Fans talk about how The Batman’s fresh take on the caped crusader and Robert Pattinson have earned the praise he is receiving for his portrayal in the movie. But besides the character, The Batman also offered one of the finest renditions of Gotham city and its dark and eerie environment that provided new versions of characters from Batman’s rogues’ gallery. One of them was Colin Farrell’s Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobblepot, The Penguin. Farrell features as Penguin in a brilliant transformation that makes it impossible for the audience to recognize him, thanks to the film’s make-up and prosthetics team.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Now Farrell is all set to return to the role in an HBO Max spin-off centered around the character. The series will feature Farrell in the lead role and will tie up with both The Batman and its planned sequels.
In a recent interview (via The Direct), Colin Farrell offered an update on his upcoming series, revealing the tentative dates for the series’ production’s commencement. He said,
Farrell revealed that he has read the script and is excited about the story. He also said the series could be around six to eight hours.
There’s something I’m going to do here in LA between now & Christmas. I think next February will start.
Expansion of Bat-Verse With Penguin
Warner Bros.
Penguin will tell the story of Oz’s rise to power within the criminal syndicate at Gotham. He was portrayed as a henchman for Carmine Falcone in The Batman. When Falcone was killed, a shot of Penguin looking over the Gotham skyline indicated his plans to take over his former boss.
I read the first script of what I think will be six or eight hours. It was so tasty. I was just kind of: Fu*k, nice.
In the comics, Penguin is one of the most dreaded enemies of Batman, as he keeps the organized crime in the city afloat, making things more complex for Batman. While Batman always figures out a way to take down his more physically strong enemies, Penguin’s attempts at breeding corruption in the city’s administration are more difficult for him to tackle.
The newfound goal of Farrell’s Penguin will probably become the source for the future expansion of Reeves’ Bat-Verse. There is a possibility of seeing new characters in the series who may become crucial figures in this cinematic universe. While Farrell’s character’s arc would be worth the watch in the upcoming series, it would become further interesting to see Gotham change shades with the story’s progression, moving forward from Greg Fraser’s breathtaking creation of the city.
Besides, Penguin, HBO Max is also developing a series based on the tales from Arkham, which is an extension of an earlier planned GCPD series set within the same universe. The Batman 2 is also officially greenlit with the entire creative and production team returning, along with the lead cast from the first one. One of the most talked about portrayals from the film was also Barry Keoghan’s Joker, who may be crucial to the planned sequels.
DC Films is struggling to establish a cinematic universe or cinematic multiverse. Out of all the previous studio’s attempts to do so, The Batman has been the most successful one. And it would be some venture to witness when it expands into multiple stories across theatrical and television formats.
