Ok, I’m Ready To Admit Colin Farrell’s Penguin Is Better Than Danny DeVito’s Version

Now that The Penguin is over, and audiences set their eyes towards The Batman – Part II, I think it is safe to say that Colin Farrell’s take on the iconic DC villain is better than Danny Devito’s version. The Penguin is one of the best superhero TV shows of all time, placing the titular character in a Soprano-style gangster show and going into deep detail about who he is and what makes him tick. Colin Farrell will return to the role in The Batman – Part II, adding even more depth to an already impressive character.

Colin Farrell isn’t the only iteration of the character, either, with a number of actors portraying Oz over the years, while Danny Devito’s version in Batman Returns is generally considered the best in live-action. At least, it was, until Colin Farrell’s remarkable performance as Oz Cobb helped propel the character into one of the best comic book villain portrayals of all time. This isn’t to discredit those that came before either, but there are a number of reasons why Farrell’s performance tops Devito’s.

Farrell’s Penguin Is The Most Well-Developed Villain In The Batman Universe

Arguably the biggest advantage Farrell’s Penguin has over Danny Devito’s is how well-developed he is as a character. He had a small, but memorable role in The Batman, which set up the character perfectly for his very own series. The Penguin is all about Oz Cobb attempting to grab power following the death of Carmine Falcone at the hands of the Riddler. This setup allows the series to really dive deep into Colin Farrell’s character and gave him an immense amount of depth.

The Penguin explored Oz’s past involving his family, which really examined the psyche of the character. By The Penguin’s ending, it is easy to hate Oz Cobb. He did some truly terrible things, and although he has shown moments of possible compassion, he is a monster to his core. Without The Penguin, audiences would never have been able to see the full picture of who Oz is, which is a complex villain that is easy to root against when it comes down to it. This understanding of the character will also add another layer to The Batman – Part II.

Colin Farrell’s Oz Feels Much More Dangerous Than Danny DeVito’s

Danny Devito’s Penguin has been iconic for so long, but his take on the character definitely fits squarely with the vision Tim Burton had for Batman Returns as a whole. Because of this, Devito’s take seems a bit silly, and not nearly as threatening as he could be. Sure, he is disgusting and off-putting, but he never felt like a true threat to Batman, or even Gotham City as a whole, despite the movie trying to position him as this significant villain.

Colin Farrell might not necessarily be a physical match for Batman most of the time, although he did hold his own in The Penguin, showing some impressive feats of strength. Instead, Oz Cobb has shown that he is truly great at manipulating people to achieve his goals and has no qualms about destroying, or killing, anyone that might pose any sort of threat against him. Oz Cobb has no remorse and that makes him a very dangerous villain to go up against Batman. Colin Farrell’s character is operating on an entirely different level compared to Devito’s in Batman Returns.

Colin Farrell Gives An All-Time Villain Performance In The Penguin

Throughout comic book adaptation history, there have been some incredibly impressive villain performances. Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix each won an Oscar for their roles as Joker, while Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman is iconic. Josh Brolin’s presence helped elevate Thanos to another level as well. Although he showed a lot of promise after his performance in The Batman, Colin Farrell officially joined the ranks as one of the best portrayals of a comic book villain of all time.

One of the most impressive aspects of Oz Cobb is that Colin Farrell completely disappears into the character. Sure, the makeup is extremely impressive, but it is Farrell’s performance in it that truly elevates everything about the character. It’s a performance for the ages that actually rivals Heath Ledger’s Joker as the best ever for a comic book project. Danny DeVito did an amazing job as the Penguin given what was asked of him, but Colin Farrell completely owned the role of Oz Cobb and The Penguin is one of the best comic book adaptations ever.

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