Alongside Oswald Cobblepot (aka Oz Cobb), The Penguin, currently streaming on Max, sees the return of Gotham's mafia boss Carmine Falcone. However, this time, it’s not John Turturro reprising the role he portrayed in The Batman (2022). Turturro recently shared that he had several reasons for turning down the DC series, which stars Colin Farrell in the title role and features Falcone’s daughter in a lead role. In flashbacks, we still see Carmine Falcone, now played by Mark Strong.
"I did everything I wanted with the role [in the movie]. The series has a lot of violence against women, and that’s just not my genre," Turturro told Variety. This interview was actually meant to discuss his upcoming film, Strange Way of Life, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, which arrives in Hungarian theaters on November 28. The 67-year-old actor also mentioned that he has more offers than he has time for, which has forced him to be selective.
Commenting on Carmine Falcone's violent nature, Turturro felt that, while the crime boss was brutal in The Batman, director Matt Reeves chose to hint at this aspect rather than directly depict it. "It happened off-screen. It’s scarier that way," Turturro explained.
Minor Spoilers for The Penguin Follow!
The series picks up after Carmine’s death, as Gotham's criminal underworld descends into chaos over leadership succession. Oz/Penguin seizes the opportunity to strengthen his position. In last week’s fourth episode, we saw flashbacks of Sofia Falcone’s memories, played by Cristin Milioti, detailing how her father Carmine committed her to Arkham as a young woman. Known in Gotham as the “Executioner,” Sofia had been wrongfully blamed for multiple hangings of female victims. However, the episode reveals that the real culprit was Carmine himself, portrayed by Mark Strong, who also murdered Sofia’s mother.
With The Penguin now on its fifth episode, three episodes remain, with the next installment arriving on Max this Monday.
