Actor's schedules can always ben an issue when a new project comes up, and The Penguin ran headlong into just such an issue.
In the 2022 film The Batman, crimeboss Carmine Falcone was played by John Turturro. When it came time for the The Penguin series, it quickly became evident that Turturro's schedule was too packed for him to reprise the role. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc had to come up with a plan.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly about the situation, she said, "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. It was really exciting to see how those scenes turned out because he was so seminal to Sofia's story. We certainly weren't going to not have Carmine in our story. We very specifically plotted Sofia's arc to be interwoven with Carmine's arc, as well."
As to how Strong chose to play the character, LeFranc said, "You'd have to ask Mark, but I think he did look at the portrayal and the accent [in The 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."
Strong is no stranger to playing DC roles. He previously played Sinestro in 2011's Green Lantern, and Dr. Sivana in Shazam!.
No word as of yet if we will see Strong appear in any further episodes past the fourth.
