The Penguin, HBO’s new spinoff from The Batman, has tapped Mark Strong to play one of the original movie’s key roles – and the recasting has been praised by fans.
The new superhero TV show takes place a week after the Riddler’s terrorist attack in Gotham, but don’t expect to see Robert Pattinson’s caped crusader barreling through the streets in his Batmobile.
Instead, the series will follow Colin Farrell’s titular villain as he rises to power in the fractured, damp city – but he’ll have to contend with Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milloti), seeking to regain control of her late father’s empire after a stint in Arkham Asylum.
In the 2022 film, Carmine Falcone was played by John Turturro. He was assassinated by the Riddler (though it initially seemed like it was the Penguin) just as he was arrested.
Mark Strong plays Carmine Falcone in The Penguin
However, the longtime Batman foe and mob boss will return – but he’ll be played by Mark Strong instead of The Big Lebowski star.
There’s a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, given he’s dead, Carmine will appear in flashbacks (presumably before Sofia goes to Arkham). Secondly, Turturro was the first choice, but he was too busy filming Severance Season 2.
Mark Strong as Carmine Falcone in The Penguin. pic.twitter.com/63cSPGFjvM
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Speaking to CinemaBlend, showrunner Lauren LeFranc explained: “John Turturro is just, he’s a busy actor, you know? So his schedule made it really tricky for us.
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“But honestly, I think what Mark Strong did was so exceptional. It would’ve been great to have John, but I’m really excited for people to see what Mark does with the role because he’s really – he’s very intimidating, and very emotional.”
Strong has a storied history with DC, having played Green Lantern villain Sinestro and Shazam’s first foe Dr Sivana.
It’s unclear how the fallout of the Falcone family’s patriarch will impact The Batman 2, but make sure you watch The Penguin first. “We are the bridge between the two films. We’re going almost directly into the second film Matt has planned,” LeFranc added.
You can read our recap of The Penguin Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3, discover Cristin Milioti’s forgotten role in The Sopranos, find out more about why Oz Cobb limps and a secret QR code that’ll unlock a Riddler Easter egg. You can also learn why Dr Julian Rush may be a Batman villain in disguise.
You should also check out our list of the best superhero TV shows and our ranking of the best superhero movies.