The Banshees of Inisherin star is downright buried under a mountain of makeup and prosthetics for the HBO crime drama. He has transformed into an entirely different version of the DC Comics villain, but luckily for fans,

Who says penguins can’t fly? The series premiere of HBO’s The Penguin — the Colin Farrell-led follow-up to Matt Reeves’ The Batman — racked up 5.3 million cross-platform U.S. viewers over its weekend debut.

Although "The Penguin" premiered on HBO and Max on September 19, HBO is changing things up for the rest of the season. "The Penguin" takes us back to Matt Reeves' version of Gotham City to tell a new story set within the city's criminal underworld.

Farrell’s physicality matches his minutely calibrated vocal rasp as Oz. He’s not recognizable as Colin Farrell but in this world of deception and shadows, the casting works. And for all the low-light nightclub murmuring going on,

HBO's The Penguin is the rare franchise spinoff that manages to stand on its own, thanks in no small part to Cristin Milioti and Colin Farrell's volatile lead performances.” Multiple over-the-top characters and twists A TV-grade look that pales in comparison to The Batman A one-dimensional version of Gotham City Every second of The Penguin should be eye-roll-inducing.

HBO debuted their highly-anticipated series The Penguin on Thursday night, which earned rave reviews from fans on social media.