The Riddler is the main villain in The Batman, but other members of the Dark Knight’s iconic rogues’ gallery played key supporting roles. Chief among those characters is the Penguin, memorably brought to life through Colin Farrell’s transformative performance. The Penguin didn’t have much screen time in The Batman, but his presence in the film helped set the stage for the critically acclaimed HBO Max series The Penguin, which told a compelling story about Oz Cobb making moves to rise up the ranks in Gotham’s underworld. Since this franchise is known as The Batman Epic Crime Saga, it would have been reasonable to assume that a crime boss like Penguin would have even more to do when The Batman Part II rolls around. However, it doesn’t sound like that’s the case.
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In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Farrell briefly touched on his impending return in The Batman Part II. He couldn’t share many details, but he did confirm something surprising about his role. “I’ve got an even smaller role in this one. But I’m okay with that,” he said. “I’ve read the script, from start to finish, and I can’t say much about it. But it’s deeper, scarier, the stakes are bigger. I’m really excited to see it.”
The Batman Part II Could Have Minimal Connections to The Penguin
The Penguin was envisioned as a miniseries that could serve as a bridge between Matt Reeves’ first two Batman films, essentially leading directly into the events of The Batman Part II. The show’s final shot seemed to hint at an upcoming confrontation between the Caped Crusader and the Penguin; as Oz celebrated finally clawing his way to the top, the Bat Signal lit up the Gotham sky, acting as a warning for the potential reckoning that awaits the villain. But if what Farrell is saying is true, fans may have to wait a bit longer for Batman and Penguin to truly come to blows. Whatever legwork The Penguin did of fleshing out Oz’s character apparently wasn’t to establish a foundation for a main role in the movie sequel.
This’ll be disappointing for fans to hear, particularly since Farrell has earned a significant amount of praise for his portrayal of the Penguin. Many would be interested in seeing him take on a larger part in a film. However, none other than Reeves himself has been giving hints that The Batman Part II may not have as many Penguin connections as some might have expected. Cristin Milioti is not reprising Sofia Gigante in the film; Reeves explained this is because they were already so far along on the script for The Batman Part II by the time The Penguin gained momentum. So despite The Penguin ending with its own tease of a potential future storyline for Sofia, that thread will be left dangling for the time being.
Minimizing ties between The Batman Part II and The Penguin made sense since both were being developed concurrently. Things can constantly evolve during the writing process, so this way, the creative teams could craft the stories they want without worrying how it would impact something else. Additionally, on the off chance the show didn’t work, it would have been detrimental to the movie if it had to continue storylines that didn’t click with audiences. Reeves might have tried to incorporate more Penguin elements into The Batman 2 if the production timelines were different, capitalizing on the enthusiastic fan response. Still, The Penguin is a vital component of the larger Batman Epic Crime Saga, diving into Penguin’s character in a way the films can’t. He’s a well-rounded character, and the revelations from the show will inform viewers’ perspective of him during whatever scenes he has in the film. He’s not a two-dimensional villain.
Reeves has expressed an interest in doing something more with Sofia’s character down the line, so perhaps she and Oz could play a vital part in the director’s third Batman movie. That would be a fitting culmination for a crime saga, with Batman caught in the middle of a brewing war between Oz and Sofia. For now, it’ll be interesting to see how Reeves makes the most of Penguin’s limited screen time in The Batman Part II. The film’s main villain, supposedly a figure from Bruce Wayne’s past, could strike an alliance with Oz to make things difficult for Batman, giving Penguin a small but meaningful part to play before he returns again in either The Penguin Season 2 or The Batman Part III.
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