The Real Reason The Penguin's Sofia Falcone Won't Return In The Batman Part II

The 77th Emmy Awards were a win and loss for "The Penguin" fans. On one hand, Cristin Milioti won a much deserved Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award for her performance as Sofia Falcone/Gigante. Milioti brought pathos to a surprisingly sympathetic antagonist. Sofia is a murderer, but she's not the monster people first presume to be, just a broken soul. Milioti, calling on her puppy dog eyes and fierce glare, projects the ruthlessness barely hiding that sadness.

The bad news? "The Batman" director Matt Reeves confirmed in a red carpet interview that night that Sofia is not going to appear in "The Batman Part II." When interviewed by Josh Horowitz (representing MTV), Reeves was asked: Since Colin Farrell's Penguin is back in the sequel to "The Batman," does that mean his rival Sofia is too?

"Cristin's not in this one, but that's because we were so deep into the script [for 'The Batman Part II'] by the time of ['The Penguin']," Reeves replied. Basically, he and his writing partner Mattson Tomlin had already decided on the story for the sequel, and while he thinks Milioti is "incredible," including Sofia would "upset the apple cart."

That's a shame for many Bat-fans; I previously listed Sofia as one of the baddies I most wanted to see in "The Batman Part II." When we last see Sofia in "The Penguin," she's locked up in Arkham Asylum and receiving a letter from her half-sister, Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz). That seemed like it could've been an opening to bring Sofia into Reeves' "Batman" sequel but apparently not.

That does leave Sofia's story unresolved, though ... or does it? While "The Penguin" was initially announced as being a limited series, Reeves confirmed that due to the show's acclaim, he, showrunner Lauren LeFranc, and the series' other creatives are considering making a second season. Should that go forward, I don't see any way that the show doesn't bring Sofia back for another round with Oz.

So, we know that there's no Sofia Falcone in "The Batman Part II," but what else?

Reeves and Tomlin announced they'd finished their "The Batman" sequel script back in June 2025 via an Instagram post. DC Studios Co-President James Gunn has read it, as have some key cast members like Farrell. The movie is currently set to begin filming in Spring 2026 and is eyeing a 2027 release.

Yet, while no Sofia/Milioti is a disappointing development, Reeves' overall comments at the Emmys once more inspire confidence; he's putting story first. Every Batman fan out there has an idea for what they want in the sequel, but the best thing that "The Batman Part II" can do is continue to focus on Batman/Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson). If adding Sofia would be superfluous or distract from Bruce's journey, then it's better to leave her out.

"The things that [the film] does for his character, for Batman, and for Bruce, I think has never been done before in this way," as Reeves told The Hollywood Reporter. He made similar comments about "The Batman" before that as well; his refrain when introducing "The Batman" teaser at DC FanDome in 2021 was the movie would show Batman fans "something [they've] never seen before."

Indeed, Reeves' Batman is the most visibly maladjusted one; he's as reclusive as Michael Keaton's iteration but doesn't even have a playboy mask he slips on in public. "The Batman" also premised itself on being a true Batman detective story (even if this Batman was more Jake Gittes than Hercule Poirot), whereas previous "Batman" films were more gothic action.

The movie uses four traditional Batman villains, but each one has a purpose, like a crucial node in the script's architecture. Mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) personifies the corruption of Gotham, while Riddler (Paul Dano) is a dark mirror of Batman trying to take that corruption down. Penguin, meanwhile, is the red herring, which any good mystery needs. Finally, Catwoman gives Batman both a new glimpse into Gotham's underclass (who he should be fighting for) and breaks his single-minded devotion to his vow; Bruce is attracted to Selina and doesn't quite know how to approach her or those feelings.

"The Batman" ended with Bruce resolving that he needed to be a symbol of hope, not fear, to make Gotham a better place. So, presumably, he'll be a new kind of Batman in the sequel, not the one who brags "I am the shadows" when thinking of how he makes criminals look twice at darkness. As to what that new Batman looks like? We'll have to wait and see.

"The Batman Part II" is scheduled for theatrical release on October 1, 2027.