As with 1992’s Batman Returns, 2022’s The Batman earned an Oscar nomination for Best Makeup, more or less thanks to the work done on The Penguin. And while both would lose (to Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Whale, respectively), the designs put forth on both Danny DeVito and Colin Farrell were instantly iconic. And Farrell himself knows this, crediting it with much of the success of the show, adding that AI could never replace human work.
Speaking at this year’s IndieWire Honors, Farrell credited a number of people for the success of The Penguin but much of his commitment came down to the makeup, particularly citing artist Mike Marino. “Matt Reeves wrote the film ‘The Batman,’ and I was lucky enough to get the role of The Penguin in that. Then, Lauren LeFranc wrote this show, but it was only when I saw Mike’s design of the visage of Oz Cobb that I couldn’t leave it. Before that I was struggling to think of what I could bring to the project. I was going, ‘I’m just going to be flat as f*ck and it’s going to be terrible.’” He added, “I couldn’t believe it. I kind of got emotional because as I said, I’m 49 going on 10 sometimes and I just got so giddy. This man is an extraordinary, extraordinary artist. I am so grateful.”
As always seems standard at this point, the topic of AI had weight in the moment, with Farrell suggesting that technology couldn’t possibly do what The Penguin’s team did in terms of makeup design. “Things are ever shifting now in a business where everything is going towards tech, and I understand that. I’m not like campaigning for pigeons with notes in their talons. But I also notice that there is a kind of edging away from practical makeup and the magic and the artistry and the tactility and the immediacy and the beauty of practical makeup.”
Mike Marino – who was one of three individuals to earn the Oscar nomination for The Batman and later invited back to do the makeup on The Penguin – further expressed his gratitude for being honored at the event, also leaning into the AI debate. “It means a lot to be recognized for something that was done entirely by human hands. Just clay, glue, rubber, inspiration, and the intention to create something special. There was no AI involved here. No shortcuts, just time, thought, and trust. Colin Farrell was fully committed.”
While the debate between the ethics of artificial intelligence rages (and will continue to do so), we’ve already seen just how insane it can all get and how far “filmmakers” will take it. But if you take one look at the makeup of The Penguin, you know that it’s simply just not something faceless, personality-devoid computers can pull off…yet.
