Alex Carter
John Turturro’s portrayal of crime boss Carmine Falcone in the 2022 film The Batman was unforgettable. However, in the forthcoming series The Penguin, set in the same fictional universe as The Batman, the character will be brought to life by Mark Strong. Fans have been buzzing with questions about this casting change, prompting series creator Lauren LeFranc to shed some light on the matter.
Lauren LeFranc Reveals Why Mark Strong is the New Carmine Falcone in The Penguin
In a recent interview, LeFranc disclosed that Turturro was “unavailable” to reprise his role due to “scheduling conflicts,” leading to the decision to recast the character with Mark Strong. In The Batman, Falcone is unveiled as the biological father of Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) and becomes the primary target of the film’s main antagonist, the Riddler, who eventually assassinates him. Despite this, Falcone will make appearances in flashback sequences in The Penguin, which unfolds a week after the events of The Batman.
“John was simply unavailable due to scheduling conflicts, and we couldn’t make it work. However, I’m ecstatic that we managed to bring Mark Strong on board. He’s incredibly talented. Initially, fans of The Batman might miss John Turturro, but I believe the unique gravitas that Mark brings to the character will captivate them. By the end of the episode, I hope viewers will be fully immersed in Mark’s portrayal of Carmine Falcone,” LeFranc shared in an interview with IGN.
Strong has a rich history of playing villains in numerous films, including several comic book adaptations like Frank D’Amico in Kick-Ass (2010), Sinestro in Green Lantern (2011), and Dr. Thaddeus Sivana in Shazam! (2019). The Penguin’s star-studded cast also includes Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobb / Penguin and Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone / The Hangman, another daughter of Falcone.
