HBO’s The Penguin has a ton of connections to Matt Reeves’ The Batman , but one is proving more interesting than others. In Reeves’ film , John Turturro played crime boss Carmine Falcone, a character who returns in flashbacks for The Penguin. There he’s played by Mark Strong .
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc previously said Turturro didn’t return due to “scheduling conflicts” but the actor has now come out with another reason, one that LeFranc respects but we don’t think quite fits. Speaking to Variety , The Big Lebowski actor said the reason for not returning to the role went beyond scheduling. “I did what I wanted with the role,” he said.
“In the show, there was a lot of violence towards women, and that’s not my thing.” Speaking to the Wrap , LeFranc responded, saying she was under the impression it was the scheduling but still respects the actor’s decision. “I completely respect an actor who doesn’t want to take on a role for whatever their personal reasons,” LeFranc said.
“I only want people to join our show who are excited and want to further the story we’re trying to tell. I think Mark Strong did a really fantastic job. He made the character his own and also really honored what John Turturro did.
” It’s true that on The Penguin things dive deeper into the violent side of Carmine Falcone. It’s revealed he killed his wife as well as several other women by strangulation and then framed his daughter for it, sending her to prison for a de.
