By Becca Lewis | Published
As much as we love seeing Jonah Hill play an idiot billionaire in Don’t look foris he really the one we would like to see as The Penguin? Luckily, we don’t need to find out, because Colin Farrell picked up that flag and ran with it to deliver a soulless and satisfying performance in DC Entertainment’s miniseries. The Penguin is a slimy, seedy addition to the Batman franchise, and while Jonah Hill is great at a lot of things, Colin Farrell really shines as the ruthless wannabe gangster, Oz Cob.
Jonah Hill was almost the penguin
It’s unclear why Jonah Hill would stop playing the iconic role of the Penguin in The Batmanbut that could have been because he seemed more interested in playing the character of the Riddler. Although losing Hill on the project was reported as a major setback for Matt Reeves’ DC comic adaptation, it might have been better if Colin Farrell got the job, as he’s still killing it in the role. As for Jonah Hill’s choice of roles, it’s likely that the final sticking point in negotiations with the studio wasn’t over The Riddler vs. the Penguin, but rather a question of money.
If Jonah Hill’s salary demands for playing the Penguin were the reason he didn’t get the role, he might regret that choice now, because The Penguina mini-series following The Batman is currently a resounding success. The Penguin scored 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and received 5.3 million views on HBO’s streaming platform in the first four days after its release. Jonah Hill might be kicking himself for not boarding this train at the first stop, even if fans of the show are enamored of Colin Farrell in the role.
The Penguin mini-series
The Batman Jonah Hill’s Turned Down Role Sparked Spinoff Miniseries The Penguingiving the comic book villain a backstory and a chance to build on the character’s past. Oz Cobb, the aspiring gangster who becomes The Penguin, struggles to win the favor of his family, to survive the tumultuous violence of the crime family he works for, and to rise through the gang ranks. He is manipulative, intelligent and scheming, and will stop at nothing to get what he wants, which of course means pleasing his mother.
Colin Farrell shines as Oz Cobb
Although Jonah Hill is a great villain, the Penguin’s comic book villain status is a whole other level of evil that he just might not be able to reach. Colin Farrell transforms for the role into a sociopathic, ruthless outsider who hides within the Falcone family circle, constructing an escape from his job as a chauffeur and weaving a rise to power fueled by revenge. Perhaps for Jonah Hill, the Riddler rather than the Penguin would have been a better choice.
Whatever the reason Jonah Hill finally gave up the role of the Penguin in the 2022 film The Batmanaudiences are delighted with Colin Farrell in the role. The following miniseries featuring the Penguin as the main character is a testament to fans’ love for the casting choice. Hopefully Hill doesn’t regret his decision to move on too much, because he gave fans the Penguin character we always wanted.