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While the Oscar-nominated Colin Farrell may be a little too qualified to play the comically inflated Penguin in the HBO spin-off series, his role acts as a bridge between two halves of a flailing studio. James Gunnʼs DCU, in its infancy, has yet to find a foothold in a world divided between R-rated projects and the colorful enthusiasm ofThe Suicide SquadandThe Peacemaker(both Gunnʼs projects that highlight his signature style).
![Robert Pattinson in The Batman (2022) [Credit: Warner Bros.]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/17125909/The-Batman-2022-1024x576.jpg)
However, in a world inhabited by Batman, compromise is never an option. Apathy is the law of the land and vengeance is the currency. Matt Reeves understood that about his version of the Caped Crusader when he released Robert Pattinson into the wild. Now, the responsibility falls on Colin Farrell’s shoulders to carry that legacy forward.
The Importance of ‘R’ Cannot be Overstated
In the realm of film and television entertainment, the sole purpose behind crafting a world of make-believe is to allow the audience a chance to escape from the realities of the world. Often, musicals and comedies do the trick. Other times, watching unrealistic reality TV delivers a much-needed sense of perspective.
However, not enough emphasis is placed on hardcore drama, tales of bloody revenge, and utter insanity — feelings that guide our darker impulses in the real world but are never allowed an appropriate outlet.
![The Batman feat. Paul Danoʼs Riddler [Credit: Warner Bros.]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/17125940/The-Batman-debuts-with-the-Riddlers-arc-1024x576.jpeg)
R-rated projects show fans a glimpse into the darker shades of morality that can make a person stray from their predestined paths. R-rated films serve as a source of catharsis for the audience, to become a mirror into an alternate reality where things can go horribly wrong and the bad can sometimes overpower the good. Therein lies the power of escapism — to tell stories where the mind is allowed to wander into restricted possibilities and walk out unscathed.
This is what makes projects likeJoaquin Phoenix’sJokera billion-dollar success. It collects the darkest thoughts from the shadowy corners of the human mind and gives them a face, a voice, and a platform to reenact its twisted impulses.Hugh Jackman’sLogandoes the same with the themes of grief and tragedy and helps deliver a sense of righteous justice to a fallen idol.
Trilogy or More? The Penguin Producer Gives a Mother of All Updates on James Gunn’s Stance on Matt Reeves’ The Batman Universe
When it comes to DC, however, power vacuums and political struggles in the criminal underworld aren’t just by-products of the Dark Knight’s nightly misadventures. The existence of these power dynamics in the politically volatile world outside often serves as inspiration, slowly feeding into the filmmaker’s vision of Gotham’s slimy underbelly ruled by crime and chaos.
James Gunn needs to understand the scope and importance of R-rated storytelling and its real-world relevance in the current times if he wishes to give DCU a fighting chance in a world infected bySuperhero fatigue.
![Colin Farrell as the Penguin [Credit: HBO]](https://i2.wp.com/fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/17130329/Colin-Farrell-as-the-Penguin-Credit-HBO-1024x578.jpg)
Colin Farrell Brings Hope to James Gunn’s DCU
Robert Pattinson’s acclaimed superhero debut in his 2022 film,The Batman, was a revolutionary take on a legacy character. After a dozen different iterations of the Bat and the Cat, Pattinson’s neo-noir slow-crawl as Gotham’s nocturnal vigilante detective was a perfect segue for DC after Snyder’s controversial take on the character.
Riding on the coattails ofThe Batman’s success,Colin Farrelllooks to do the same for DC’s favorite new villain, the Penguin. Drawing attention to the darker theme of the series, Farrell foreshadows what his character holds in store:“Tons of violence, abject darkness and a man and a great struggle to try and claw his way to the top.”In an interview withHeyUGuys, the actor revealed:
There’s a power grab in Gotham now. It’s dark, man. Lauren LeFranc with her room of writers wrote eight extraordinary episodes. I mean, just really, really bold stuff. I couldn’t believe that it got as dark as it gets… It would be a Hard R.
In a separate interview withJonatan Blomberg, Farrell further discussed the scope of the series:
It’s one man’s rise to what he’s always dreamed of inhabiting, which is a certain power or social status. And, you know, the death of Carmine Falcone at the end of [The Batman] leaves this vacuum in Gotham to be filled, and so there are various people that are grabbing for that power, and this is Oswald’s journey trying to rise to the top through extraordinary obstacles. And it’s super dark. [Series creator] Lauren LeFranc wrote an incredibly twisted eight hours of television.
The Court of Owls: Colin Farrell’s ‘The Penguin’ Has the Perfect Avenue to Set Up Robert Pattinson’s Next Crime Crusade in The Batman 2
If Farrell’s words are to be taken at face value, thenThe Penguinisn’t a far throw from the cinematic delight of Matt Reeves’ 2022 film. Fortunately forJames Gunn, a radically fresh start where projects are unapologetically dark and unafraid to be twisted can draw the fans into the theaters for a change in pace. After the comically heightened era of Marvel’s recent Phases, this might just be the remedy to heal the audience’s Superhero fatigue.
The Penguinpremieres on Max on 15 June 2025.
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2408
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
