The Batman Franchise Needs a Better Plan for One of Its Best Characters (And DC Knows It)

The Batman franchise has both thrilled and frustrated DC fans in the three years since Matt Reeves’ movie hit theaters, and the latest casting news surrounding its sequel, The Batman: Part II, poses another reason for concern. 2022’s The Batman opened to widespread praise for its grim depiction of Gotham City and characteristically gritty take on Bruce Wayne/Batman (Robert Pattinson), elevated by captivating mystery elements and outstanding character portrayals. Two years later, The Batman‘s spinoff series The Penguin aired eight episodes on HBO Max, fixating on Oswald “Oz” Cobb/the Penguin’s (Colin Farrell) role in Gotham’s criminal underworld involving other key figures. Through one movie and one TV series, The Batman franchise exhibits a fascinating web of supporting characters, however, not all of them will return in 2027’s The Batman: Part II.

Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) prominently features in The Penguin as an antagonist to Oz. A lesser-known comic book character reborn as a formidable presence on screen, Milioti’s Sofia instantly won the admiration of fans — even though her back-and-forth battle with Oz ended with her defeat. On the same night Milioti won an Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for playing Sofia Falcone in The Penguin, Reeves confirmed that she won’t appear in The Batman: Part II. Reeves attributed Milioti’s absence to The Batman: Part II‘s script being too far along in development to include Sofia. This news comes as both a surprise and a disappointment, as many consider Sofia’s story a pivotal factor in The Penguin‘s success.

Sofia Falcone’s Exclusion From The Batman: Part II Is a Major Disappointment

Sofia’s debut appearance in The Penguin masterfully cements her as one of The Batman franchise’s best characters. Despite Oz’s status as the series’ main personality, The Penguin devotes a significant portion of its plot to Sofia. The daughter of the late Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) emerges as a powerful player in Gotham’s crime scene after spending a decade in Arkham Asylum. Sofia rebuilds her father’s empire under a new name, the “Gigante” Crime Family, in honor of her mother, who was among the seven women Carmine brutally murdered. Framed as “The Hangman” by Carmine and Oz following her discovery of the crimes, Sofia takes on the role of an underdog who fiercely threatens Oz’s organization.

The Penguin‘s deep dive into Sofia’s tragic backstory establishes her as a fascinatingly layered character on par with Oz and even Bruce Wayne. She murders, kidnaps, and commits other immoral acts, but it’s hard not to root for her against the depraved and deceitful Oz. Sofia’s downfall and forced return to Arkham could have been the end of her story, yet The Penguin teases an exciting next chapter when it depicts Sofia receiving a letter from Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), her half-sister. Most viewers assumed Milioti’s Sofia would appear in The Batman: Part II, given that Farrell is slated to reprise his role as Oz, so the revelation of the former’s non-involvement in the movie is a huge letdown.

The Batman: Part II may simply lack the narrative space to include Sofia, and that’s not a problem in itself. Surely another spinoff TV series or future film installment could continue the character’s arc, but as of now, nothing of the sort has been confirmed. With The Batman: Part II‘s release date two years away and no official word on The Penguin Season 2 or other spinoffs, it’s alarming that the franchise seemingly doesn’t have a plan for one of its most compelling characters.

Three or more years could pass before Sofia next appears in The Batman universe, and that is a colossal misstep on the part of Reeves and DC, who are fumbling the chance to capitalize on a remarkable character triumph. The spectacular fan and critical response to Milioti’s Sofia probably wasn’t anticipated, and there are obviously other priorities to consider when mapping out The Batman‘s future, but a character as magnetic and complex as Sofia deserves a better plan than relegation to the sidelines until DC can get out of its own way.

Poor Planning Could Spell Danger for The Batman Franchise

Sofia’s exclusion from The Batman: Part II isn’t the only blunder potentially hindering the success of The Batman franchise. Although announced just one month after its predecessor opened in theaters, The Batman: Part II has endured a baffling series of delays in the pre-production stage, resulting in a five-plus-year wait between films. A complete and high-quality script is essential to setting up The Batman: Part II for success, though the lengthy process risks killing The Batman‘s momentum. Additionally, Reeves and co. failing to consider Sofia as a viable character while penning The Batman: Part II‘s script is the kind of puzzling error that shouldn’t occur in a well-planned cinematic universe.

At this point, it appears this corner of DC doesn’t have a concrete roadmap to work with, which could pose problems for its longevity. Reeves’ Batman universe has so much potential, but its perpetual struggle to get projects off the ground, placing character arcs and other plot threads in a frustrating state of uncertainty. The Batman franchise must take advantage of The Penguin‘s success in some fashion, and it has sadly mishandled the best opportunity to bring the show’s most interesting character to the big screen. Of course, The Batman: Part II can still deliver a top-notch Batman story with other villains and characters in support of Pattinson’s main hero; however, some of the sequel’s hype has unfortunately been dulled by its omission of Sofia Falcone.

The Batman: Part II is scheduled to hit theaters on October 1, 2027.

7 Villains We Need to See in The Batman Part II