Yet another classic DC Comics villain is joining The Batman. As announced by writer/director Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes, Cloverfield), John Turturro has been added to the growing ensemble as Carmine Falcone, the major crime boss who operates in Gotham City. Turturro will star alongside Robert Pattinson (Twilight, The Lighthouse), who has been tapped to play Bruce Wayne/Batman in the long-gestating comic book adaptation.
Casting has been heating up on the project of late, with several high-profile actors joining in various villain roles. It was said early on after Matt Reeves took over the gig from Ben Affleck, who was at one point set to write, direct and star, that the movie would feature several key villains from Batman’s Rogues Gallery. The addition of John Turturro as Carmine Falcone comes as a surprise, given that neither the actor nor the character had been rumored for the project up until this point. Reeves, taking to Twitter, made the reveal by sharing a gif of Turturro’s character Jesus from The Big Lebowski. Reeves provided the following caption, alongside a bat emoji.
“I said… #CarmineFalcone”
Carmine Falcone was first introduced in the pages of DC Comics in Batman: Year One in 1987 and was created by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. Unlike many of the Caped Crusader’s villains, Carmine Falcone is a more typical crime boss that operates in Gotham’s seedy underbelly. The character was previously portrayed by Tom Wilkinson in Batman Begins and, more recently, by John Doman in the TV series Gotham.
As for John Turturro, he is a well-respected character actor known for his work in movies such as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Do the Right Thing, Barton Fink and Quiz Show. Turturro also won an Emmy for his small screen work on Monk and was nominated for another for his role in HBO’s The Night Of. Turturro previously dabbled in the realm of massive studio blockbusters as Agent Simmons in the Transformers franchise. Some of his other credits include Gloria Bell, Exodus: Gods and Kings and The Good Shepherd. It’s unclear at this time how sizable Turturro’s role as Falcone will be, given the large ensemble.
Other confirmed cast members include Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Commissioner Gordon, Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road) as Catwoman, Colin Ferrell (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) as Penguin, Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) as Riddler and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) as Alfred Pennyworth.
Newcomer Jayme Lawson has also been added in an undisclosed role. Filming is expected to begin early next year, but plot details are being kept under wraps at this time. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. The Batman is set to hit theaters on June 25, 2021. Be sure to check out the post from Matt Reeves’ Twitter for yourself.
🦇 I said… #CarmineFalconepic.twitter.com/wa5zNuVwPg
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) November 22, 2019
