THE PENGUIN Showrunner Responds to John Turturro's Claim He Didn't Reprise Carmine Falcone Role Due to Violence

The Batman star John Turturro recently shared that he chose not to reprise his role as Carmine Falcone in The Penguin because it features "a lot of violence towards women, and that's not my thing."

He added that it all "happens off-screen [in The Batman]," but DC fans were quick to point out his apparent hypocrisy as The Penguin's Carmine is far less violent than the one seen in The Batman. 

In case you don’t remember, Turturro's version of the character violently attacked and choked Selina Kyle during the movie's final act.

Now, The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc has responded to Turturro's comments during an interview with The Wrap. 

She said: "I completely respect an actor who doesn’t want to take on a role for whatever their personal reasons. I only want people to join our show who are excited and want to further the story we’re trying to tell.

“I think Mark Strong did a really fantastic job. He made the character his own and also really honored what John Turturro did."

She went on to say that to her knowledge, Turturro didn’t return “due to scheduling conflicts”

LeFranc did take some exceptions with Turturro's insinuation that The Penguin is far more violent in its depiction towards women than The Batman was. 

She added: "Carmine in the movie killed Selina Kyle’s mother and then does try to actively kill Selina, and also kills Annika - Selina’s friend.

“I think it’s been established, and Matt and I are in agreement on this, that Carmine’s a very violent man and has a violent streak against women."

In the end, Mark Strong stepped into the role of Carmine and he delivered a strong performance.