The Batman from director Matt Reeves is only a couple of months away and I've talked much
about the things that I'm looking forward to from the new film. And while I've discussed the
Riddler's plan and we know that this is going to be crucially connected to the
caped crusader himself, I've wanted to discuss all the reasons why this new Batman villain excites me
so much. It's one of the things that gives me confidence in the plot of this Batman film
and is one of the reasons why the whole detective or zodiac killer approach is really selling
me. Now for all, we know the Riddler might turn out to be a sub-par villain, but based
on everything we've seen so far including the actor who's playing the central villain and the
teased connection to this version of Bruce Wayne, Paul Dano's take on a modern Riddler is one that
I believe could become classic if pulled off well. In this video essay, I'm going to
be discussing all of the reasons why this new Riddler can be a great villain and one that
can really help to transcend this film across multiple genres which we gather from all the
footage so far. Before I get into it though, if you want to see much more videos on The Batman
leading up to its release date, alongside the continuation of my Road To The Batman
series, then don't forget to support this video by giving it a like rating, subscribing to the
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But without further ado, let's discuss the potential of The Batman's Riddler.
So Paul Dano’s take on the Riddler in The Batman will be the first time the villain has
been the main one of a Batman movie in over two decades. In Batman Forever, Jim Carrey brought
Edward Nygma to life with an evil craziness, a version that was somewhat in relation to
Frank Gorshin’s performance in the Adam West show from the 60s. Their performances were
deviations, bringing new iterations of the character from Detective Comics, one that was
obsessed with riddles and puzzles, and eventually giving clues to Batman and Robin about his
many crimes. This lead up to the 1990s, when the character took a long break and then later on
in the 2004 animated series, that version of Riddler, brought a goth look where he sported
long black hair, inspired by that of Marilyn Manson. So you'd think after his mixed history
this would be the perfect time to reinvent the Riddler or bring something that lifelong fans
of that character might like to see. And Matt Reeves seems to be doing both in his new
Batman film, making the character a potentially sinister yet also emotional antagonist to
Pattinson's Dark Knight. And when I say emotional, I'll be getting into that later on in this video.
Starting with this reinvention of the famous character, one thing that's been
on a lot of fans minds is the new look that this character is bringing. Matt Reeves is bringing a
quite scary zodiac portrayal, and for actor Paul Dano there is some advantage when portraying
a character that has had as different reboots. The Riddler has been reimagined
multiple times on both on the big screen and in the comics, so it gives Dano the clean slate
to bring something different rather than more of the same. We'll always have those other
portrayals so getting something slightly different, but a version and look that still
resembles Riddler is really the right way to go. In an interview with Paul Dano, the actor said
that the Zodiac Killer was a grounding force for the character in both his personality and
look. Of course, this was the never-captured serial killer from the 60s whose case was
further propelled after David Fincher’s 2007 film Zodiac and the film is looking to take
that boosted public interest and integrated it into this new version of the villain. And this
Zodiac killer approach is one that is reflected in Paul Dano's costume,
one that has a very real and intense look, resembling the DIY or hands-on
approach in a world where instead of threats coming from massive underworld
organizations, they come from individuals. The actor said
"it's scarier than the more sophisticated or composed designs they played with and he
found working with the costume to be very powerful. When you put on something like that,
there’s a way to let it speak to you, and tell your body something. There’s a way to let it
have a life of its own". It only makes sense that with The Batman's characters being early
into their career that they would world on them and the design would reflect an early-stage
version of them. Pattinson's Bruce reflects this and so does Zoe Kravitz's Catwoman. Of course,
there has been a somewhat response online to the costumes, with some saying that they don't
like the look because it's not classic Riddler. Now while we don't know whether this look
may work in the film, what we have seen so far is very promising and just personally, I think
some are missing the point of this redesign. Reeves is trying to redefine the Riddler with
a real-world look and sensibility, similar to how Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger did the
Joker in The Dark Knight, approaching him as an individual terrorist who put his
own makeup on and doesn't look the way he does because of falling into acid. This is a full-on
detective film that involves Batman hunting down a Zodiac inspired Ridler that is steps
ahead of everyone trying to bring him down. The look reflects this and almost acts as a dark
mirror of Batman's cape and cowl where it seems we will barely see the face of this person.
But then on the flip side, we've seen plenty of Bruce Wayne's face so far. But then, of course,
he still has the iconic green colours, his question mark symbol and he'll
throw around plenty of riddles like we've already seen in the trailers.
It's taking a balanced approach in bringing a real-world Riddler
that still contains the key ingredients we want and expect from the character.
In my opinion, the decision to redesign the Riddler as a dark, gritty villain will
ultimately make the film better. Starring Robert Pattinson as a young Bruce Wayne who is only two
years into his career as The World’s Greatest Detective, a serious Riddler could be the perfect
antagonist. Reeves’ rendition of the character is a formidable threat to not just Bruce,
but the citizens of Gotham, and will allow Reeves to heighten his strengths as a director.
With the Planet of the Apes films, Cloverfield and Let Me In, the director has proven multiple
times that he can handle dark, world-threatening ideals with nuance. Just from the early footage,
Paul Dano’s Riddler seems to be bringing these themes to the forefront of the film
as a villain who is willing to go as far as murdering the city’s mayor and crafting riddles
around his murders for Batman to solve. Something that's done in relation to his and Bruce's
past, exploiting him and the city's corruption in the process. With an inexperienced Batman
as Gotham’s only hope, the stakes in this fill are instantly raised. In the process, this will
allow the filmmaker to extend the film’s thrilling and suspenseful elements,
which helped make his previous films as great as they were. This Riddler is not overly energetic or
cartoonish and he's one that wraps up his entire body to hide his identity,
all while giving Bruce deadly challenges. Up to this point,
the closest viewers have gotten to a serious Riddler is his portrayal in the Arkham video
games, something I'm actually aiming to replay before the new film. But this new redesign,
all plays into the strength of Reeves, who is likely using the villain’s actions to create an
engaging and empathic caped crusader. While the film will also feature other famous members of
Batman’s rogue’s gallery, such as Penguin, Catwoman, and the Falcone crime family,
Riddler goes above the standard crime-focused villain's Batman due to the unique nature and
severity of his crimes. This will complete force Pattinson’s Batman to change his tactics, learn
and grow into the Batman we know. Usually, viewers can expect Batman to outsmart his villains,
but with this Riddler, there's a big potential for extremely tense scenes.
Ones like that previous interrogation scene from the trailer that we got a brief look at.
And I have to mention that through bringing this darker, more realistic take on the Riddler to
life, it's really the actor that has to sell this kind of performance. And Paul Dano is
one of the most overlooked actors in the business for some of his fantastic performances of the
past. Paul Dano has worked with some of the most exciting directors in the industry,
playing roles from famed musicians to muted teenagers, becoming a stable force on screen,
never needing to approach a particular role in an over-the-top way to grab attention. His
reserved and thoughtful performances along with a soft voice have become trademarks of his career,
used at times to comfort, shock and sometimes even connect to the audience watching.
The actor's new turn to a crazed serial killer opposite Pattinson's Batman is therefore
very exciting to see come to life. One of my favourite performances of the last 10 years is
Dano in Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners, where his character has little to no dialogue.
But he doesn’t need it because he perfectly strikes that balance between bringing all the
creepiness, suspicion and innocence you'd expect from this kind of character. And the
actor doesn’t let this slip throughout, which is not an easy role to play when trying to keep that
extreme level of mystery. This year alone, Paul Dano is on course to play a nuanced
version of an iconic superhero villain, Steven Spielberg’s father in the director's new film and
he will star in a new sci-fi from the Chernobyl director.
So the actor’s filmography is about to grow in a bit way and his role as the Riddler is
of course the biggest of the bunch. If he can bring the level of acting he has
brought on other projects then I think we are in for something special with his character.
Paul Dano's Riddler also has the opportunity to bring a villain that while psychological and dark,
can be surprisingly emotional too. Early footage has suggested this will be the case
because of the character's links to the Waynes and his early life in an orphanage. If you watched my
footage breakdown a few weeks ago, you'll know that I went into the images from that
trailer that told us that Thomas Wayne may have cut money from the orphanage to fund his
own campaign for Mayor. Obviously, there will be a lot more to it than just this and I could
see the film explaining the Riddler's early life was like a living hell, almost to the point where
you could sympathise with the villain. In this respect, it would do something a
Batman movie hasn't done before, making the audience more fascinated by who the Riddler is
and how he became that person. If this does happen, the character would then go beyond just
being a big bad, making everything have a harder punch. After all, Matt Reeves wants to make a
Batman film that in quote, "challenges Bruce Wayne to his core" and having a villain like
this would only propel that approach even further. The Riddler's actions would be more terrifying,
more emotionally charged and all linked in to the future growth of the caped
crusader himself. It's something that will only contribute to the strength of this film's story
and character decisions. Matt Reeves doesn't want to just make this Joker 2.0, he wants
to redefine the Riddler for this modern landscape all while bringing everything we know and
love about the character to the big screen. And the riddles, conspiracies and detective
approach will just be the beginning of it.
But they were the reasons why I think Paul Dano's Riddler can be a great villain. Matt Reeves film
has huge potential with this redesign of the famous villain and while some fans may
not be as pleased about turning the Riddler into a serious, threatening or more psychological
opponent, Matt Reeves has proven that he can elevate darker components within the story
he's telling. He has brought multiple gitty and suspenseful thrillers to the big screen
and confidently made them work on a consistent basis. By implementing these bold decisions, he is
adapting the version of the Riddler that he wants to see and one that makes sense for
the story and genres of this particular film. If anything the past should tell us to wait and see
how this turns out, but what I will say is that if this does work out well, I think we
could see a redefining of the character similar to how the Joker was redefined for a modern take
in The Dark Knight. We'll have to see, but Paul Dano's Riddler is definitely one of my
more anticipated elements and can't wait to see how the actor brings this iconic role to life for
a new generation. But I'm intrigued to hear what you guys think towards the potential of the
Riddler in Matt Reeves Batman film, alongside what other villains you would like to see
redefined in future movies. So let me know down below in the comments section.
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