Colin Farrell explains Matt Reeves' involvement in The Batman spinoff show, The Penguin. Reeves delivered a deliciously grim and noir take on the Caped Crusader's story with The Batman, which saw Twilight star Robert Pattinson transform into the titular Bruce Wayne. The movie explored Batman's early career as a vigilante, following him as he uncovered the corruption in Gotham City. While Pattison proved to be a hit, several of The Batman's other characters, including Zoë Kravitz's Selina Kyle/ Catwoman, Paul Dano's Edward Nashton/The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright's James Gordon, and Andy Serkis' Alfred Pennyworth, also gained widespread acclaim and recognition. But the actor who stood out the most was Farrell, whose steal-scening turn as The Penguin earned him rave reviews.
Rumblings of a spinoff show centered on Farrell's villain had begun even before The Batman hit theaters, but the show wasn't officially announced until HBO Max handed out a series order to The Penguin in March 2022. Set both before and after the events of Reeves' The Batman, The Penguin reportedly charts Oswald «Oz» Cobblepot's rise to power as Gotham's criminal overlord. The show draws inspiration from classic gangster thrillers like The Long Good Friday and Scarface. And it seemingly explains how Oz/The Penguin took advantage of the anarchy in Gotham after Carmine Falcone's (John Turturro) death to establish his own crime syndicate. Lauren LeFranc serves as the showrunner on The Penguin, with Reeves, Farrell, and Dylan Clark executive producing.
Related: The Batman's Penguin Spinoff Repeats The DCEU's Worst Mistake
Now, in a new interview with ET, Farrell elaborated on the scope of Reeves' involvement in The Penguin spinoff series. As the actor reveals,
Platform
Citi
Career
badminton
Selina Kyle
Bruce Wayne
Robert Pattinson
Jeffrey Wright
Andy Serkis
Alfred Pennyworth
Paul Dano
Colin Farrell
James Gordon
Edward Nashton
Dylan Clark
Carmine Falcone