Skip to main content Games Radar Retro Gamer Total Film The smarter take on movies Search GamesRadar+ View Profile Tabletop Gaming Toys & Collectibles Newsletters Retro Gamer Gaming Magazines Why subscribe? Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99View Best Netflix Movies Best movies on Disney Plus Movie Release Dates Best Netflix Shows Entertainment Action Movies Fans are excited for Colin Farrell to join the DCU, but some are a little conflicted about The Penguin star's new role Emily Garbutt 18 March 2025 The actor is in talks to star in Sgt. Rock When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: HBO/SKY) Now that Colin Farrell is in talks to star in Luca Guadgnino's Sgt. Rock movie for DC Studios, fans are conflicted on how they feel about The Penguin star taking on another role for DC. Daniel Craig was originally in talks to play the World War 2 soldier, who leads the Easy Company infantry unit and first appeared in DC Comics back in 1959, with Jeremy Allen White rumored to be stepping in after Craig dropped out. Justin Kuritzkes, who worked with Guadagnino on Challengers and Queer, is penning the script, and the movie is reportedly set to start filming in the UK this summer. While some fans are excited about Farrell's casting, others are concerned that "new blood" needs to be brought into the DCU. Farrell first played mobster Oz Cobb in 2022's The Batman, before leading the HBO series The Penguin last year. Matt Reeves' movies (and any associated spin-offs) are not part of the DCU and come under the Elseworlds umbrella instead, but some viewers think it's still an odd casting choice from DC Studios. You may like Penguin actor Colin Farrell could be going from villain to hero as the star of DC's Sgt. Rock movie As Daniel Craig drops out of DC's Sgt. Rock movie, The Bear's Jeremy Allen White is reportedly stepping in – and fans think it's an upgrade "Having like one actor play all these characters is kind of weird tbh. Let's get new blood," wrote one Reddit user. "I still don't understand the push for this deep cut character movie when our core characters aren't even established yet," someone else pointed out, while another fan agreed, "To the best of my knowledge, Sgt Rock is pretty much just a WWII soldier with no special powers. Why is DC pushing so hard for this movie? Not trying to bash, I'm genuinely curious on why people are fans of the character and what about him appeals to people." However, another user argued that Guadagnino is the appeal here, rather than the character. "I think its more so that this is the project that Luca Guadagnino is interested in and he's a director who a lot of talented actors want to work with," they wrote. "I imagine the movie will be promoted mostly based on the director and lead rather than the actual Sgt Rock character." "Better than Jeremy Allen White," someone else commented. "White is a good actor but not a big name at all, and a project like this needs some degree of star power to give it a chance at the box office," someone else replied. "Farrell is a great choice for that." Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. "I personally think it's very exciting if Farrell joins the DCU in addition to being in the Reeves-verse," wrote another user. "It’s incredibly dumb that people think he can’t play Sgt. Rock when he’s Oz. Not only are they different universes but the characters look nothing alike," agreed someone else. Sgt. Rock doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more updates, check out our guide to the other upcoming DC movies and shows on the way in 2025 and beyond. See more Movies News Emily Garbutt Social Links Navigation Entertainment Writer I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Penguin actor Colin Farrell could be going from villain to hero as the star of DC's Sgt. Rock movie As Daniel Craig drops out of DC's Sgt. Rock movie, The Bear's Jeremy Allen White is reportedly stepping in – and fans think it's an upgrade Colin Farrell says he is "open to" doing The Penguin season 2, but has "no deep desire" to return The Penguin star Colin Farrell pays tribute to Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix's "extraordinary" comic book performances after winning Golden Globe James Gunn says it's "not the plan" for Robert Pattinson to play Batman in the DCU, but he "wouldn't rule anything out" As Milly Alcock's Supergirl is confirmed to appear in Superman, DC fans are concerned the movie may have too many characters Latest in DC Movies Fans are excited for Colin Farrell to join the DCU, but some are a little conflicted about The Penguin star's new role Penguin actor Colin Farrell could be going from villain to hero as the star of DC's Sgt. Rock movie The 32 greatest Ben Affleck movies Lady Gaga jokingly celebrates Joker 2 reception and Razzie nominations: "Joke's on them. 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