After Penguin, Colin Farrell in talks to play Sgt. Rock for DC Studios

Irish actor Colin Farrell, who earned widespread acclaim for his portrayal of the iconic DC villain in The Penguin, is in negotiations to return to the DC universe with Sgt. Rock, a Second World War action film to be directed by Luca Guadagnino for DC Studios.

This development follows, British actor Daniel Craig’s decision to step away from the project, having previously been in discussions for the role. According to reports, Daniel is now considering a part in Greta Gerwig and Netflix’s adaptation of Narnia. No official offer was ever made to the James Bond star, according to DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, who stated in February that the project would commence filming this summer “only if we find the perfect actor.”

If a deal is finalised, Colin would take on the role of the tough-as-nails leader of Easy Company, a combat unit fighting Nazi forces in Europe. Created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert, Sgt. Rock first appeared in comics in 1959 and became one of DC’s longest-running titles. Hollywood has spent decades attempting to bring the character to the big screen, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis both previously linked to the role. The script has been penned by Justin Kuritzkes, known for writing Guadagnino’s Challengers and Queer.

Colin previously played Penguin as a ruthless crime lord in The Batman, Matt Reeves’ gritty reimagining of the Caped Crusader. He later reprised the role in The Penguin, an HBO spin-off that received widespread critical acclaim and numerous awards. Colin won a SAG Award, a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award, and a Saturn Award, among other accolades. The 48-year-old actor is expected to return to the role in Reeves’ sequel to The Batman, which DC Studios hopes to begin filming by the end of the year.

If Colin secures the role of Sgt. Rock, it would also indicate that Gunn and Safran are open to reusing actors from recent DC projects in their current slate. Jason Momoa, who played Aquaman as recently as 2023, is set to appear as the anti-hero Lobo in Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow, which is currently filming in England and is scheduled for release in June 2026.