THE BATMAN Concept Art Reveals A Very Different Look For Colin Farrell's Penguin

THE BATMAN Concept Art Reveals A Very Different Look For Colin Farrell's Penguin

Some more concept art for Matt Reeves' The Batman has been revealed, and it looks like a very different look for Colin Farrell's take on The Penguin was being considered at one point...

By MarkCassidy - Apr 24, 2022 10:04 AM EST
Filed Under: The Batman

The Art of The Batman is now available, and some more concept designs from the mammoth 224-page companion hardcover book have been shared online (via @Bat_Source).

Previous artwork suggested that a more comic-accurate take on The Penguin was being considered at one point, but these pieces indicate that Matt Reeves and his design department were also thinking about ditching the extensive prosthetics completely and simply going with... Colin Farrell in an array of loud suits!

This would certainly have been an interesting take on the classic villain, who is usually depicted as being overweight and unattractive (at times downright grotesque). This ties into the character's massive inferiority complex, so we're not sure of a handsome incarnation of Oswald Cobblepot would have worked nearly as well.

What do you guys think? Check out the artwork below.

Have you been to see The Batman yet? If so, what did you think? You can check out our review here.

"Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens."

“When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.”

The Batman is rated PG-13 for “strong violence, disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material.”

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Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 10:04 AM
The Penguin looked great in the film, but there are other actors equally talented that they could have used that look like they could pull off Penguin. I am not sure why it was so important to have Colin Farrell.
JesseCuster
JesseCuster - 4/24/2022, 11:18 AM
@Forthas - You just love complaining about absolutely nothing, don't you?
MosquitoFarmer
MosquitoFarmer - 4/24/2022, 11:29 AM
@Forthas - Considering how well he did in the role, and to much acclaim, I'd say it's pretty obvious why it was so "important" to have Colin Farrell.
Origame
Origame - 4/24/2022, 11:31 AM
@Forthas - wtf even is this point? You can say that about literally any actor in any role. If he pulls it off, that's all that matters.
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 11:41 AM
@JesseCuster - What do you see in that statement that is a complaint?
JesseCuster
JesseCuster - 4/24/2022, 11:46 AM
@Forthas - Oh, I don't know maybe the whole comment aside from "The Penguin looked great in the film"?
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 11:48 AM
@MosquitoFarmer - So you think he is the ONLY person that could pull off that role. Michael Stuhlbarg looks like he would make a great Penguin and his turn as Jimmy Baxter in the Showtime series Your Honor proves he is everybit as good an actor as Farrell. I don't beleive he would need prosthetics.
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 11:48 AM
@JesseCuster - I still don't see a complaint. it looks like a question to me.
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 11:52 AM
@Origame - No! MOST actors don't use prosthetics for their role unless they are playing someone who does not look like them. In that case it would seem if there are actors that DO look the part and are eqaully as talented, why not go for that?

It would be like if they used Kevin Hart to play Michael Jordan and used CGI to make him look the part. What is the point?
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 4/24/2022, 11:55 AM
@Forthas

Your Honor was a horrible show. 😂
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 12:06 PM
@regularmovieguy - OK...I was not critiquing the show. But if it makes you feel better Michael Stuhlbarg was also excellent as Arnold Rothstein in Boardwalk Empire.
SauronthePower
SauronthePower - 4/24/2022, 12:28 PM
@Forthas - while I thought Farrell did very well in the role, it DID smack of trying to xerox late-80’s DeNiro a bit too much. The first two concept pics would’ve worked FAR better to me than the final realization. I thought JT as Falcone was the single weakest link in the entire movie and Farrell, while comporting himself very well in the role, was still a bit “over-realized” (if that can be said to be ‘a thing’) compared to everything else.

All that being said…..Stuhlbarg would’ve annihilated in that role. Guy is Class A pedigree for that type of character. One need look no farther than his absolute mastery in the Arnold Rothstein role on ‘Boardwalk Empire’ to see how absolutely old-world fashion classy but utterly menacing he can channel.

Never considered Stuhlbarg prior to this but he would definitely have been the better choice.
oldnoname
oldnoname - 4/24/2022, 12:43 PM
@Forthas - I get what you're saying, actually. While Colin obviously killed it, character actors are important and we don't always need a big name. Especially in an already star studded film like this.
regularmovieguy
regularmovieguy - 4/24/2022, 12:43 PM
@Forthas

He’s a good actor.
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 12:50 PM
@SauronthePower - I had no problem with Farrell in fact a late 80's Deniro was an interesting and colorful interpretation to Penguin. He definitely delivered, but I think most people would agree that if they were casting the Penguin, Farrell would not be the first person that comes to mind which is what makes me wonder what it was about him that would make them think of him first. Maybe they did ask someone like a Stuhlbarg and he turned it down...who knows.

Kind of surprised you were not keen on John Turturro's turn as Falcone. I also thought he did fine. The only thing I would say to that is that he did not fit a stereotypical prohibition era crime boss which I think Batman mob villians tend to align and so he did not melt into the role like others have. In other word at times I would look at him as JT moreso than Falcone but I don't think that is his fault as much as my bias. But I think the entire cast did very well.
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 12:56 PM
@oldnoname -

Agreed, despite the fact Farrell did a great job in my opinion, it is just not a name that springs to mind when you think of Penguin. It could very well be the case that their prior choices turned it down and Farrell was available and the best actor they could get. That is reasonable.

But if I did cast Peguin, it would be Stuhlbarg all the way. Guy is criminally underrated actor.
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 12:59 PM
@regularmovieguy -

JesseCuster
JesseCuster - 4/24/2022, 1:05 PM
@Forthas - But you're essentially saying that you would rather have an actually heavy-set actor as opposed to someone who gets put in such convincing make-up that practically every audience member doesn't recognize them anyway. Got ya.
JesseCuster
JesseCuster - 4/24/2022, 1:13 PM
@Forthas - "It is just not a name that springs to mind when you think of Penguin"

See? That's you complaining about an actor choice. Even though it doesn't matter cause you just said you enjoyed him and liked him so why does it matter who could have potentially done better? Daniel Day-Lewis could have potentially done better, Leo DiCaprio could have potentially done better, name any upper-echelon caliber actor if you will. It doesn't change the consensus that Colin Farrell (who isn't some massively A-List name either, despite his pedigree) did an excellent job emoting and acting through a stellarly seamless make-up job.
Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 1:19 PM
@JesseCuster - I did not know we were playing "Got ya"

I wrote earlier that Michael Stuhlbarg would have been a great choice and

"I don't beleive [SIC] he would need prosthetics."

That would include a fatsuit, even though I don't think Stuhlbarg is fat at all.

Forthas
Forthas - 4/24/2022, 1:42 PM
@JesseCuster - That is not a compalaint. I agreed he did a great job. You point out that Daniel Day-Lewis or Leo DiCaprio could have done a better job. The problem is that the role calls for someone who is on the shorter side and has a look to them that screams menacing mobster.

Maybe those actors could have acted better but that does not mean they fit that profile. According to the database DC Fandom Penguin is 5 feet 2 inches tall. Farrell is 5'10 and Stuhlbarg is 5'6. Farrell apparently needs prostetichs, Stuhlbarg I don't think does. So unless, Farrell has something unique that he brings to the role, it is counterintuitive to cast someone like Farrell over someone like Stuhlbarg.
santoanderson
santoanderson - 4/24/2022, 10:08 AM
They totally used Colin’s head from that ‘In Bruges’ meme I see everywhere for the concept art of Penguin in the yellow suit.
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