Did DC FanDome's first trailer for Matt Reeves' The Batman really show Colin Farrell heavily disguised as the movie's take on The Penguin?
Did The Batman's first trailer reveal Colin Farrell's villain The Penguin? The unexpected first look at Matt Reeves' Dark Knight reboot debuted at DC's excellent FanDome event with the director conducting a one-man panel to offer more information on the project. The trailer, which was made despite only 25-30% of the film even being shot prior to the pandemic canceling filming, is a bold, exciting glimpse at Reeves' transformative, noir-soaked vision for his Batman.
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In the wake of the trailer's release, social media was set ablaze with discussion on whether one character in particular - a plump-faced, balding man bearing a distinct resemblance to Richard Kind - was actually Colin Farrell in heavy prosthetics. He certainly has the usual pronounced features associated with The Penguin (and which would work alongside Matt Reeves' suggestion that "Penguin" is an insulting nickname he hates), but if it's Farrell under that make-up, he's unrecognizable. Which is what makes the whole thing so clever.
So is it him? Internet sleuths have now had hours to pour over the very dark shots of the mysterious character in the trailer, but the debate rages on. Set leaks that seemed to show Colin Farrell as The Penguin with white/blonde hair (assumed despite the quality of the image because he was holding an umbrella at the time) throw a spanner in the works, but set misdirection isn't exactly a new thing. There's also no confirmation that the set photos were even of Farrell. More pressing are the images from The Batman
Some naysaying is bound to be inspired by how different the brief trailer footage seems to make The Penguin look in terms of his personality. After all, he appears to be uncharacteristically cowardly, fleeing Batman (or whoever he calls "crazy
Simon is a veteran editor who has been writing online since 2010 - long before anyone wanted to read his work. He loves Clueless. Like, a lot.