John Turturro reveals why he didn’t reprise Carmine Falcone role in The Penguin

As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for comic book adaptations, I find myself intrigued by John Turturro’s decision to step away from reprising his role as Carmine Falcone in The Penguin. While I admire his stance on violence towards women, it seems a bit ironic given the nature of the character he was portraying – a notorious crime boss with a penchant for villainy.


As a gaming enthusiast, I’d rephrase it like this: “I, a gamer, was puzzled when John Turturro, the man behind Batman’s nemesis Carmine Falcone, shared that he didn’t return for The Penguin. His reason left me scratching my head.

HBO Max’s series “The Penguin” is derived from Matt Reeves’ highly-acclaimed 2022 film “The Batman.” Judging by its current trajectory, it seems likely that the show could achieve a comparable level of success as its cinematic origin.

Enthusiasts of both properties are meticulously examining every tiny detail to find commonalities and speculate about which series characters might feature in The Batman’s next installment. On the flip side, certain characters from the initial film pop up in “The Penguin,” but viewers who watched Episode 4 will have spotted a noteworthy acting switch-up.

Although the character of Carmine Falcone was featured in “The Penguin”, John Turturro chose not to reprise his role. In a conversation with Variety, he shared his rationale for declining the offer, but it seems rather complex and confusing.

John Turturro reveals why he didn’t reprise Carmine Falcone role in The Penguin

As a gamer putting myself into the character, I took control and played out the role as I saw fit. However, when it comes to the series, let me make this clear: I’m not about the depiction of violence towards women. That’s just not my style.

The film portrays Falcone’s aggressive behavior towards women as a significant plot element, given his past actions such as murdering Selina Kyle’s mother and her roommate. To clarify this point, Turturro stated that these incidents are depicted outside the main narrative, making them more unsettling. He added, “It’s scarier when you can only imagine what happened.

Although Kyle’s mother and roommate’s deaths are not depicted on screen, Falcone engages in a rather violent confrontation with Catwoman. During this altercation, he chokes her using a pool cue.

Fans were perplexed by the news on X (previously Twitter), finding it puzzling when shared. “I admire his ethics, but didn’t he not investigate who Carmine was before becoming The Batman?” one user questioned. “Aren’t villains like Carmine Falcone inherently bad? That seems to be the point,” another commented.

Instead of Turturro, I was thrilled to see Mark Strong step into the shoes of the notorious mobster, Carmine Falcone, in “The Penguin.” His portrayal as the younger, sinister counterpart was nothing short of impressive and left a lasting impact.

Read More

2024-10-24 08:48