The new DC Universe series The Penguin held a panel at San Diego Comic-Con where star Colin Farrell spoke about the character’s legacy and its influence on his portrayal. Headlining The Penguin‘s cast as Oz Cobb, Farrell has truly transformed for the role, becoming unrecognizable under layers of makeup. First appearing in The Batman, Farrell’s brusque charm translates to a unique version of the villain that still feels true to the character. The Max series promises to delve deeper into Oz when it releases in September, but Farrell has spoken about where this Penguin fits in the character’s lineage.

Everything known about The Penguin suggests a more grounded character examination than in previous Batman films. Farrell explained seeing Burgess Meredith from 1966’s Batman and Danny DeVito from Batman Returns, but that he didn’t intentionally try to draw influence from previous adaptations: “I was going to watch Gotham, but I thought, no, I better not… I’ve heard Robin Lord Taylor is brilliant. I don’t want to be taking ideas or trying to do something different consciously, so I haven’t seen it.” It appears that the actor has gone out of his way to portray the character in an original fashion.

How Burgess Meredith & Danny DeVito’s Penguins Influence The Batman’s Iteration

Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in 1941, The Penguin has remained an important member of Batman’s rogues gallery ever since and has been featured in various iterations. Initially a flamboyant character more than a monstrous one, Penguin is often drawn wearing a top hat and a monocle. These details of pomp made it into the Burgess Meredith version of the character but are missing from the Farrell version. However, the Meredith iteration’s confidence, authority, and attitude are clearly drawn from the charismatic side of Farrell’s version.

Like DeVito, Farrell’s Penguin is also monstrous, but in a less elevated way. Farrell’s makeup actually splits his face, and he wears beak-shaped scars on one side that make him look violent and worn. While DeVito’s Penguin was entirely deformed and became practically inhuman, Farrell takes the frightening parts of this influence and integrates them more subtly into his character. He pushes them down, restricting them, making it feel like there is a bubbling, violent madness beneath his charismatic facade.

Farrell seems to be an important part of The Batman Epic Crime Saga and was recently confirmed to return as Penguin in The Batman – Part II. Seeing how the performer continues to draw from the excellent influences of the past helps to cement his version of the character as among the best. Possessing some of the outlandish quirks of Meredith and DeVito both, Farrell consciously combines the character’s past into a more human, unsettlingly real version. Oz’s return in The Penguin on Max is highly anticipated.