Colin Farrell’s remarks on Batman script suggest Telltale-like twists

Michael Gwilliam
The Batman with Telltale logo

Actor Colin Farrell has teased some interesting plot tidbits for the upcoming The Batman film, seemingly linking it to Telltale Games’ Batman projects.

Farrell, who will be playing The Penguin in the movie slated for 2021, spoke to SFX Magazine about how the incarnation of the hero will be different from what has come before it.

As it turns out, Farrell is quite the Batman fan, saying he was “ecstatic” to be part of the DC universe. “There are certain words that are part of my internal lexicon and those words are Gotham City, Penguin, Joker, Batman, Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent… all of those things,” the 44-year-old said.

“I have been watching the Batman films with my kids, but this script is something that feels incredibly original,” he added. “It leans into it but it doesn’t borrow; it’s born of the mythology of that character, Bruce Wayne, Batman and Gotham. But it feels like a treatment and a version that I hadn’t seen before.”

Penguin from Telltale's Batman series
Telltale did unique things with the Penguin antagonist.

The comments do seem eerily in-line with how Telltale Games approached the series, deciding to make change up some character stories in unique ways.

For instance, the character of Oswald Cobblepot in the games has a major history with Bruce Wayne more akin to that of “Hush” from the comics. Could something similar be in store with Penguin and Batman in this movie or perhaps build on something for the future?

Farrell had previously stated that Penguin doesn’t have “much to do” in this film, so it’s likely that he could be built up for sequels.

Batman and Catwoman from Telltale
Could The Batman be taking inspiration from Telltale?

It’s also important to note that according to director Matt Reeves, this version of Batman, played by Robert Pattinson, is “not yet fully formed.” He’s not a rookie to crime fighter, but not an experienced pro either.

As such, this could be a prime period in Batman’s career to flip the script in a similar fashion to how Telltale approached things.

Only time will tell how this new form of the caped crusader takes shape, but needless to say, Farrell’s comments have us intrigued.

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About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is a senior writer at Dexerto based in Ontario, Canada. He specializes in Overwatch, Smash, influencers, and Twitch culture. Gwilliam has written for sites across Canada including the Toronto Sun. You can contact him at michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com or on Twitter @TheGwilliam