With Michael Keaton reprising Batman for The Flash, a lot of other fans are wondering which other DC vets could be making a return to the big screen. Danny DeVito had played the part of the Penguin in Batman Returns, and when he was asked if he would like to return, he says he’s pretty much passed the torch over to Colin Farrell.
Talking to Variety, DeVito explains, “Colin Farrell is the Penguin now…He’s a brilliant actor. I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s a good man… I loved seeing him as the Penguin. I thought he was great,” DeVito also joked, “He reminds me of a couple of my relatives back in Jersey.”
Though DeVito’s Penguin was supposed to be more like a grotesque animal-man that eats raw fish and scares people, Farrell’s Penguin is played like a modern-day mobster, with a lot of influence from Tony Soprano from The Sopranos. He still gets the Penguin moniker from his facial scars and limp, but besides that, it’s a completely different take from DeVito’s version.
Though The Batman wasn’t an origin story for Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader, it did act as a sort of origin for his villains. Though Cobblepot was only a high-ranking goon in the film, we’re expected to watch him rise through the ranks, now that Carmine Falcone is out of the way.
Hopefully we get a new trailer soon, because the in-production teaser was pretty great.
The Penguin is expected to debut on HBO Max sometime in 2024.
