Colin Farrell and Andy Serkis join The Batman as Penguin and Alfred
Robert Pattinson will star as Bruce Wayne in the reimagining of the DC Comics character
Upcoming The Batman reboot starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader looks set to cast two more iconic characters.
Colin Farrell (Dumbo) is in talks to play mobster Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin, a classic villain from the comic books who was last portrayed in live-action by Danny DeVito in 1992's Batman Returns.
- Why Batman prequel Pennyworth channels Michael Caine’s Alfred
- How does Joker fit in with the Batman universe?
Meanwhile, Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings) is circling the role of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's faithful butler who sometimes assists him in his crimefighting hobby. The character is a staple of the Batman franchise who has previously been played by such acting heavyweights as Michael Caine (The Dark Knight trilogy) and Jeremy Irons (Batman v Superman).
The casting reunites Serkis with writer-director Matt Reeves, who he collaborated with on two instalments of the Planet of the Apes series where he played the motion capture chimpanzee Caesar.
The Batman has already cast a number of huge roles including Twilight's Robert Pattinson in the lead, Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies) as femme fatale Catwoman, Paul Dano (War & Peace) as mind bending villain The Riddler and Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Police Commissioner Jim Gordon.
The film marks a fresh start for the character following the critical and commercial disappointments of Batman v Superman and Justice League, both of which saw Ben Affleck don the cape and cowl.
Plot details are yet to be announced, but early rumours suggest it could be a loose adaptation of famous comic book story The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
Speaking of the movie's plot, Pattinson cryptically told Variety: "It’s something from the comics which hasn’t been really explored yet. You know, it’s kind of crazy shoes to film. I mean, it’s interesting what different directions you can take with it.
"When somebody plays a specific character, it’s actually quite a lot of leeway. When you look at the different tones of all these movies and the TV shows, I mean you can do quite a lot with it.”
The Batman will be released in cinemas on 25th June 2021
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
