The Penguin may have started as a spin-off series for the 2022 The Batman movie, but the show gained immense popularity. The dark and gritty exploration into the minds of Gotham’s greatest villains intrigued DC fans and other audiences who dubbed the show as a masterpiece.
Colin Farrell’s decision to reprise his role in the show as the titular character surely paid off as his performance was lauded by the viewers. However, there is one actor who declined to reprise his role for the series and he had an interesting reason for saying no. John Turturro appeared as Carmine Falcone in the Matt Reeves directorial but he did not join the spin-off because he felt there was too much violence against women.
The honest confession: When morality clashes with art
The Robert Pattinson starrer movie introduced not only the actor in the iconic role of Gotham’s caped crusader but also several others. Fans quickly grew to love the different antagonists who were introduced in the 2022 film, including the Penguin.
Banking on this popularity, HBO launched The Penguin miniseries as a spin-off of the film focusing on the villains. Colin Farrell retook the mantle of playing the dreaded miscreant which earned him multiple accolades and the audience’s appreciation.
However, one noticeable absence irked film fans who were waiting for a familiar face. John Turturro did not follow his co-star’s example and opted out of the show and his role as Carmine Falcone.
John Turturro says he declined to return as Carmine Falcone in ‘THE PENGUIN’ because he thought there “was a lot of violence towards women” in the show.
“That’s not my thing.”
(Source: https://t.co/ILraxveSs4) pic.twitter.com/tPfDFBnv0B
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 23, 2024
Buddy, you strangled Catwoman’s friend in The Batman….. pic.twitter.com/kLRo4KY14p
— The Moonlight Warrior 🌙 (@BlackMajikMan90) October 23, 2024
I love John, but… isn’t that kind of the point? Carmine Falcone is a bad person. He’s a villain. What he does to women, especially Sofia, is awful, but his character in the show is used to help elevate a female character and her story by showing her dealing with his villainy.
— RJ (@ResonantJustice) October 23, 2024
i respect his morals but did he not research who carmine was before The Batman 😭😭
— harv (@harvv) October 23, 2024
Did buddy not know his character back story from the first film? pic.twitter.com/AslBJswaX7
— Sancheezzzy (@Scoby20) October 23, 2024
Bro played a guy who literally chokes women to death already & went, “I’m better than this” you literally choked Catwoman 💀 like what
— Endymion (@EndymionYT) October 23, 2024
In The Batman he plays a mafia boss who kills people for a living. So he’s saying that is “his thing”? 🤔
— Nicolas Sanchez 🇺🇸 (@NicoSanchezUSA) October 23, 2024
Hold up, Carmine literally chokes a woman to death in The Batman? WTH is he talking about?
— Josh Boutwell (@joshbmessenger) October 23, 2024
It’s okay.. the new actor who played carmine was wayyyy more intimidating
— 🇺🇸PhoenixStrong🇺🇸 (@Phoenixxstrongg) October 23, 2024
You villains can’t villain anymore, can you? 🤦♂️
— Veekay (@Veekayset) October 23, 2024
In a recent interview with Variety, the actor explained his reasoning on why Mark Strong appeared in his place. Turturro revealed that his character’s mistreatment of women didn’t sit right with him, and so he turned down the offer.
I did what I wanted to with the role. In the show, there was a lot of violence towards women, and that’s not my thing.
The Room Next Door actor supported his stance by stating that he could accept the role in the film because his maliciousness was not deeply explored. On the contrary, the show would dive deep into the mob boss’s backstory and his offending actions which unsettled the actor.
The psychotic head of the Falcone crime family
Turturro’s statement for not appearing on the hit series may have upset fans but it did make sense. The character of Gotham’s serial killer while represented brilliantly by the actor in the film, just barely scratched the surface.
Strong’s appearance in the flashback scenes of the show fascinated the viewers who turned eager to learn more about the Hangman. The character had a history of violence towards women which was depicted briefly by the film, but can be further explored in the series.
Although the show mentioned that the Mafia don was dead, his past could be depicted through other flashback scenes involving his daughter Sofia Falcone (portrayed by Cristin Milioti). Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman, aka Selina Kyle, could also be roped in to further explore her father’s background.
The murky role might have perturbed the Severance actor but it’s clear fans are loving the psychological take on Gotham’s famous bad guys. The actor chose to not only prioritize his morals but also stated that he lacked the time to say yes to everything that came his way.
The Penguin is currently available to watch on Max.
The Batman is currently available to watch on Max.
