The Batman star Colin Farrell doesn't have too many scenes as the villainous Penguin, which is more than fine by him.

While discussing his screen time in the film, Farrell talked to MTV's Josh Horowitz about the challenges of making the DC comic book movie amidst the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. "Obviously, COVID began to grip the world while we were shooting and I left London in March [2020] and we were still down for four or five months," said Ferrell. "And then we went back and then obviously [Bruce Wayne actor] Robert [Pattinson] got sick and that was like, 'Fucking Batman has COVID?'"

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Overall, Farrell said it took twelve to fourteen months to finish production on The Batman. "I'm only in it for five or six scenes [as Penguin], so I can't wait to see the film 'cause it won't be ruined by my presence," he added. "It's a freebie for me. I'll get a little uncomfortable for the fucking nine minutes I have and then the rest I cannot wait to see how [writer/director Matt Reeves] brought this world to life."

Farrell is the latest actor to portray the umbrella-twirling mobster Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin in live-action. Burgess Meredith was the first to play the DC Comics super-villain in the 1960s Batman TV show, along with 1966's Batman: The Movie. Decades later, filmmaker Tim Burton and actor Danny DeVito teamed up to put a far darker and more horrifying spin on the character in 1992's Batman Returns. More recently, the TV series Gotham cast Robin Lord Taylor to portray a young Penguin as a small-time crook who gradually climbs his way up the food chain of Gotham City's criminal underbelly.

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The Batman teaser trailer offers a sneak peek at Farrell as Penguin, revealing the prominent facial prosthetics he wore to transform into the super-villain. This creative choice is drawing criticism from fans, who feel it reflects Hollywood's problematic trend of hiring conventionally attractive actors to play conventionally unattractive characters.

Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman arrives in theaters on March 4, 2022. Farrell and Pattinson are starring in the film opposite an ensemble that includes Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman and Jefrey Wright as Commissioner James Gordon.

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Source: MTV