Colin Farrell Thinks ‘Batman Part II’ Is Great—and ‘Sgt. Rock’ Could’ve Been, Too

As the new crime prince of Gotham City, you’d expect Colin Farrell to make grand claims about the DC Universe. After all, Farrell is not just the Penguin in the Matt Reeves Batman universe; he was in line to play Sgt. Rock in James Gunn’s DC Universe. Now, only one of those is happening, but the award-winning actor has big, boss-like things to say about each.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Farrell first has grand praise for the script to The Batman Part II, which will see the Penguin character continue beyond the hit HBO TV show. “I had so many thoughts and feelings to share with Matt about the script,” Farrell said on the podcast. “I really do think it’s a masterwork. Kind of a contemporary genre masterwork. It’s so brilliant and Robert [Pattinson] has got such a lovely journey to go on and take the audience through.”

He also described the script as “dense,” “really, really intelligent,” and “detailed.” Which sounds very, very Matt Reeves. “It’s really extraordinary,” Farrell added. “I think he’s going to make an extraordinary film.”

That film starts shooting next year with a release date of October 2027. One thing Farrell was considering doing in the meantime was starring as Sgt. Rock in another DC movie. Daniel Craig was originally rumored for the role in a film that would have been helmed by Challengers director Luca Guadagnino before Farrell began to circle. Later, the project fell apart, and Farrell was asked about it on the same podcast.

“I know nothing about it, brother,” Farrell said. “I was going to do it with Luca. We spoke a couple of times. Had some really nice chats. I have no idea where it is now. But it should be made. It’s really, really good. There’s some wonderful stuff in it.”

Maybe it will still get made. Time will tell. But before that, Oz will return and have a showdown with Batman in 2027. Here’s the interview cued up.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.