The Batman director Matt Reeves has teased his unique version of The Riddler.
One thing is for certain: we’ve never a Riddler like this. Matt Reeves is set to completely reinvent the mythos of The Dark Knight and his Rogues’ gallery in just a month when The Batman arrives in cinemas. The grounded and brooding take on Batman will see Robert Pattinson stepping into the titular role as he attempts to capture Paul Dano’s The Riddler, a sadistic anarchist who has it out for the elite of Gotham City. It’s clear from the trailer that the villain is taking on the role of a serial killer but there’s more than what meets the eye.
In an interview with Total Film, director Matt Reeves teased his unique take on The Riddler, who he likens more to a terrorist than a serial killer. From Reeves’ comments, it’s obvious that Paul Dano’s villain has an agenda that he wishes to exact.
“He’s not just a serial killer. He definitely has a political agenda, a terrorist aspect to him. He’s indicting the city for what it is. And one of the things he’s doing with each of these crimes is, he’s attacking the so-called legitimate pillars of the city. The whole point of it was to put [Batman] on the path of trying to solve a mystery that was not only going to reveal the history of the city, and why it’s so corrupt, but that also is going to turn at a point, and become actually quite personal.”
The unique take on The Riddler is a far cry from the comical version previously seen on screen, as well as the more puzzling and elusive renditions that frequent DC’s comics. What’s most striking and unique is Paul Dano’s suit as The Riddler, which Matt Reeves confirmed was influenced by the Zodiac Killer.
“I read Mindhunter. It made me think of the Zodiac killer, and how he actually wore this primitive costume that really is a primitive superhero costume… a rogues’ gallery costume. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s really scary, the idea of people really wearing masks, and withholding their identities, and terrorizing people, and how scary that is.’ And so I started thinking, ‘Well, it could be an origin tale for the Riddler, and it could be an origin tale for some of these other characters.'”
Here is the synopsis for The Batman:
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as the titular hero, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál, with Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin.
The Batman will hit theaters on March 4, 2022. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for all the latest news surrounding the upcoming film, as well as the future of Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: Total Film
