Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The Penguin’s Colin Farrell eyeing another role for DC Studios

Colin Farrell smiles on the left as a soldier holds a gun on the right.
Apple TV+/DC Comics

Colin Farrell might add another DC character to his resume.

Per Deadline, Farrell is circling the titular role in Luca Guadagnino’s Sgt. Rock, a superhero action movie based on the DC Comics character. Queer writer Justin Kuritzkes will pen the Sgt. Rock screenplay.

Recommended Videos

Farrell’s interest comes after Daniel Craig exited the project in February. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran said they “never met with Daniel” for Sgt. Rock and they “never announced the project.”

If Farrell signs on, filming is expected to begin later this year. Farrell will play Sgt. Franklin John Rock, a World War II hero and leader of the U.S. Army’s Easy Company. Rock is a highly skilled soldier and marksman who helped the U.S. take down Nazi Germany. The character debuted in the 1959 DC Comics issue Our Army at War No. 83.

Farrell currently plays Oz Cobb/the Penguin in the Batman Epic Crime Saga. Farrell’s Oz first appeared in 2022’s The Batman before heading his own HBO spinoff series, The Penguin. In his review for Digital Trends, Alex Welch wrote, “HBO’s The Penguin is the rare franchise spinoff that manages to stand on its own, thanks in no small part to Cristin Milioti and Colin Farrell’s volatile lead performances.”

Oz attending a funeral in HBO's "The Penguin."
HBO / HBO

Farrell has received universal acclaim for his performance in the show, winning a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, Saturn Award, and SAG Award.

Because The Penguin is part of DC Elseworlds and Sgt. Rock will be in the DC Universe, Farrell could play both characters because they will never interact with one another.

Farrell is expected to reprise his role as the Penguin in The Batman Part II, scheduled to release in theaters on October 1, 2027.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Dan Girolamo
Dan is a passionate and multitalented content creator with experience in pop culture, entertainment, and sports. Throughout…
007 stunner: Amazon MGM Studios gains creative control of James Bond franchise
A dirtied James Bond stands on a road.

In a stunning decision, Amazon MGM Studios has gained creative control over the James Bond franchise.
James Bond's longtime producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, are handing the 007 creative reins to Amazon MGM Studios. Wilson and Broccoli announced Thursday the formation of a new joint venture to house the James Bond intellectual property rights. The producing duo will remain co-owners of the franchise.
“Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment,” said Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios. “We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world, and to Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their unyielding dedication and their role in continuing the legacy of the franchise that is cherished by legions of fans worldwide. We are honoured to continue this treasured heritage, and look forward to ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world.”

“With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future,” said Wilson.

Read more
Daniel Craig exits DC Studios’ Sgt. Rock movie
Daniel Craig as James Bond in a car peppered with bullet holes in No Time to Die.

Late last year, former James Bond actor Daniel Craig was attached to star in a DC Studios film based on the World War II hero Sgt. Rock. That project would have reunited Craig with Queer director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes. However, Craig has reportedly dropped out of the film and DC Studios will need to find someone else to play Sergeant Franklin John Rock.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story about Craig's departure, but the reason for his exit remains uncertain. THR suggested that some sources blamed Craig's decision on Queer's failure to produce box office results or awards season nominations, while others said that it was because of scheduling issues with Craig's wife, Rachel Weisz. Either way, DC Studios still plans to move forward with a Sgt. Rock movie, with a potential shoot planned for this summer in England. The Bear's Jeremy Allen White was mentioned as a possible replacement for Craig, but he isn't the only candidate up for the role.

Read more
Daniel Craig and Luca Guadagnino might just make a Sgt. Rock movie for DC Studios
Daniel Craig stands on the red carpet and poses.

James Bond is poised to enter the DC Universe. According to Deadline, Daniel Craig is circling the lead role in the DC Studios movie Sgt. Rock for director Luca Guadagnino.

Craig and Guadagnino have not signed deals with DC Studios as Sgt. Rock remains in the early stages of development. It's a reunion for Craig and Guadagnino, who collaborated on A24's Queer, which opens later this year. Challengers and Queer scribe Justin Kuritzkes is writing the Sgt. Rock screenplay.

Read more