The Batman Star Had 1 Condition for His DC Role (& It Made the Movie Better)

In 2022, The Batman introduced us to a more stylized, whimsical version of Gotham City than we’ve seen in many other recent films, and John Turturro understood that aspect of the movie from the beginning. The actor often talks about his craft and his commitment to the creative process, and this job playing mob boss Carmine Falcone was no different. He spoke about the role in a new interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast published on Monday, revealing just how much thought he put into the character before he even accepted the job. He said that he told director Matt Reeves he would play Falcone as long as he was allowed one specific prop.

“Well, you know, I put a lot of work into it,” Turturro said. “I was reading all the comics that had inspired that, I took it seriously, and I went to the source material. I told [Reeves] — I said, ‘I’ll do it if I can wear these glasses,’ because, I said, ‘everyone else has a mask, and I want a mask too. I don’t have, like, really cold eyes, I know that. So when you have that shield, that helps you. Sometimes one thing — it can be something physically, or a costume piece — it can free you, in a way.”

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Turturro’s Falcone

Now that Turturro has pointed it out, it’s easy to see how this one creative choice helped set off the entire movie and this version of Gotham as we know it. The logic is sound — The Batman is full of flamboyant characters with masks, prosthetics, and affectations. Turturro was already playing one of the most straightforward characters in the ensemble, an organized crime boss who could conceivably exist outside the world of costumed heroes and villains. Giving him a subtle “mask” helps him fit in better and makes him a part of the setting, rather than an outlier.

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In many ways, Falcone turned out to be the main villain of The Batman despite the high-profile schemes of The Riddler (Paul Dano). The aftermath of his presence was already palpable in the spinoff series The Penguin, and he will undoubtedly continue to leave his mark on future movies. The Batman Part II is making some real progress lately, with a finished script and a filming schedule that starts in January of 2026. The movie is currently slated for release on October 1, 2027.

Those that want to revisit Turturro’s performance can stream The Batman now on HBO Max, along with The Penguin. Do you think Turturro did justice to Gotham’s infamous mobster? Let us know in the comments below.