Why Cristin Milioti's Sofia Won't Return for The Batman 2

Only in Gotham do you win an Emmy one night and get ruled out of the next movie the next. Cristin Milioti just took home a trophy for The Penguin, and Matt Reeves turned around at the Emmys and said her Sofia Falcone will not be in The Batman Part 2. Whiplash much? Here is what actually happened, why it makes sense for the movie, and what it means for this Bat-verse.

What Reeves actually said

On the Emmys red carpet, speaking with MTV's Joshua Horowitz, Reeves confirmed point-blank that Milioti is not in the sequel.

"Cristin's not in this one."

He explained the why: by the time The Penguin was deep into production, The Batman Part 2 script was already far down the road. Trying to wedge Sofia into that story would have messed with what the film is exploring. In his words, they were so far along that adding her would have upset the apple cart and just did not fit where the movie goes.

Reeves also made sure to underline that he loved what Milioti did on the show, calling her work astonishing, and left the door open for Sofia to pop up elsewhere in his Bat-world down the line.

• Confirmed: Cristin Milioti's Sofia Falcone is not in The Batman Part 2.
• Reason: the sequel's story was locked enough during The Penguin's production that adding her would disrupt it.
• Future: Reeves praised Milioti and is open to using Sofia in other projects later.
• Status update: The Batman Part 2 is now in prep; other Bat-verse conversations will pick up once that is moving.

The timing is wild

This all landed right after Milioti won the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or Anthology Series or Movie on September 14, 2025, for playing Sofia in HBO's The Penguin. It was her first nomination and her first win for the role, following a Critics' Choice Super Award win and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination earlier in the season.

Her acceptance speech was very her: raw, funny, and a little bit goth in spirit.

"I wrote this on the back of notes I took in therapy the other day, so don't look at the back."

"I loved making this show and I loved playing Sofia so much. It's very hard to make sense of being alive right now in this world, so I'm deeply grateful for the bright spots. Getting to inhabit this woman was a bright spot for me, despite it being very grisly. Playing her felt like flying."

So where does that leave Part 2?

Reeves said the priority has been getting The Batman Part 2 ready, and the production is now in prep. He also reiterated something he has been hinting at since the first movie: there are other characters and corners of Gotham he wants to explore. With the sequel moving forward, he expects those spin-off discussions to restart in earnest.

Translation: Sofia is sitting out Part 2, not necessarily the entire universe. Given how Milioti's Sofia landed, it would be surprising if this was the last we saw of her. Just not this chapter.