'The Batman' Gets Its Villain In The Form Of Paul Dano As Edward Nashton Aka The Riddler

So we went from months of being in the dark about casting for Matt Reeves' The Batman, to a month full of announcements. Just earlier this week we got word that Zoe Kravitz would be joining Robert Pattinson and Jeffrey Wright as our new Catwoman, but now we also know who will playing the film's villain. Early reports had suggested Jonah Hill was in talks to play the antagonist, but he and the studio ultimately couldn't come to an agreement. Just a day after that announcement, Reeves himself confirmed that Paul Dano (Prisoners) would be portraying the role of the iconic villain The Riddler.

Riddler has been a name we knew would show up in The Batman for quite some time now, alongside Penguin and Catwoman. This was the role that Hill was apparently up for, but Reeves' wanted to cast the actor as The Penguin. Between that and Hill's salary requests being double that of the movie's lead actor Pattinson, it seems Reeves finally decided to move on to a different name. Enter Dano who was Reeves' plan B, and by some accounts fits the role of Riddler more accurately than Hill would have. 

Although he may not have the accolades Hill has, Dano has made a huge impression on audiences and critics with his creepy performances in movies like There Will Be Blood and Prisoners. Dano fits the nerdy and quirky version of Riddler fans are used to from the comics, but can also take the character into a much scarier and dramatic place. Riddler hasn't been portrayed on the big screen since Jim Carrey's memorable yet campy take on the character in Batman Forever, so both Dano and Reeves have the freedom to take the character is whatever direction they please.

Its still hard to tell who is actually the main villain of this movie, with Kravitz' Catwoman probably serving as more of an antihero alongside Batman. There's been many rumors that the movie will follow the Long Halloween storyline which features many members of Batman's rogues gallery, but the main villain there was Calendar Man. Riddler could be serving as a substitute for that role in the story, but he could also just be a secondary villain to Penguin. Reeves is apparently still actively looking for an actor to play Penguin, and has shown interest in Seth Rogen but no formal offer has been made. 

So what do you think of Paul Dano playing The Riddler? Who would you like to see play Penguin? Are you disappointed Jonah Hill won't be in the movie? Let us know below!

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Actress Zoë Kravitz Will Play Selina Kyle/Catwoman In Matt Reeves' 'The Batman'

Just like with the Batman role itself, there has been months of speculation surrounding the casting of the role of Catwoman in Matt Reeves' 2021 reboot. The character has been rumored to appear in the film for a while now, yet there had been no solid casting rumors apart from fan suggestions. With Robert Pattinson (Good Time) set as our new Batman, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Commissioner Gordon, and Jonah Hill (Wolf of Wallstreet) as an undisclosed villain, it was only a matter of time before Bruce Wayne's romantic flame was cast. After a shortlist of actresses screen-tested for the part, Zoe Kravitz (Big Little Lies) has reportedly won the role. 

Just a few weeks ago reports had come out that Warner Bros. was looking for a "Zoe Kravitz type" to play Catwoman and were looking at actresses of color for the role. These actresses included Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Dark Phoenix), Lupita Nyong'o (US), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Black Mirror), and Logan Browning (Dear White People). While it wasn't clear at the time why WB wouldn't just cast Kravitz herself rather than look for an actress similar to her, this was apparently due to her scheduling commitments to WB's other big franchise Fantastic Beasts. With that series in a sort of limbo at the moment, Kravitz was apparently freed up to take the role. 

Like with Pattinson who had to beat out Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road), Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name), and Aaron-Taylor Johnson (Kick-Ass) for the role of Bruce Wayne, Kravitz had to screen-test before winning over director Matt Reeves. According to THR the final names that screen-tested with Pattinson this weekend were fan favorites Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver), Ella Balinska (Charlie's Angels), and of course Kravitz herself. Its unknown if this race was as close as Pattinson and Hoult's reportedly was, but it seems Warner Bros. got the actress they wanted all along. 

(Left to right) De Armas, Gonzalez, and Balinska

This news also finally confirms that Catwoman will indeed be in the movie after months of rumors but no confirmation. The character will most likely be an anti-hero in the movie as she is in the comics, and serve as a love interest for Bruce Wayne. The character has been brought to the big screen by both Michelle Pfieffer and Anne Hathaway, so it'll be interesting to see what approach Reeves takes with the Selina Kyle. We also still don't know what villain Jonah Hill is playing or whether he's officially been cast, but Kravitz's Catwoman may be associated with him or helping Batman take him down.

So what do you think of Kravitz as Catwoman? Would you have preferred one of the other rumored actresses in the role? Let us know below!

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