While there has been very little revealed about Matt Reeves's upcoming The Batman starring Robert Pattinson, that has not stopped fans from being extremely excited about the movie. One thing that is getting a lot of attention is Colin Farrell's portrayal of the classic Batman villain Penguin. But according to the actor himself, fans should not expect him to have a very large role in the movie.
Farrell was recently on the Happy Sad Confused podcast where he talked about his role in The Batman, which was not as extensive as some might think. The actor figures he is only in the movie for "five or six scenes, or seven scenes" which he thinks adds up to about "nine minutes" of screen time. He even joked that the movie will benefit from his lack of screen time and was excited to be able to enjoy the movie mostly as a fan rather than an actor. It is unclear if that screen time changed following the recent reshoots on The Batman, which Farrell was rumored to be a part of.
Farrell went on the talk about the extensive makeup he wore to play Penguin in The Batman that made him unrecognizable. He explains that the idea of gaining weight for the part didn't appeal to him as he was still dealing with health issues from weight gain for his role in the series The North Water. However, he explains that the fat suit and makeup designed by Mike Marino helped him to understand the character and deliver a good performance as Penguin.
Though Penguin is one of the most iconic Batman villains, he is not the only bad guy confirmed for The Batman. Paul Dano will be playing The Riddler, who is rumored to be the main villain of the story, while Zoe Kravitz is onboard as Selina Kyle. Additionally, John Turturro is playing mobster Carmine Falcone. The cast also includes Andy Serkis as Alfred, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and Peter Sarsgaard as D.A. Gil Coulson.
Given the hype surrounding Farrell's transformative appearance as Penguin, it's a little disappointing to hear that he will not be a central character in the movie. But while seeing more of this new version of Penguin would be fun, it is also a little reassuring since the movie does feel a little overcrowded.
With some fans worried about The Batman featuring too many villains, it seems that Farrell's supporting role will make way for Dano's Riddler to be the central antagonist. It also bodes well for the story that Farrell would be willing to take a limited role in this movie, especially as he is virtually unrecognizable.
The Batman is scheduled to be released in theaters on March 4, 2022.
Source: Happy Sad Confused