The Batman‘s Paul Dano has revealed how director Matt Reeves helped his Riddler: Year One comic find life on the set of the DC film.
The Batman proved a sensational success for DC and has subsequently seen an array of spin-off projects enter development. As well as a sequel to the film being greenlit, two spin-off series are being developed for HBO Max – one focusing on Colin Farrell’s Penguin and another based on Arkham Asylum.
Outside of film and TV, a prequel comic focusing on the Riddler – Riddler: Year One – is being penned by the film’s Riddler actor Paul Dano.
Paul Dano’s ‘Riddler: Year One’ Pitch
Speaking recently to Entertainment Weekly, Paul Dano revealed how he shared the initial idea for Riddler: Year One with Matt Reeves on the set of The Batman, ultimately leading to the comic’s creation.
Paul Dano said that once he had shared some of his ideas for the Riddler’s origins with Reeves, the director said he thought the images Dano was discussing would make a good comic. The actor admitted he had had the same thought, leading to Reeves getting in touch with DC about the idea.
Sharing the story of Riddler: Year One‘s origins during the making of The Batman, Paul Dano said:
“One night, I was on set with Matt Reeves, our director, and I said, ‘My backstory, I saw this image, and this image, and this image,’ and he said, ‘That should be a comic,’ I secretly had that in mind, that it could be. I don’t know if I would have had the sand to go through with it, but the next day on set, Matt Reeves said, ‘I spoke to DC; they want to talk to you.’ And I said, ‘Great’… Frankly, it’s turned into a whole other thing, it’s taken on a life of its own, and I think it’s really cool.”
The first images from the comic were shared recently at San Diego Comic-Con. Paul Dano is writing the six-part series for DC’s Black Label with art by Stevan Subic. In addition to Dano’s Edward Nashton, Riddler: Year One will feature Robert Pattinson’s Batman during his first year as a crime-fighter.
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, Colin Farrell as the Penguin and Barry Keoghan as The Joker.
The Batman is streaming exclusively on HBO Max and is available to own on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding The Batman and Riddler: Year One, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
Source: Entertainment Weekly
