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The Penguin is in development for a streaming release on Max, and following rumors of Mark Strong's casting, the actor's involvement now appears to be confirmed. It would mark another DC-based project for Strong after playing a villain in the DCEU.
On the Instagram account of personal trainer Giacomo Farci, images of Strong from a training session had been posted. In the comments, a fan asked if this training was for Strong's reported role in The Penguin, which has been rumored but never officially confirmed. Farci responded, "Yes, I've trained Mark for it," seemingly confirming the casting. No announcements have been formally made about the casting, leaving uncertainty over which character Strong could be playing. There have been rumors that he'll play Carmine Falcone in a flashback sequence, though that would be strange, given that the actor is only six years younger than John Turturro, who played Carmine in The Batman.
Strong previously made a big splash in the DCEU. He played the role of the Shazam! villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, first appearing in the 2019 original along with the 2023 sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods. That followed his role as Sinestro in Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern movie. The DCEU has since folded with the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, as DC Studios will now focus on building a new slate of movies and TV shows that collectively make up the DCU. The Batman is seen as a DC Elseworlds story with no direct connections to the DCU, so it's possible that Strong could end up heading into that world as well for yet another role based on a DC character.
Mark Strong Is an Acclaimed Actor
An acclaimed actor, Strong is also known for many other roles. This includes playing Merlin in Kingsman: The Secret Service along with its sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. His other film credits include Sherlock Holmes, Kick-Ass, Zero Dark Thirty, and Cruella. Strong also starred in the television series Temple and is on board for a main role in the upcoming series Dune: Prophecy, which will serve as a prequel to the Denis Villeneuve movies.
The Penguin series was developed by Lauren LeFranc and sees Colin Farrell returning to reprise his role as Oz Cobblebot from The Batman. The series also stars Cristin Milioti, Clancy Brown, Michael Zegen, and Michael Kelly.
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