If you’re a Batman fan, you probably have that iconic image of his nemesis, the Penguin, cemented in your mind – top hat and tails, monocle, and that long cigarette holder dangling from his scowling mouth as he waddles along with his umbrella.
In the upcoming “The Batman” movie, actor Colin Farrell is the latest to tackle the infamous aquatic bad guy with the Napoleon complex. Though he reportedly has concocted a much more severe take on the villain, who often adds a little comic brevity to Batman stories.
It seems a subplot of this newest Batman tale has the pre-bad guy alter ego, Oswald Cobblepot, transforming into the Penguin. And Farrell was determined to chomp on a stogie, instead of that famous long cigarette, as an integral part of his character development.
So one can imagine his disappointment when “The Batman” producers forbid him from smoking or utilizing the prop.
In an interview with Jake’s Takes, Farrell explained how he tried to remain true to the character.
“Big studios make big decisions around such things as the presence of cigarettes in films,” Farrell said. “I fought valiantly for a cigar. At one stage I said, ‘I can have it unlit! Just let me have it unlit.’ They were like, ‘No.’ [As if] a bunch of 12-year-olds are going to start smoking Cuban cigars because [the Penguin is smoking cigars in a movie.]”
If anything, having the bad guy smoke would seem to enhance the notion that it is a bad thing to do.
In any event, it probably shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to the seasoned actor as many studios have tobacco policies in place to reduce or eliminate depictions of smoking.
Related
Directors often dance around the rules by only showing a lit cigarette, but not putting into lips and inhaled. But anyone who watches series or movies aimed past 13 year-olds knows that it’s not always a strictly enforced rule. And in fact, in 2019, the CDC reported that on-screen smoking in PG-13 movies had actually doubled since 2010.
Related
While Farrell still seems a bit miffed at the cigar snuffing, is hasn't stopped him from pursuing his Penguin creation, as he's signed on to play the little evil-doer in an HBO Max spin-off series, per Deadline.
Also, he’s quite satisfied with the amazing prosthetics "The Batman" production came up with that add sinister scars, big ears, and a near-bald facade that make the handsome Irish actor nearly unrecognizable.
“The first day we tried the whole thing out, we took it for a drive, a spin, metaphorically speaking,” Farrell said. “We did it in Burbank. It took about six or eight hours. It was a team of 10 or 15 people. And it was really fun. I went into Starbucks and ordered myself a very un-Oswald drink, an oat milk latte with two stevia sweeteners. I got a couple of stares but only because it’s such an imposing look. [Designer] Mike Marino did so much of the work for me on this, so much of the heavy lifting.”
Get Your tickets to "The Batman" here.
While the Joker has become the most visible Batman villain of late, the Penguin has been just as enduring in the Batman universe, having first appeared in Batman comics in 1941 – one year after the Joker made his evil debut.
"The Batman" hits theaters on March 4th.
Lights, camera, action!
Get the latest updates on movies and television
from The Reel Buzz on Audacy.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign up and follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram