John Turturro has explained why he snubbed the chance to reprise his The Batman role for HBO’s The Penguin.
The 67-year-old actor played gangster Carmine Falcone in 2022’s The Batman opposite lead star Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader.
However, he did not reprise the role in spin-off series The Penguin – which focuses on Colin Farrell’s villainous character Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb – with Mark Strong taking over the role instead.
Discussing his decision to snub the critically acclaimed HBO show, Turturro told Variety, “I did what I wanted to with the role (in the film). In the show, there was a lot of violence toward women, and that’s not my thing.”
He added that he thinks the secret to his character being so terrifying in the 2022 film is the fact his violent actions are not depicted on-screen.
He commented, “It happens off-screen. It’s scarier that way.”
The Penguin has proved to be a smash hit for HBO, with millions of fans tuning in each week to watch Farrell’s titular character struggle to come out on top as the most successful gangster in Gotham.
He faces off against the Falcone family and a rival gang headed by the equally dangerous Maroni family.
Fans have seen violent scenes showing criminals getting crushed by cars, huge shoot-out scenes, and characters being set ablaze in the violent show – which also depicts drug use and other crimes.
