Colin Farrell’s Penguin wins a Golden Globe, joining Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker in redefining DC villains as cinematic icons.
After Joss Whedon’s Justice League and some other projects that turned out to be lackluster, fans were losing faith in DC. But the franchise was fighting a silent battle all along by bringing some of the most iconic villains to life. This was DC’s quiet revolution, which people are now taking notice of, especially after the third Batman villain, i.e., Colin Farrell’s Penguin’s Golden Globe victory, following in the footsteps of Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker.
Farrell’s portrayal of Oswald Cobblepot was widely praised, and his Award-winning performance has cemented the trend of DC villains not being just supporting actors, but the heart of the franchise. The Penguin star has now joined the ranks of Ledger and Phoenix, and social media is already abuzz over it.
How Batman villains like Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, and Penguin have saved DC
It’s not a secret that DC’s cinematic universe was struggling with misfires like Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Green Lantern. But when superheroes started to falter, it was the Batman villains who came to the franchise’s rescue and became its most compelling assets.
These villains are successful because they chose the perfect actors to portray the complexity of someone who’s morally tainted. Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, and Colin Farrell were able to humanize the antagonist and make them the perfect nemesis for Batman who has a moral conduct of his own and is philosophically inclined.
Farrell’s victory at the Golden Globes was much deserved, as he fully embodied Cobblepot, changing everything, from his appearance, and voice, to his stride. Ledger set a benchmark for the upcoming villains by winning an Academy Award, and Phoenix was able to reach this milestone as well. So if Farrell gets a standalone film or an equally impressive part in Batman 2, we could expect another Oscar nod.
Why do some Batman villains keep winning awards and our love?
Jared Leto was also the Joker, but his portrayal was shunned by many. What is the difference between him and the award-winning trio? He tried to deliberately seem demented, and one could tell that it was an ‘act,’ even though he was doing all the method-performing antics.
But the beauty of being an actor is making your performance almost invisible, so it doesn’t seem like you’re ‘acting.’ Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, and Colin Farrell were not trying to convince the audience that their character was insane, rather, they embodied the madness and tried to act as if the villain was doing his best to hold back the ‘crazy.’
They were able to show us the chaotic nature and the unpredictability of the character in its rawest form, without making it seem like a caricature. While Marvel might have the edge on its rival in a few parameters, no one does antagonists, and especially the Batman ones, better than DC.
You can watch The Penguin, Matt Reeves’ Batman, and Joker on HBO Max.
