The Penguin didn’t even get a chance to premiere before a potential second season seemed unlikely. That had nothing to do with early critical reaction to the spinoff series, though. (Initial reviews are stellar.) It’s not because Warner Bros. Discovery has budget concerns, either. (At least not yet/we hope.) It’s because star Colin Farrell isn’t sure he can keep wearing all the prosthetics the role requires. He told GamesRadar that by the end of season one he found himself saying, “I never want to put that f***ing suit and that f***ing head on again.”
As much as we love the character, we don’t blame him. Fortunately, there’s a way for him to continue living in Gotham without having to first spend hours in a makeup chair. His Oswald Cobblepot can instead transform into Emperor Penguin, an alternate version of the Batman villain who is a DC Comics character whom Colin Farrell naturally looks like.
Colin Farrell was definitely not the most obvious choice to play The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, but he turned out to be an inspired one. The Irish actor completely disappeared into the role of the street-wise American mobster. His Oz was equal parts frightening and funny, an unforgettable presence who fit perfectly into Reeves’ version of Gotham City. Farrell didn’t do that alone, though. World-class movie magic helped him physically transform into the role. If no one told you Colin Farrell was the one waddling around underneath those scars and body you would have never known it was him. His own co-star John Turturro didn’t even believe it was him!
Obviously, all those prosthetics take a lot of time and patience to put on every day. Acting in them also takes a lot of extra energy. There’s also a big difference in how many total days you have to wear them as a supporting character in a single movie compared to when you’re the titular star of an eight-episode TV show. It’s no surprise Farrell was beyond tired of the whole process after shooting The Penguin. It’s more surprising he ever agreed to do it in the first place.
While Reeves has already said The Penguin will appear in The Batman 2, that doesn’t mean Farrell will sign on for a second season of his spinoff show. Not if it will mean many more months wearing those heavy prosthetics. But what if he doesn’t have to? There’s a way to do exactly that. Reeves and the show could let the actor appear with his own face if they adapt the story of Batman villain Ignatius Ogilvy.
Ignatius Ogilvy is a lesser-known DC Comics villain who has something very important in common with Bruce Wayne. He saw his parents killed outside a theater. His dad was a small-time crooks. But while he never stepped out of line, that didn’t get him ahead. Nor did it save his life. Ignatius never forgot the hard lessons he learned from his father’s life. They drove his own ambition as he built an underworld career.
As a kid, Ignatius joined The Penguin’s crew. In his low-level henchman role he battled with (and lost to) Batman multiple times. Eventually he rose to become Oz Cobblepot’s most trusted, favorite lieutenant. But Ignatius wanted more, and when the opportunity presented itself he took it. He usurped The Penguin’s entire criminal empire from his boss. He then named himself Emperor Penguin and started taking drugs that gave him super strength and abilities.
Before his skin turned blue and he became known as Emperor Blackgate, Ignatius Ogilvy also just so happened to look exactly like a blonde-haired Colin Farrell.
Colin Farrell did not look like an obvious choice to play Oz Cobblepot. Yet he looks like he was born to play Ignatius Ogilvy.
Matt Reeves and the writers of The Penguin don’t have to kill off Oz to make the switch. They certainly could have Farrell double dip until Ignatius replaces The Penguin entirely. Or they could simply adapt Emperor Penguin’s story. The Penguin is trying to becoming Gotham’s unquestioned underworld boss. That will make him the #1 target of Batman. If Oz gets what he thinks he wants, he might quickly find himself in need of a new identity and face. His newfound riches could make that possible with some pricey plastic surgery. It might be easier to rebuild his empire as Ignatius than it would be to keep it as Oz.
Colin Farrell’s The Penguin is a memorable comic book villain. His look, which gives him an imposing presence and identity, is a big reason why. But as much as we love his Oz and want him to come back for multiple seasons and movies, if those prosthetics prove too much to work with, we’ll gladly take Farrell’s version of Emperor Penguin instead. Especially if they end up being the same person anyway.
