Colin Farrell Circling DC’s "Sgt. Rock"

Colin Farrell may be double-dipping in the DC Universe. “The Penguin” star is circling the lead in "Sgt. Rock", the DC Comics adaptation from director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes.

Daniel Craig was eyed for the role, but the actor never formally committed to the movie before he dropped out of consideration in February.

The character, who debuted in 1959, isn’t a classical superhero; rather, he’s a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army who leads his unit, Easy Company, through the European theater of World War II. (Though he does eventually become chief of staff for Lex Luthor.)

In the comics, Sgt. Rock is a World War II hero and combat fighter. There have been attempts to bring the character to the screen over the years with actors like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but those films never came to pass.

The movie is expected to begin shooting this summer in England. It is being developed under DC’s James Gunn and Peter Safran leadership team. 

The duo has described the adaptation as a straightforward war film and views “Sgt. Rock” as an opportunity to demonstrate the range of content they intend to make under the DC banner. Gunn’s upcoming “Superman,” debuts in July, and it is intended to kick off a new era for the Warner Bros. comic book studio.

Farrell joined the world of DC as the ruthless crime lord Oz Cobb (aka Penguin) in 2022’s blockbuster “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. 

He reprised the role, which involves extensive prosthetics that make the Oscar-nominated actor virtually unrecognizable, in the HBO spinoff “The Penguin.” Farrell has won awards from SAG and the Golden Globes for the series, about Oz Cobb’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld.

Outside of DC, the Irish actor is known for Martin McDonagh’s films “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “In Bruges,” as well as “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” “Total Recall” and “True Detective.”