Colin Farrell says The Batman: Part 2 will turn up the intensity, promising an even darker ride than the first film.
Speaking at the Zurich Film Festival on Sunday, September 28 — where he received the Golden Icon Award — Farrell revealed just enough to tease fans.
“I’ve read the script, from start to finish, and I can’t say much about it,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “But it’s deeper, scarier, the stakes are bigger. I’m really excited to see it.”
Farrell admitted his role this time around is smaller, but he’s fine with that. In the 2022 film, he brought Gotham mob boss The Penguin to life, though at first he wasn’t convinced by the part.
“I was so excited when I got the script, and then I read it and was like, ‘I’ve only got five scenes,’” he recalled. “I didn’t really get it either. I thought he was a bit silly, a bit of a putz.” His perspective changed after director Matt Reeves showed him the Penguin’s look, which instantly helped him imagine the character’s entire world.
As for the sequel, fans can expect a fresh villain. Reeves recently teased on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that the character has “never really been done in a movie before,” ruling out Joker, Poison Ivy, Bane, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Deadshot, Killer Croc, and Black Mask.
Some fans suspect Clayface could be the villain in The Batman: Part 2, though filmmaker Mike Flanagan is already working on a separate Clayface project. Others are leaning toward Hush, the disguise master and strategist, pointing to the first film’s reference to journalist Edward Elliot — a likely nod to Tommy Elliot’s comic book backstory.
As for Colin Farrell, he’s just thrilled to step back into The Penguin’s shoes. Landing the role, he said, was a dream for “that child in Dublin who used to draw Batman signals on his jeans.”
“I can do five hours a day riffing as the Penguin, and even my sense of humor changes,” he added. “I’d call my kids in character.”
