When The Batman Part II arrives in theaters, it’ll feature less of a certain villain, namely Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb —aka the Penguin. Farrell provided an update on the highly anticipated sequel while promoting Ballad of a Small Player at the Telluride Film Festival. telling Deadline, “I haven’t got much to do on it, just a little bit. I read the script and it’s extraordinary.” He also cast potential doubt on a second season of The Penguin, saying, “Leave it as it is.” While The Penguin was a complete story, having less of Oz in The Batman Part II feels like a missed opportunity. Farrell was arguably one of the brightest spots in The Batman, and Matt Reeves would be wise to expand upon his presence in future film installments.
Colin Farrell Made The Penguin A Character Worth Watching
If you told audience members that the Penguin would be the character who got his own spinoff after The Batman, they more than likely would laugh in your face. When it comes to Batman’s villains, the Penguin isn’t as iconic as the Joker, as intimidating as Bane, or as tragic as Mister Freeze. There was also the looming shadow of Danny DeVito‘s absolutely terrifying take on the Penguin in Batman Returns; standing out from that performance would be a massively tall order. Yet Farrell went above and beyond to make Oz a compelling character, showing a sympathetic side to him with his desire to take care of his mother, Frances (Deirdre O’Connell), and how absolutely power hungry he is when double-crossing Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti).
Cobb’s biggest moment comes in the Season 1 finale of The Penguin, “A Great or Little Thing.” After coming out on top, Oz and his right hand man Victor (Rhenzy Feliz) share a beer together when talking about the future. In a shocking turn of events, Oz chokes Victor to death, saying that he can’t have any weaknesses. It was a completely unexpected moment, yet it showcases how dangerous Oz is; there’s no one, or nothing, he won’t throw away in his pursuit of power. It makes him the kind of foe that Robert Pattinson‘s Batman will have to watch out for. This is a Dark Knight who’s still learning the ropes, and it could be fun to watch him underestimate Cobb, then pay the price for it. Minizmizing Oz’s role in The Batman Part II also misses out on a great opportunity for Matt Reeves to explore.
Pitting Batman Against The Penguin Could Live Up To Matt Reeves’ ‘Batman Epic Crime Saga’
When The Penguin was first announced, Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark referred to Reeves’ series of Batman films and TV shows as “The Batman Epic Crime Saga“. This fits perfectly with the more grounded vibe that Reeves applied to the Caped Crusader, and fits the power struggles between gangsters that fueled both The Penguin and The Batman. It only makes sense that Oz Cobb should play a larger part in that, as The Penguin was all about his rise to power and made him the kind of foe Batman should watch out for. Ironically, Reeves said that Cobb was a large part of his original plans for The Batman Part II, until the higher-ups at Warner Bros. suggested that he make a series about the character instead. If The Batman Part II ends up being as much of a success as its predecessor, then Colin Farrell should play a larger part in the series. He’s got the chops to hold his own with Pattinson, and he could make the Penguin less of a joke and more of a terrifying figure.
The Batman Part II premieres in theaters on October 1, 2027.
The Batman Part II
- Release Date
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October 1, 2027
- Director
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Matt Reeves
- Writers
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Matt Reeves, Mattson Tomlin, Bill Finger, Bob Kane
- Franchise(s)
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Batman