‘The Batman: Part II' Draws Strong Reactions After Colin Farrell Update

Many moviegoers are highly anticipating Matt Reeves’ “The Batman: Part II,” especially considering the popularity and critical acclaim of the first movie starring Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Andy Serkis, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, and Paul Dano.

Pattinson took on the role of Bruce Wayne and the Caped Crusader, with Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Kravitz as Catwoman, and Wright portraying Gotham Commissioner Jim Gordon. They dealt with several criminals in the movie, with Dano as the Riddler and Farrell as Oz Cobb/the Penguin.

Pattinson, Wright, Serkis, and Farrell are among the stars back in Reeves’ sequel to reprise their roles from the first film, which delighted many fans ahead of filming. However, Farrell recently shed light on how much his character will appear in the new movie.

The actor praised the writing, saying the script was written like “kind of a contemporary genre masterpiece” and noted, “I’m only in two scenes, which is great because it means I can enjoy the rest of the film.”

More news:Knicks Radio Host Apologizes to Taylor Swift for NBA Finals Game 4 Comment

Farrell indicated he’s been able to look at the new film’s script, also calling it “terrifying” and “psychologically weighty,” but “nuanced” with “feeling.”

“We haven’t gone to that place yet where somebody arrives with a titanium briefcase chain to their wrist and seven pages of only my scenes. I got to read from the first to last page and it’s really magnificent,” the actor said in an interview for ScreenRant. “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 feeling. It’s a really … There’s moments in it. It’s full of feeling.”

Fans shared their reactions to his significant update, particularly about his role in the sequel. More than a few commenters complained about the lack of scenes for an actor who really helped make the first movie highly entertaining and later starred in the solo HBO Max spinoff series, “The Penguin.”

“Two scenes? After carrying the first movie? Reeves really said ‘thanks for the Oscar buzz, now sit in the corner with the other mascots.’ Penguin deserved better than a cameo cameo,” a commenter wrote in replying to Discussing Film’s X post.

“DC really spent 4 hours turning Colin Farrell into a terrifying Penguin just to bench him for 2 scenes like he's on punishment duty,” someone commented.

Another commenter replied, “Disappointing considering he’s incredible as the character, but I guess their reasoning is less will have more impact in the film, and if you want more of him watch the Penguin series (which is incredible to be fair).”

“Wait, ONLY two scenes?! After how incredible The Penguin series was, I really expected Oz to be a massive player in the sequel,” an X commenter said.

Additional actors were confirmed to appear in “The Batman 2,” including Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, and Brian Tyree Henry, all of whom played characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Stan will portray the well-known DC Comics character, Harvey Dent, who ultimately becomes Batman’s nemesis, Two-Face, so it seems the film’s focus could be on his character, with Penguin in a lesser role.

That’s a good thing as Farrell is known to be a regular scene-stealer, but Stan is no slouch. In fact, the cast is full of award-nominated and award-winning actors, which could help it become a major box office success next year.

“The Batman: Part II” is slated to arrive in theaters in October 2027.

More news:‘Superman: Man of Tomorrow' Set Leaks Reveal Intense Lex Luthor Battle

For more about superhero movies and TV series, visit Newsweek Entertainment.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM.