Paul Dano, who plays the Riddler in the batteroffers his input on the existence of multiple Batman continuities. Before his debut as the iconic comic book villain the Riddler, Dano was known for his performances as quirky, eccentric characters like Hank in Swiss army man. He also earned a name for himself through offbeat villain performances such as John Tibeats in 12 years slave and Eli on Sunday in There will be blood. With his first foray into DC movies, Dano garnered much acclaim for his role as Edward Nashton, aka the Riddler, a serial killer who goes after rich and powerful citizens of Gotham City, leaving riddles for law enforcement and his nemesis, the titular hero Batman. .
In the Matt Reeves-directed film, Dano starred alongside Robert Pattinson as Batman himself, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon and Colin Farrell as the Penguin. Dano offered a darker take on the crazy villain, in keeping with the noir vibe of the film as a whole. Reeves’ the batterwhile unique in many ways, came after several iterations of Dark Knight-centered stories, including Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman starring Michael Keaton and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, starring Christian Bale. Additionally, Ben Affleck most recently played the Caped Crusader in the DC Extended Universe.
In a video for GQ, Dano offers some insight into his approach to preparing for the role, saying that Reeves’ new direction gave him a lot of freedom. The actor – a Batman Fan himself – also defends the existence of several Batman movies and continuities, saying the reboots have allowed the comic book-based stories to adapt to the modern world. Watch what the actor says below:
“Because Matt had such a specific point of view and a new one, it gave me a lot of freedom, you know, like this is this Riddler, I’m not going to worry about the others or the comics. I tried to take all the archetypal energy out of the comics, and I read a bunch of them, and I’m writing a comic about the Riddler now, and I was shocked at how much I loved putting the movie out and interacting with that fanbase, again a fan of my own, and how much fervor there is around The Batman.
I also think that, that’s why – why should we keep making these, right? It is to reinterpret. And it’s also to reinterpret for time, to continue to explore a character in a world. So, I think for people like Matt and Tim Burton and Chris Nolan, and who’s going to wear it after that, I think it’s got to be an artist with a point of view that takes that character and that city for the time we’re in.”
Will Dano’s Riddler appear in The Batman 2?
Dano’s perspective draws similarities between Batman and other literary staples like Shakespearean dramas, demonstrating the appeal of taking ancient archetypes and applying contemporary stories to them. While comics are generally not compared to literary classics by some of the public, their impact and importance cannot be underestimated, and their modern popularity provides the perfect means of commenting not only on the genre itself, but also on the world beyond. the batter offered a fresh take on Batman both stories and the story of the tormented hero, and it remains to be seen how The Batman 2 will continue to complicate that position. As for Dano’s character, the actor has indicated that he would like to return as the Riddler.
although The Batman 2 was announced in April 2022, not much is known about the film beyond the involvement of Pattinson and Reeves. Given the Joker (Barry Keoghan) tease at the end of the batter and a longer deleted scene including the character, it seems likely that Reeves has plans for the classic villain in a future movie. In addition, since Dano’s Riddler is imprisoned but still alive at the end of the batter, maybe he will also be featured in the next movie. Two spin-off series begin the batter universe are also in the works, and a recent report states that Reeves has several Batman villainous movies, which may also play a role in the plot of The Batman 2 or be set up by the upcoming movie.
Source: GQ
