Margot Robbie shocks Colin Farrell by revealing the Penguin was original Birds of Prey villain
During EW’s interview, the duo was also surprised to realize that they never discussed their DC characters while making “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.”
Margot Robbie shocks Colin Farrell by revealing the Penguin was original *Birds of Prey *villain
During EW's interview, the duo was also surprised to realize that they never discussed their DC characters while making "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey."
By Sydney Bucksbaum
Sydney Bucksbaum
Sydney Bucksbaum is a writer at covering all things pop culture – but TV is her one true love. She currently lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Chicago so please don't make fun of her accent when it slips out.
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Published on August 22, 2025 09:00AM EDT
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Colin Farrell in 'The Penguin,' Margot Robbie in 'Birds of Prey'. Credit:
Macall Polay/Max; Claudette Barius/Warner Bros/DC Comics
Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell spent a lot of time together making their new fantasy romance film, *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey*. Still, throughout all their conversations on set, they never discussed their shared history as Gotham City criminals.
This realization dawned on them for the first time during a recent interview with * *tied to their new film (out Sept. 19), in which they play strangers brought together on an incredible journey.
"Did we ever talk about Harley and the Penguin?" Robbie asked Farrell.
"I don't believe so," Farrell responded.
Margot Robbie in 'Birds of Prey'.
Claudette Barius/Warner Bros/DC Comics
Robbie agreed, leading them both to crack up.
"I don't think it came up once," Farrell added. "No, we never mentioned, never spoke about it at all."
"We've done so much talking, and I don't think we've ever [discussed that]," Robbie continued, before noting, "That's so weird."
As Farrell began to explain that their two characters "exist in so many different universes and multiverses," Robbie cut him off to reveal that they almost crossed paths in her 2020 hit film *Birds of Prey.*
*"*The first draft that Christina [Hodson] wrote of *Birds of Prey*, the villain was the Penguin," Robbie told Farrell.
"No way!" a visibly shocked Farrell responded. "Really?"
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"And then [director/writer] Matt Reeves said, 'Don't use the Penguin. I'm going to use him in my thing,'" Robbie explained. "And so we swapped it to Black Mask [played by Ewan McGregor]."
"Wow!" Farrell responded before asking for more details. "And how was her Penguin?"
As Robbie teased that it was "amazing," Farrell couldn't contain his excitement.
"Did you still have a copy of [that script]?" he asked Robbie.
Colin Farrell in 'The Penguin'.
Macall Polay/HBO
"Yeah, it's probably on my computer," she told him. "You could read it."
Farrell smiled as he asked her to send him a copy, and she promised she would.
"Oh, good, I'd love to [read it]," he said. "That'd be so fascinating."
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Robbie began her tenure in the DC universe playing Dr. Harleen Quinzel a.k.a. Harley Quinn, the Joker's (Jared Leto) psychiatrist-turned-obsessive lover in 2016's *Suicide Squad*. She reprised the character in 2020's *Birds of Prey,* and again in 2021's *The Suicide Squad. *
Will she return to the role again? New co-head of DC Studios James Gunn recently told EW that Robbie's place in the new rebooted onscreen universe "will be revealed down the line."
Meanwhile, Farrell debuted as Oswald "Oz" Cobb a.k.a. the Penguin in Matt Reeves' *The Batman* in 2022 before headlining his own spinoff series, *The Penguin,* on HBO in 2024. While the future of *The Penguin* is uncertain, Farrell will return as the ruthless crime boss alongside Robert Pattinson's caped crusader for the long-delayed but much-anticipated *The Batman Part II.*
Source: “AOL Movies”