly praised by both critics and audience. Similarly, three decades later, Colin Farrell has played a younger version of Oswald Cobbleplot, the right-hand of the crime lord Carmine Falcone.
HBO’s The Penguin series is a crime drama TV show that explores the titular character’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. Ahead of its premiere for the audience to witness Farrell’s brilliance as the character, the show has earned a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer which implies that the critics are impressed. In fact, the Cinema Blend‘s Nick Venable wrote:
Thankfully, HBO’s spinoff The Penguin is almost here to fill the void with a Gotham City crime saga like no other, and at the risk of engaging in rampant blasphemy — Bat-sphemy? — Oswald Cobb puts Robert Pattinson’s Batman to shame.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman has a score of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer which makes it look dull in comparison to The Penguin. However, this also makes it all the more exciting for The Batman: Part II, which is already in development.
Colin Farrell Is Not Sure If He Wants to Return As Oswald Cobblepot
it is no secret what it takes to give such powerful performances. The world witnessed how Heath Ledger’s unforgettable performance as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight was a result of him staying locked in his hotel room for weeks on end.
Farrell might not have gone the method-acting road but the character did take a mental toll on him. In an interview with Total Film magazine, he expressed his reluctance to do this again.
Don’t get me wrong — I loved it — but it got in on me a little bit. By the end of it, I was bitching and moaning to anyone who would listen to me that I fucking wanted it to be finished. I tried to remind them that I had ‘grumpy gratitude.’
He said that he was grateful for the opportunity and even felt privileged. This does not mean that he is completely slashing off the chance of his return. The In Bruges actor also stated that he might return to play the role in a year or so even if he did not feel up for it right after he was done with the show.
The Penguin will premiere on Max on September 19, 2024.
