By As a friendly reminder, it’s been over seven years since we last had a Batman solo movie. Yes, the character has appeared in some DCEU movies, most of which audiences would like to forget existed, but this has been the longest gap between live-action Batman solo movies with the gap to only increase. When The Batman finally releases in 2021, it’ll be nearly a decade since the Caped Crusader had a solo adventure on the streets of Gotham.
That break will hopefully do wonders in rejuvenating the character. Warner Bros has been taking some interesting risks with the future Batman feature, mostly in regards to casting. Outside of casting Robert Pattinson as Batman himself, talks have begun to have Colin Farrell and Andy Serkis to join the cast. As it stands, Serkis is in negotiations to play Bruce’s faithful butler Alfred, according to TheWrap, while Farrell is eyeing everyone’s favorite aquatic themed mob boss, Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin.
Casting Serkis as Alfred feels like an unique take on the character, though not completely out of left field. While Serkis is more well known for his portrayal as CG characters like Gollum in Lord of the Rings as well as Caesar from the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy, the man can still hold his own without the use of CGI. Plus, he’s British, making him a perfect fit for Bruce Wayne’s butler/father figure.
Farrell is the more interesting casting decision as he doesn’t seem like a go to choice for Cobblepot. However, after Robin Lord Taylor’s fantastic take on the character in Gotham, I think that the world is ready for another major, unconventional depiction of the most feared gangster in Gotham. He’ll most likely be stuck under the shadow of Devito’s rendition of the character from Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, but as long as Farrell doesn’t go full Bullseye for the part, I’m pretty sure he’ll be alright. Keep in mind, these casting notices aren’t ironclad confirmations, but I wouldn’t be surprised if these actors fully signed on for the production.
The Batman will release June 25, 2021.
Colin Farrell In Talks To Play The Penguin In ‘The Batman’ – [Deadline]
