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!
