Colin Farrell’s son was “utterly horrified” when he saw him in costume as Penguin in The Batman.

In the upcoming superhero movie, the Irish actor takes on the role of rising crime lord, Penguin, aka Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobblepot.

Farrell is unrecognisable as the character, and in an interview for Extra, he shared that one of his sons freaked out when he first saw him in full make-up and costume.

“When my kid saw me for the first time he was utterly horrified. He was horrified and excited but it took a minute,” he commented. “We took six to eight hours putting in the teeth for the first time, the face for the first time, the wig, the bodysuit. The whole thing. It was really powerful and it was really fun. It sparked my imagination and continued to every day I went to work. It felt like I had such licence to inhabit a character in a way that I’d never been given such carte blanche before. But I could see very little of myself.”

While details of the plot remain under wraps, Farrell indicated his take on the Penguin is unlike any other.

“We see the Penguin at an earlier stage of his career than we’re used to seeing him. Usually, the Penguin is established as the Penguin and he embodies that archetype. My guy isn’t there yet – he’s Oz. It’s just the start for him,” the 45-year-old noted.

The Batman, also starring Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, and Paul Dano, is set to hit cinemas on 4 March.

© Cover Media