Colin Farrell says he has 'no burning desire' to return to Batman franchise

By Casey Cooper-Fiske, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Actor Colin Farrell has said he has “no burning desire” to return to the Batman superhero franchise as The Penguin.

The 49-year-old plays the comic book villain in film The Batman (2022) and TV series The Penguin, and told BBC’s The Graham Norton Show he features in a small number of scenes in upcoming movie sequel The Batman Part II, which is slated for release in 2027.

Speaking of his appearances in the Batman world, the Irish star said: “It was an amazing experience, like nothing I had ever been part of before, but I have no burning desire to play the character again in another film.

“I do have a few scenes in the new Batman sequel, which I am okay with. I had the script a few months ago and it is extraordinary.”

Farrell also spoke about his latest film, Ballad Of A Small Player, which sees him play a con man and gambling addict.

He said: “It is a jolly tale of addiction and desperation, and looking in all the wrong places for a sense of who you are.

“My character’s life is all smoke and mirrors and he is about to hit rock bottom.”

Elsewhere on the show, actress Julia Roberts revealed she had “talked about” Ocean’s Fourteen, a sequel to 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen, which would be the first film in the series since 2018, but said: “I didn’t know George (Clooney) was going to announce it.”

On Thursday, Clooney revealed shooting for the movie could begin in 2026 during an interview with US outlet E!.

He said: “We just got the budget approved at Warner Bros and we’re trying to set up.

“It’s just scheduling, so it’s just setting a start date for us. Probably start in about nine or 10 months, shooting.”