John Turturro Cast As Carmine Falcone In The Batman The Nerd Stash

The cast of Matt Reeves’ The Batman continues to grow larger. Acclaimed actor John Turturro will now play Gotham’s most famous crime lord, Carmine Falcone.

The news comes from Reeves himself, who tweeted out, “I said… #CarmineFalcone” along with a gif of Turturro’s scene-stealing character from The Big Lebowski.

? I said… #CarmineFalcone pic.twitter.com/wa5zNuVwPg

— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) November 22, 2019

Although Batman may spend a lot of time battling superpowered villains, Falcone is one of his most ruthless human foes. The crime lord debuted in the revered Year One storyline in 1987. He also plays an essential role in The Long Halloween. It’s been rumored that Reeves will be drawing inspiration from The Long Halloween for his Batman movie. And this casting only makes that rumor stronger. The fan-favorite storyline by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale sees Falcone’s empire dealing with a serial killer.

This won’t be Falcone’s first live-action appearance. Tom Wilkinson played the villain in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. But more recently, John Doman portrayed him on Gotham. His inclusion will give The Batman a look into the seedy underbelly of Gotham. And it will undoubtedly ensure the film sticks to the noir vibe Reeves has promised.

The Batman has seen a steady stream of great casting announcements throughout 2019. Although the casting of Robert Pattinson as Batman may have made some worrisome, his recent work has proved he’s come a long way since Twilight. Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) will play Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) will play Edward Nygma aka The Riddler. Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) will play Commissioner Gordon. Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) will play Alfred Pennyworth. And Colin Farrell (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) will play Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin.

That cast is pretty impressive. But this likely isn’t the final character we’ll hear about. It was rumored that the film would feature 6 villains and that seems to be coming true.

Turturro is known for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the Transformers franchise, and his Golden Globe-nominated role in the HBO miniseries, The Night Of.