A return to DC Studios may be in the cards for Colin Farrell, following his award-winning turn as the titular crime lord in The Penguin. According to Deadline, the acting veteran is circling the lead in Sgt. Rock, with Challengers director Luca Guadagnino set to helm the World War II-set comic book adaptation.
The move comes after Daniel Craig dropped out of consideration after being sized up for the role, putting an end to a reunion between him and Guadagnino, who worked on Queer together. Justin Kuritzkes, also of Queer fame, serves as scriptwriter on the project, which is expected to begin shooting this summer.
If the deal goes through, Farrell will play Sgt. Franklin John Rock. The tough-as-nails Nazi-fighting war hero first debuted in the 1959 issue “Our Army at War”, before landing his own comic book series that ran from 1977 to 1988.
As for fans wondering if this would cause a clash in continuity, the answer is no — the Penguin, otherwise known as Oz Cobb, is part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe, while Sgt. Rock belongs to Matt Reeves’ standalone Batman-verse. The two worlds shall not overlap and will exist as two separate worlds.
Details about the film, including a release date and plot specifics, have not been announced. However, Safran previously teased that it’ll be a “really interesting take”, saying, “[It’s] a really compelling story about heroism in a time of armed conflict…. we love the idea of being able to tell something that, it’s a war movie.”
Farrell first portrayed Oz Cobb in 2022’s The Batman starring Robert Pattinson and will likely return to its upcoming sequel, currently slated for release in 2026. The actor reprised the role in the HBO spin-off The Penguin, earning a series of accolades that includes a SAG Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics Choice Award, and more.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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