In the first episode of HBO’s The Penguin, you may have noticed something strange about the look of Carmine Falcone when a photo of him was shown on a news broadcast. The organized crime boss, who was killed in The Batman, was only briefly featured on-screen in The Penguin‘s premiere, but it was enough time for fans to see that it wasn’t John Turturro’s face on the news. The actor who played Carmine in The Batman was replaced and Sunday night’s new episode of the show finally gave the new-look Carmine a significant amount of time in the spotlight.
Even though Carmine Falcone died weeks prior to the events of The Penguin, his legacy looms large over the series, as much of it has to do with his remaining crime family. The fourth episode, which aired Sunday night, spent a ton of time telling the backstory of Sofia Falcone, so Carmine’s participation was required.
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With Turturro not returning to play Carmine, the role went to fan-favorite actor Mark Strong. If your a comic fan, you probably remember him from his role as Merlin in the Kingsman movies, his turn as Dr. Sivana in Shazam!, or his portrayal of Sinestro in Green Lantern.
Strong took over the role of Carmine Falcone from John Turturro, who had some scheduling conflicts that kept him from working on The Penguin.
“Well, practically, John was just unavailable to us,” The Penguin show runner Lauren LeFrance told IGN. “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, obviously I’m so used to John Turturro,’ but I feel like the gravitas 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.”
The two actors don’t exactly look alike, but it doesn’t matter too much for a supporting character who’s already dead within the continuity of Matt Reeves’ Batman universe. What’s important is that Strong is able to bring the chilling gravitas required to make Carmine Falcone feel like one of the most feared individuals in Gotham City, and boy does he have more than enough of that to go around.
In all honesty — no disrespect to John Turturro at all — Strong might actually be an even better fit for the character. He’s got a menacing side he can turn on that few others can match.
There might not be any more opportunities for Carmine Falcone to pop up in any future projects set within this version of Gotham City, but it would be hard to not make Strong the first call if the character is ever needed again.
