The Batman's John Turturro Reveals The Real Reason He Turned Down The Penguin

Matt Reeves' 2022 superhero flick "The Batman" was yet another retooling of the character, this time as bleak as has ever been seen on the big screen. "The Batman" was more similar in tone to David Fincher's 1995 serial killer thriller "Seven" than to anything made by Christopher Nolan or Tim Burton. Reeves' film did include several familiar faces, however, using the same rogue's gallery as Leslie Martinson's seminal 1966 "Batman" feature film. Zoë Kravitz played Catwoman, this time as an apartment-living thief in deep with the mob. Paul Dano played the Riddler as a Zodiac-like serial killer who liked to leave clues at his crime scenes. Barry Keoghan had a brief mid-credits cameo as the Joker, already incarcerated for a previous shenanigan. 

Most visible was the Penguin, played by Colin Farrell in impressive and extensive makeup. In "The Batman," the Penguin is a mid-level mob guy, known by the Gotham City police, but protected by a network of crime and corruption. The avian nickname was derived from his squat physique, pointed nose, and penchant for tuxedos. Better known to the police, and the true head of most of the city's criminal activity, was a non-cartoon crime lord named Carmine Falcone, played by the inimitable John Turturro. The true vastness of Falcone's massively corrupt enterprises would be revealed by the end of the 176-minute movie, proving him to be the central villain of the story. 

The Penguin, while only a supporting player, was colorful enough to warrant his own spinoff series. Farrell reprised his role in HBO's new series, simply called "The Penguin," in September 2024. The series is ambitious and expensive and seeks to explore the depths of crime and evil in Gotham City, all while Batman isn't looking. 

One might think that Carmine Falcone would appear in such a show via flashbacks (since he dies in "The Batman"), but, it turns out, Turturro wasn't interested. Mark Strong was cast in the role in his stead. In a new interview with Variety, Turturro revealed why he didn't want to participate in "The Penguin." Mainly, he objected to the show's depictions of violence against women.

Turturro also admitted that he had explored Carmine Falcone to the extent of his interest, and that he felt no impulse to return to the character. He stated simply: 

"I did what I wanted to with the role. [...] In the show, there was a lot of violence towards women, and that's not my thing."

Turturro also admitted that he was being offered other projects, and had already filled his calendar with more interesting roles when "The Penguin" was still in production. "You can't do everything you want," he noted. Turturro, after all, has always been a busy, in-demand actor, attractive for his talent, personality, and range. 

Variety mentioned that Turturro's objections to violence against women is a little illogical, given that several women are brutalized by either Falcone or his goons throughout "The Batman." Turturro pointed out that the violence is implied, and not actually seen on screen "It happens off-screen," he said, "It's scarier that way." One doesn't need to see the violence first-hand to be shocked by its impact. 

Mark Strong, of course, is a capable actor in his own right, and plays Carmine Falcone with aplomb. Meanwhile, Turturro will soon appear in Pedro Almodóvar's upcoming film "The Room Next Door," and in the boxing drama "The Cut." He also plays one of the main roles in the Apple TV+ workplace freakout "Severance," and recently turned up on an episode of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." This is in addition to periodic gigs on stage. One can see that Turturro simply didn't have time to also appear in "The Penguin."