With the success of Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), fans of the DC universe have been eagerly awaiting any developments regarding the expansion of this gritty and dark take on Gotham City. The latest buzz among fans revolves around the casting of one of the notorious enemies of Batman (& Wayne family’s friend) in the forthcoming TV show, The Penguin.
Yes, we are talking about the much-awaited casting of DC’s supervillain, Carmine Falcone, and it appears that speculation and theories can finally be put to rest. A subtle hint has been dropped that Mark Strong may play the character in the upcoming Max show.
Acclaimed for his roles in flicks such as Stardust and Sherlock Holmes, Strong, 60, has a background in playing convincing and menacing characters, making him a perfect fit for a villainous role in the DC universe.
The Penguin: Mark Strong’s Involvement in the Series Apparently Confirmed?
It appears that British actor Mark Strong is officially confirmed to be a cast member of The Penguin, an upcoming series that is being developed for streaming on Max. With Lauren LeFranc at the helm, it is a spin-off from Matt Reeves’ 2022 flick The Batman and revolves around Penguin’s ascent in Gotham City’s criminal underworld.
Strong was recently featured in photos from a training session on personal trainer Giacomo Farci’s Instagram account. In the comment section, a fan questioned whether the actor was receiving this training for his rumored but unofficially confirmed role in The Penguin. And, it seemed that Farci confirmed the casting when he replied:
“Yes, I have trained Mark for it”.
Since no formal casting announcements have been made, there is still some uncertainty surrounding the role that Strong might be playing. IMDb does, however, list the actor as Carmine Falcone in one of the eight episodes of The Penguin series. While it is not confirmed which role he will be playing, fans are making their own assumptions. With Farci’s post reigniting speculation, fans are on edge, with some wondering if Strong can embody Mr. Freeze’s chilling poise or Black Mask’s menacing gravitas.
Let us take a look at some comments via X:
He’s telling us to watch Gotham maybe mr freeze
— Alonso (@Alonso14517172) May 12, 2024
My guess is black mask
— Thuwang Shuan (@s84886) May 12, 2024
Another big W for BatVerse
For now, BatVerse is the most strongest comic book franchise in our time
— Mr. Miracul (@MMiracul) May 12, 2024
Is he actually playing a younger Carmine Falcone then??
— spiderviking (@spider_viking) May 12, 2024
i hope as mr.freeze pic.twitter.com/fYzV7HqpZX
— NightKing (@TBSuperHeroes) May 13, 2024
Strong made a significant impression in the DCEU earlier. He portrayed Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, the antagonist of Shazam!, in the 2019 film and again reprised the role in the 2023 follow-up, Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
As the Batman universe grows on the big screen and now on the small screen with The Penguin, fans can expect even more thrilling and compelling narratives to unfold. Alongside Cristin Milioti, Colin Farrell plays the Penguin, a role he originally played in The Batman.
Colin Farrell’s Bold Statement: The Penguin Series Pushes the Boundaries of Darkness
Starring in The Penguin, Collin Farrell promises a “super dark” series. The actor is reprising his role as Oswald Cobblepot in The Penguin, a spinoff of The Batman. After the events of The Batman, the show will chronicle Oswald’s ascent to power as the show’s titular supervillain.
During his conversation with MovieZine, the actor mentioned that he had recently “wrapped” up filming. Next, he issued a dire warning to the DC fandom, stating that the show would be violent and dark in tone.
“We wrapped it, man. We did it. Stuck a fork in it about two weeks ago. It was a long and really wonderful experience. And it’s dark, that’s what I can tell you about it. It’s really dark, and really heavy, I think, certainly it was doing it. Which is not to say I didn’t have fun. I had an amazing time. But it’s incredibly violent.”
“It is one man’s rise to what he is always dreamed of inhabiting, which is a certain power or social status”, Farrell continued.
The actor—who made his film debut in The War Zone—further heaped praise on showrunner (The Penguin) Lauren LeFranc, saying that she has written an “incredibly twisted” eight hours of TV.
“And, you know, the death of Carmine Falcone at the end of [The Batman] leaves this vacuum in Gotham to be filled, and so there are various people that are grabbing for that power… And it’s super dark. [Series creator] Lauren LeFranc wrote an incredibly twisted eight hours of television.”
The Penguin, which is slated to release on Max for streaming later this year, had a teaser trailer released earlier to build enthusiasm for its arrival. Having said that, the precise release date of this eight-episode series is still pending.
So, DC fans, let’s keep our eyes peeled for more updates and announcements, especially regarding Mark Strong’s involvement in the series!
