Colin Farrell will return as The Penguin for a The Batman spin-off TV show on HBO Max.
According to Variety, Farrell will star in the series and executive produce. The show is said to explore Penguin's journey to holding power in Gotham's underworld and, while the series was first reported to be in development in September, this is the first indication that Farrell will be returning.
Lauren LeFranc is set to pen the script – she was previously showrunner for YouTube Premium original Impulse, and wrote on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. The Batman director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark would executive produce with Farrell.
While Farrell will debut as Penguin in The Batman, it seems we won't be seeing that much of him. "I'm only in it for five or six scenes, so I can't wait to see the film because it won't be ruined by my presence," the actor has said of his role. "Really, it's a freebie for me. I'll get a little bit uncomfortable for the fucking nine minutes I have, and then the rest of it, I cannot wait to see how he [Matt Reeves, director] brought this world to life, because the sets were extraordinary, the production design [was] extraordinary, his use of music and sound will be extraordinary, and as you said the cast, from, all of them, Robert [Pattinson] and Zoë [Kravitz] to – yeah, extraordinary cast."
Along with Farrell, The Batman stars Pattinson as the titular vigilante, with Kravitz playing Catwoman. Paul Dano will play the Riddler, the film's villain, while John Turturro portrays Carmine Falcone, Jeffrey Wright plays Jim Gordon, and Andy Serkis is Alfred Pennyworth.
The Penguin show, if it moves forward, wouldn't be the only The Batman spin-off in the works. A series focusing on corruption in the Gotham City Police Department is also on the way.
The Batman releases in theaters March 4, 2022. Until then, check out our complete guide to watching DC movies in order to get up to speed on the DCEU.
