The Batman 2 Is Taking the Right Approach to The Penguin

Batman‘s always had a villain problem. Not just because they keep getting out of Arkham Asylum every time he puts them in, but also because they keep overshadowing him in movies. Even The Batman, which gave plenty of time to Robert Pattinson‘s emo take on the Dark Knight, also featured the Riddler, Catwoman, Carmine Falcone, a cameo by the Joker, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin. The Batman: Part II seems to be following the same model, with Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, and Charles Dance playing Two-Face and members of the Dent family.

Yet, in an encouraging report, Farrell has revealed that his character Oz Cobb will have limited screentime in the Matt Reeves-directed sequel. After praising the quality of Reeves’ screenplay, Farrell admitted to ScreenRant, “I’m only in two scenes, which is great because it means I can enjoy the rest of the film.” That’s great not just for him, not just for Batman, but also for the Penguin. Because too much of Farrell’s Penguin can absolutely be a bad thing.

Need proof? Look no further than the HBO series The Penguin, which put Oz Cobb in the center role. The Penguin often wanted to be a gritty, realistic crime drama in the vein of The Sopranos. The Penguin had as its star an actor just as nuanced and multilayered as James Gandolfini. But where Gandolfini made Tony Soprano into a three-dimensional character through his facial expressions and body language, Farrell had to work though not just layers of makeup and prosthetics, but also an over-the-top accent. The series didn’t find its footing until it gave more attention to Cristin Milioti, who had more to work with in Sofia Falcone.

Conversely, Farrell worked great in The Batman, and stole everyone from his scenes. His barking about “Mister Vengeance” or Batman’s ability to “habla español” injected just the right amount of cartoon energy into a film that could sometimes get self-serious. He leveled out the tone of the movie, helping Pattinson craft his human, neophyte detective.

Farrell’s comments promise a sequel just as rich in psychological depth. “I got to read from the first to last page and it’s really magnificent,” he gushed. “I just think Matt Reeves is brilliant and he wrote, not only tonally, a really kind of dark and at times terrifying piece, and not only psychologically weighty and nuanced, but really… full of feeling.”

Certainly, Batman has proven to be the rare superhero who can handle such thematic depth. But Batman stories are fundamentally about a guy who dresses up like a bat to beat up outrageous villains. For that reason, there’s room in even a psychologically weighty Batman movie for a cartoon gangster who waddles and shouts. But only a little, something The Batman: Part II seems to understand.

The Batman: Part II releases in theaters on October 1, 2027.