HBO’sThe Penguintells the tale of Oz Cobb, an unrecognizable Colin Farrell, as he attempts to climb the ranks of Gotham’s criminal underworld. His main adversary, and sometimes ally, is Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), who is determined to take the reins of her powerful underworld family any way she can. In the fourth episode of the series, we finally got to see her origin story play out. And despite her father, Carmine Falcone, being dead inThe Penguin’s present-day timeline, he’s very much alive in the show’s flashbacks to Sofia’s origin.
But those who were paying close attention will notice Carmine looks a little different than he did in 2022’sThe Batman, the movie that shares a world withThe Penguin.Instead of John Turturro, who played him in the movie, in the show he’s played by Mark Strong, who’s known for everything from DC’s ownShazammovie series totheKingsmenfranchiseand a 2020 best picture nominee for the Oscars,1917. Why was Carmine recast? Here’s everything you need to know.
What Happened to Carmine (and Sofia) in The Batman and The Penguin?
The Penguin
InThe BatmanandThe Penguin,Carmine is a crime boss who seems nearly invincible. John Turturro played Carmine Falcone at the (unnatural) end of his lifeinThe Batman. At the time, Sofia is in Arkham Asylum, and she never comes up.Carmine, however, is killed by the Riddler (Paul Dano)with a sniper rifle just as Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) is arresting him. Carmine is implicated in several people’s deaths, including Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s deceased parents, but with his life over, it seems that his reign of terror is over too.
InThe Penguin, Mark Strong plays Falcone as a slightly younger man in a more domestic setting. However, his body count continues to be high. In this incarnation, it’s clear that he loves his daughter, Sofia, because she’s strong and obedient. This is in contrast to his son, Alberto, to the point that he even offers Sofia the job of his successor, even though that role traditionally goes to sons. Sofia happily accepts his offer.
But later, she meets with a reporter who tells her that several women, including her mother, died as if they hanged themselves, but had defense wounds on their hands. The reporter is implying that her father killed these women, but she refuses to believe it. That night, though, when she’s being driven home, she’s arrested and charged with the murders the reporter accused her father of, plus the killing of the reporter she met with. Clearly, her father found out about what the reporter was doing and took action against her and Sofia.Because of this, Sofia ended up in Arkham Asylum for 10 years for something she didn’t do.
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Why Did Mark Strong Take Over the Role of Carmine Falcone in The Penguin?
We see both John Turturro and Mark Strong in different settings and looking different as Carmine Falcone, butthey both bring a similar seriousness to the role. The showrunner ofThe Penguin, Lauren LeFranc, had hoped that Turturro would play him on her show too. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. Shetold Entertainment Weekly:
“Initially, did we want to be able to have John come back and be Carmine Falcone? Of course. John’s a really talented actor and was exceptional in the film, but once we realized that his schedule wasn’t going to work out for our show, it became quickly about who has that sort of gravitas and ferociousness, that Mark Strong actually does have.”
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So is LeFranc worried that peoplewill miss Turturroif they’ve watchedThe BatmanbeforeThe Penguin? It turns out she’s not.She told IGN:
“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. …but I feel like the gravitas that Mark brings, it’s different. It’s very specific, and I hope,by the end of… episode [4 of The Penguin], you’re just thinking, ‘That’s Carmine Falcone,’ and you’re engaged in what Mark brings to it.”
Carmine Is a Bit Younger in The Penguin Than in The Batman
Because Carmine Falcone is only seen in flashbacks inThe Penguin, he’s actually coming from 10 years ago, even though the show takes place in the immediate aftermath of the end ofThe Batman. As a result,Carmine is about a decade younger when played by Mark Strongthan when played by John Turturro. Le Franctold Entertainment Weekly:
“They’re similar ages, buta little bit younger. You’d have to ask Mark, butI think he did look at the portrayal and the accent [inThe Batman]. I keep using the word gravitas, but it was very important that he has a presence, certainly with Sofia, that there’s a hint of warmth, but also something very cold at his center. It felt cohesive to me in watching him. It felt to me like that is her father.”
Ultimately, LeFranc said that Carmine was very important to Sofia’s story.
“We certainly weren’t going tonothave Carmine in our story. We very specifically plotted Sofia’s arc to be interwoven with Carmine’s arc, as well.”
So, while there are differences between Turturro and Strong, the 10-year age gap between the characters and their similarly mesmerizing performances will hopefully cause you to embrace them both as Carmine Falcone.Stream on Max.
