Can Colin Farrell Handle The Dramatic Transformation into The Penguin? (original) (raw)

The next chapter of Matt Reeves’ Batman Saga is almost here, and like an umbrella stand at the Iceberg Lounge, there’s a lot more going on than you’d expect. For one, it’s set in a grittier Gotham that brings Reeves’ noir vision to the small screen. But perhaps the most talked-about element of The Penguin is its immaculate casting for the lead role of Oswald Cobblepot. Colin Farrell is set to return as the ringleader of Gotham’s criminal underworld and while we got a peek into his life and approach to his work only briefly in The Batman, the series is set to offer us a chance to peel back the curtain and see the inner workings of the festering underbelly of the city, all through the lens of the man who intends to call the shots. What seems to be the greatest draw, though, is learning who exactly Oz Cobblepot is, and how Reeves intends to bring the kingpin to life. Here’s all you need to know about the quietly menacing Cobblepot, and exactly what Colin Farrell can bring to the role.

Oswald Cobblepot

We’re all familiar with the monocle-wearing criminal mastermind, Oswald Cobblepot, brought to life in cartoonish detail in the comics and transformed into a sewer-dwelling wretch in Batman Returns. But the Penguin we meet in The Batman is a new direction to fit with Reeve’s modernised and bleak Gotham. Oz has a peculiar charm about him that tells you he’s a bad person, but not necessarily a bad guy (or at the very least, a guy we’d want to keep an eye on). He meets Batman with grace and candour, and though he certainly has plenty to hide, he doesn’t resist the opportunity to resolve things quietly. His greatest power though, is his reputation: years of running the streets of Gotham and remaining a key figure in the criminal underbelly of the city have granted him incredible protection and a target on his back in equal measure. But it’s his deceit and ruthlessness – along with a willingness to get his hands dirty – that has made him so fearsome that few dare to test him.

In the Penguin trailer, we also see another side to Cobblepot when he comes face-to-face with Sofia Falcone; his facade slips away to reveal a paranoia and vulnerability which threatens to consume him. Oz certainly isn’t invincible, but his determination to give his mother a better life and dominate the drug ring that rules the city makes him vicious and unpredictable. And few actors are as well equipped to bring the complicated man to life as Colin Farrell.

Melancholy

Colin Farrell has played various roles throughout his career which have allowed him to connect with a range of personalities, from charming to terrifying. The Batman depiction of Oz carries the same polarising attributes and with Farrell’s repertoire of character portrayals, it will be interesting to see how he embodies Oz in The Penguin.

There is a sadness lurking in the heart of the crime boss, and it’s a melancholy that draws him to his determination. Penguin’s guilt over not being able to provide enough for his mother is a key driving force behind his ferocity and it’s safe to say that there will be more going on with the character than what has been revealed so far.

With roles like _The Banshees of Inisherin_’s Pádraic Súilleabháin and _The Killing of a Sacred Deer_’s Steven Murphy – in which both characters bury emotions they refuse to confront – Farrell has proven he can access the sadness buried beneath the rage of Oz. We’re likely to see The Penguin during his most vulnerable moments in this series, and this sadness is set to come tumbling through his devised smoke and mirrors.

Rage

Anger is key to Oz’s fearsomeness. When we see him let loose with a machine gun in The Batman, it’s his fury that he needs to thank for his murderous outburst. The Penguin is violently ambitious and Farrell’s experience as an unpredictable villain with no remorse will be an important asset as the series unravels Oz’s inner workings. The quietly ferocious Mister Graves of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and even Bullseye in the early 00s’ Daredevil has made Farrell fit to bring such a menacing figure to life in the most chaotic, frenzied way.

Colin Farrell as Henry Drax, The North Water, 2021

But it’s the barely suppressed desire for violent retribution that creates the uneasy feeling that you’re never safe around Penguin. Farrell’s recent stint as the terrifying Henry Drax in The North Water is the perfect example of how he – once known for being adorable Irish eye candy – has the range to bring a subtly horrific character to life.

Charm

A good handshake can go a long way in disarming potential foes, and _The Penguin_’s Oz has these in droves. He’s an incredibly charming man who would appear to be well-meaning if you perhaps didn’t know that he was king of Gotham’s underworld. Colin Farrell is more than charismatic enough to complement Oz’s charm, as well as bring a few laughs.

His work on In Bruges, Horrible Bosses, and even Scrubs proves that the snarky and humorous side of Oswald Cobblepot isn’t going to be set aside in favour of total moodiness. Though we certainly wouldn’t laugh in his face, we’re bound to get some precise comedic moments from the snide, sarcastic crime boss.

While this variation of Penguin is likely to go light on trick umbrellas and jaunty top hats, what we are getting is the most fleshed-out Oswald Cobblepot we’ve ever seen. He’s not just a fearsome crime boss but also a complex man who has used violence to shelter himself from misery. While Farrell might be visually unrecognisable under all those prosthetics, there’s no denying that Cobblepot wouldn’t have the same level of depth without him.

Watch The Penguin when it arrives on Sky and NOW on September 20.

Entertainment Journalist, author of Building A Universe, big Greta Gerwig stan