Margot Robbie Stuns Colin Farrell with Penguin Revelation

In a surprising and candid moment during a recent interview, Margot Robbie left Colin Farrell visibly stunned when she revealed that the original villain in the first draft of Birds of Prey was none other than the Penguin—Farrell’s own iconic character from The Batman and HBO’s The Penguin series. The revelation has sparked renewed interest in the behind-the-scenes evolution of DC’s cinematic universe and the creative decisions that shaped its trajectory.

Robbie, who portrayed Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016), Birds of Prey (2020), and The Suicide Squad (2021), shared the detail during an Entertainment Weekly interview promoting her upcoming romantic fantasy film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, in which she stars opposite Farrell. The two actors, despite their shared history in the DC universe, admitted they had never discussed their respective roles as Gotham City’s infamous criminals until that very conversation.

“The first draft that Christina [Hodson] wrote of Birds of Prey, the villain was the Penguin,” Robbie told Farrell, who responded with genuine shock: “No way! Really?”

Robbie went on to explain that director Matt Reeves, who was developing The Batman at the time, requested that the Penguin not be used in Birds of Prey because he planned to feature the character prominently in his own film. As a result, the villain was changed to Roman Sionis, aka Black Mask, portrayed by Ewan McGregor.

“Matt Reeves said, ‘Don’t use the Penguin. I’m going to use him in my thing,’” Robbie recalled. “So we swapped it to Black Mask.”

Farrell, who earned critical acclaim and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Oswald Cobblepot in The Penguin, was intrigued by the idea of the character appearing in a completely different context. He asked Robbie if she still had a copy of the original script. “Yeah, it’s probably on my computer,” she replied. “You could read it.”

“Oh, good, I’d love to read it,” Farrell said enthusiastically. “That’d be so fascinating.”

The exchange between the two stars has ignited fan speculation about what Birds of Prey might have looked like with the Penguin as its central antagonist. Would the character’s gritty, manipulative persona have clashed or complemented Harley Quinn’s chaotic energy? Would Farrell have been cast in the role had the script remained unchanged?

According to Robbie, Hodson’s version of the Penguin was “amazing,” and the character’s presence would have added a darker, more psychological edge to the film. The decision to pivot to Black Mask ultimately gave the movie a different tone—one that emphasized crime-lord theatrics and allowed supporting characters like Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya to shine alongside Harley.

The revelation also highlights the complex coordination required between different DC properties. At the time, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) was still loosely connected, with overlapping characters and storylines. Reeves’ request to reserve the Penguin for his own vision of Gotham helped maintain creative boundaries between his “Batman Epic Crime Saga” and the broader DCEU.

Farrell’s Penguin, introduced in The Batman (2022), quickly became a fan favorite. His transformation into the character was both physical and psychological, earning praise for its depth and nuance. The HBO Max spin-off series The Penguin further explored Cobblepot’s rise in Gotham’s criminal underworld, solidifying Farrell’s place in the DC pantheon.