Anticipation for The Batman has reached a fever pitch. Fans are anxiously awaiting the time when they can finally return to a movie theater to see the Dark Knight taking on Gotham’s seedy underbelly once again. There have been some truly inspiring casting choices, including Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman and a nearly unrecognizable Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot. However, the most exciting addition to the cast of characters in this latest incarnation of the caped crusader is none other than the Riddler.
Paul Dano will be playing the classic villain in The Batman, and although he is not seen much in the first (and so far only) trailer released for the film, his presence looms large, from the haunting sounds of duct tape being unrolled to the encrypted card for Batman himself, to a classically crafted riddle (“what is the price for your blind eye?”). It’s clear that this version of the Riddler will be far different from what fans are used to, especially when compared to past versions.
The last time the Riddler appeared in a Batman film was all the way back in 1996’s Batman Forever, where Edward Nigma was famously played by Jim Carrey. The third entry in the original string of Batman movies was known for breaking away from Tim Burton’s original version and leaning more into neon-coated campiness. Carrey did not disappoint on that front, pouring all of his energy into making the Riddler an energetic and comedic presence.
Carrey’s Riddler was a reflection of the villain as he appeared in the original live-action Batman series, Super Friends, and some of the sillier silver age comics. In many of those stories, the Riddler was often seen decked out in his green, question mark-adorned spandex (complete with a little purple mask). He was more of a nuisance for Batman than a true villain, often committing normal, everyday crimes like robbery, but branding them with his signature riddles.
Even when Batman was rebooted in the 2000s, taking a turn that fans in the 90s could likely have never predicted, rumors of the Riddler being one of his main adversaries were numerous. Upon Joseph Gordon Levitt’s casting in The Dark Knight Rises, there was plenty of speculation that he would be taking on the role. That obviously didn’t end up being the case, and it’s too bad. The Riddler and his sadistic mind games might have fit very well into Christopher Nolan’s film universe.
Like almost every other Batman villain, the Riddler would undergo something of a rebranding as the years went on. Much like how the Joker went from silly crime clown to unrepentant murderous psychopath, the Riddler transitioned from a merry trickster to a dangerously brilliant criminal, one whose intellect rivals that of Batman himself. The Riddler was no longer just leaving slips of paper with riddles at his crime scenes. He was creating deadly puzzles that tested both the resolve and mental fortitude of his caped nemesis. Just look at the iteration of the character in the Arkham games. There, the Riddler is more like Jigsaw from the Saw films than his past comic, movie, and cartoon incarnations.
This appears to be the direction Matt Reeves is taking with the character in The Batman. There are shades of the Zodiac killer in this version of the Riddler, who wraps a man’s head in duct tape to deliver a message, while also adorning the murder scene with all types of newspaper clippings. This more methodical, determined version of the character is a far cry from Carrey’s performance nearly 25 years ago. Gone are the gaudy green suits bespeckled with punctuation in favor of something more utilitarian: goggles, a full face mask, and a military-style jacket.
In fact, other than those brief glimpses, the Riddler is barely spotted throughout the trailer, and yet his presence looms large. His bellowing riddle ringing out over shots of the action, a runaway vehicle sent by him crashing through a crowd of people, and finally his message to Batman: “You’re part of this too.” Reeves has promised that this version of Batman will lean more heavily on his detective prowess than other incarnations, and the Riddler is the perfect foil for such a story.
On top of that, Paul Dano is an inspired casting choice for the character. While he’s given great and varied performances in films like Little Miss Sunshine and Looper, he’s no stranger to playing villains. His performance as Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood proved that he can play the type of villain who hides their sinister tendencies beneath a veneer of self-righteousness, while his turn as Tibbeats in 12 Years A Slave showed just how well he can put those types of detestable character traits right out in the open.
There is still some time to wait before audiences finally get to experience The Batman for themselves, but with such a great cast, an enticing trailer, and a great villain (whose return to the world of Batman film is long overdue) the wait will more than likely be worth it.
