Speaking to Variety, The Big Lebowski actor said the reason for not returning to the role went beyond scheduling. “I did what I wanted with the role,” he said. “In the show, there was a lot of violence towards women, and that’s not my thing.”

New episodes of The Penguin air Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO and are released on Max shortly thereafter. Following the conclusion of the miniseries, the shared universe known as the Batman Epic Crime Saga will pick back up when The Batman: Part II is released on October 2, 2026.

"The Penguin" showrunner Lauren LeFranc "completely respects" John Turturro's choice not to be in "The Batman" spinoff series

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc responds after the actor says he turned down The Penguin in part because of the show's amount of "violence towards women."

If you’re wondering why John Turturro didn’t reprise his “The Batman” role in the currently airing spinoff series, “The Penguin,” the actor has a good explanation. In an interview with Variety, Turturro reveals that he declined to reprise his film role as Gotham City mob boss Carmine Falcone for the HBO series.

Last month, The Penguin premiered on HBO to rave reviews. The DC series starring Colin Farrell as the titular criminal character is a spin-off of WB’s 2022 The Batman. However, while Farrell returned for the series,