Here Is Why ‘The Penguin’ Recast One of Reeves’ Major Villains for the Show
Many fans were dubious when Colin Farrell was chosen to play Oswald Cobblepot, better known as The Penguin, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman because they weren’t sure what to anticipate from the portrayal. The fact that Farrell did not look the part worried the fans; however, the costume design team performed an incredible job, and Farrell presented a terrific villain. So much, in fact, that HBO quickly ordered a standalone spin-off series centered on The Penguin.
The Penguin, as the television series was titled, debuted on September 19, 2024, and both fans and critics are raving about it. They describe it as a fantastic example of world-building and a worthy sequel to Reeves’ film. Praise is also being given to the cast performances, and it appears that Reeves’ vision of the Batman universe is really coming together.
The cast is currently one of the most often-discussed aspects of the series, and if you remember, not that long ago, we reported that Mark Strong had been cast in a major role in the series. It now turns out that he is playing none other than Carmine Falcone, and we have the reason why John Turturro’s character has been recast for the series.
If you remember, a rumor from the Instagram account of personal trainer Giacomo Farci, who posted images of Strong from a training session; one of the fans then asked whether the images were from Strong’s preparation for The Penguin, to which Farci responded, “Yes, I’ve trained Mark for it.”
This was the first piece of information regarding Strong joining the series, and while we initially speculated that he could be playing Roman Sionis, it turns out that he is playing the character we initially thought he wouldn’t be playing. But we were right as far as one thing is concerned.
Namely, Mark Strong is playing Carmine Falcone in the series, and he is playing a younger version of the character; we said that this could be a possibility, but we ruled it out at the time as it did not make sense.
John Turturro is not too old to be made to look younger with simple make-up, and his The Batman appearance wasn’t too complex, which meant that Turturro could have been transformed into a younger Carmine without much ado. Yet, he was recast, and we actually have a reason, as showrunner Lauren LeFranc revealed:
Well, practically, John was just unavailable to us. He had scheduling conflicts, and we couldn’t make it work, but honestly, I’m so thrilled that we brought Mark Strong on. I think he’s really good.
Even though, maybe in the beginning when you first meet him, you might think, “Oh. Well, for fans of The Batman, I’m so used to John Turturro,” and obviously John’s a great actor, but I feel like the gravitas that Mark brings, it’s different. It’s very specific, and I hope, by the end of that episode, you’re just thinking, “That’s Carmine Falcone,” and you’re engaged in what Mark brings to it.
Source: IGN
As you can see, Turturro was not fired or anything; he simply couldn’t make it (maybe Severance had something to do with that, eh?). But, Mark Strong is a great replacement and since he is playing a younger version of the character, the continuity remains intact.
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