In “The Batman,” actor John Turturro plays the role of Carmine Falcone. The character also appears in the HBO series “The Penguin,” but is portrayed by Mark Strong. In an interview, John Turturro revealed why he did not want to play the role in the spin-off series anymore.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the series “The Penguin” and the movie “The Batman”!
What is “The Penguin” about? “The Penguin” is an HBO series that builds on the events of the film “The Batman.” Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, who is often referred to as “Penguin” due to his waddling nature and his facial features, sees his opportunity to rise in Gotham’s underworld.
The two biggest crime families, the Maronis and the Falcones, are at war, and Oswald tries to pit both sides against each other. In doing so, he hopes to find his chance to become an underworld kingpin himself.
The boss of the Falcones is Carmine Falcone, who dies in “The Batman,” but appears in flashbacks in the series “The Penguin.” His slightly younger version is portrayed by actor Mark Strong.
You can get a first impression of the series with the trailer:
John Turturro on the violence against women in “The Penguin”
Why is John Turturro no longer playing Carmine Falcone? In an interview with Variety, the actor stated that he was offered the role again but declined because there was “a lot of violence against women in the show.” This was, according to the actor, “not really his thing.”
The ways in which Falcone is portrayed in the series and in the film differ. In both portrayals, the crime boss is very violent and brutal, but in “The Batman,” these characteristics are mostly only implied, not constantly shown.
In “The Penguin,” however, we see a brutal Carmine Falcone who does not hesitate to murder his own wife if she gets in his way.
The actor further stated in the interview that he had done what he wanted with the role. It can only be speculated that the more explicit violence perpetrated by Falcone in “The Penguin” was not what John Turturro wanted to express with his portrayal of Falcone.
Another reason for the rejection: a simple scheduling conflict. John Turturro himself says, “You can’t do everything you want.”.
The Penguin, or Oswald Cobblepot, is one of the most famous Batman villains. The series has already excited some viewers, not only because it is about the Penguin but also because it reminds them of another very popular mafia series: New series with Batman villains is convincing with 93 %, compared to The Sopranos
