Colin Farrell’s Penguin Design Was Inspired by Two Notorious Villains

When Colin Farrell appeared as Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, fans were shaken by the incredible prosthetics. The usually handsome Farrell was lost in the extensive make-up, which transformed him into the notorious Gotham City crime boss. Farrell is returning to play Cobblepot again, this time in his standalone series, The Penguin, and the show’s prosthetics designer, Mike Marino, has revealed the influences behind the transformation.

Appearing at the recent San Diego Comic-Con panel for The Penguin, Marino discussed designing the prosthetic suit and revealed two major influences on the design: Marino drew from fictional bad guy Fredo Corleone from The Godfather, and real-life bad guy Harvey Weinstein for The Penguin’s iconic round appearance. Mike Marino also embraced the character’s avian influence, studying bird anatomy and incorporating certain elements into the suit. He explained:

“I looked at injured birds and older, grizzled penguins, and they have these chipped beaks and all this stuff. So, on one side of his face in a silhouette, you have this curved scarred face on the side – but if you line it up with a photo of a bird, it mimics the mouth of a bird.”

The Penguin’s Costume Embodies His Experience

Oz Cobblepot had a supporting role in Reeves’ The Batman, as the iconic DC villain played a secondary part while Batman (Robert Pattinson) hunted down The Riddler (Paul Dano). However, the scenes that Farrell did appear in – including a phenomenal car chase – establish that The Penguin is already a powerful, well-connected mob boss in Gotham.

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The Penguin will further explore his roots and his ambition to rule Gotham’s underworld, as he’s faced with Sofia “The Hangman” Falcone (Cristin Milioti), the ruthless daughter of crime lord Carmine Falcone. Having been a mainstay of Gotham’s underbelly for some years, Marino wanted to reflect this in Oz’s prosthetics. His scars and broken nose are identifiers of the character’s bloody journey to power. He explained:

“It’s actually a beak on one side. And it’s all shredded on one side, as if the character [has] gotten into fights, and he’s been in some battles.”

As impressive as Oswald Cobblepot’s prosthetics are, they are pointless without a talented actor to deliver a convincing (and terrifying) performance. Fans were concerned when Farrell was first cast in the role, but the Irish actor made The Penguin his own, stealing every one of his scenes in The Batman. Marino agrees, and says that Farrell’s talent and charisma is what truly sells his VFX work:

“Colin’s charisma comes through all that. You essentially get this extremely charming gangster, with a realistic face that fits in Matt [Reeves]’ world, in a comic book. It’s a dream to do.”

Set after the events of The Batman, The Penguin is an eight-episode series set to debut on HBO this fall. The new series is being helmed by Lauren LeFranc (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Alongside Farrell and Milioti, The Penguin also stars Clancy Brown, Mark Strong, and Rhenzy Feliz. It hasn’t been confirmed if Pattinson will make an appearance as Bruce Wayne in the new series.