Penguin Teaser: Colin Farrell's Acting Chops Are Unmatched In New Max Series
Matt Reeves' "The Batman" brought Gotham City back to the big screen, reintroducing fans to characters they were already familiar with, albeit in ways we hadn't seen before. Prior to Reeves' neo-noir-flavored superhero movie, Danny DeVito's cartoonish portrayal of Penguin in 1992's "Batman Returns" was arguably the most popular iteration of the villain. However, Colin Farrell's rendition in Reeves' movie was something completely different, and he was one of the high points in a movie that's full of high points.
Farrell's role in Reeves' "Batman" was small but memorable. The actor was hidden beneath layers of prosthetics and practically unrecognizable, which was an impressive feat in and of itself. Furthermore, the "In Bruges" star's slimy performance instantly established the villain as a psychologically complex, untrustworthy weasel, despite only appearing in a few scenes.
As such, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding this version of Oswald Cobblepot. The good news, though, is that we'll get to learn more about him in HBO Max's upcoming "The Penguin" spinoff series. Furthermore, the streamer has just unveiled the first teaser for the show, and the lead actor's acting chops are on full display.
Penguin wants to take over Gotham City
The trailer opens with Penguin overlooking Gotham City, which is still a flooded mess following Riddler (Paul Dano) and his militia's orchestrated terrorist attack in "The Batman." In the accompanying narration, the villain says, "The world ain't built for guys like us, that's why we gotta take whatever we decide is ours." From the get-go, he makes his intentions known — and that means trouble for everyone else.
Now that Carmine Falcao (John Turturro) is out of the picture, Gotham City's aspiring crime kingpins want control of the city. Michael Kelly ("House of Cards") makes an appearance as Falcao's "right-hand," so he'll probably be out to avenge his old boss, too. However, Penguin is intent on taking control of the city for himself, and as the trailer shows, he's willing to use his gun to take out his enemies.
"The Penguin" series will be closely connected to "The Batman 2," so it's going to be essential viewing for fans of Matt Reeves' blossoming franchise. Unfortunately, we have to wait until 2024 to see it all unfold on Max.