The main draw of The Batman might be that it marks Robert Pattinson’s debut as the Dark Knight, but it’s also notable for bringing the Riddler back to the big screen after an absence of 27 years. Though the Prince of Puzzles is one of the most iconic villains in the Caped Crusader’s rogues gallery, Edward Nygma never faced off against either Christian Bale or Ben Affleck’s Batmen during their tenures. For The Batman, Paul Dano will be bringing a radically different version of the foe to life.
So ahead of Matt Reeves’ movie making the Riddler cool again when it opens this Friday, Batman fans have been debating who’s the best on-screen iteration of the bowler-hatted bad boy we’ve had to date. Twitter user @RawbertBeef started the conversation, giving fans the four most notable takes on the villain to choose from: Frank Gorshin from the 1960s Batman TV show, Jim Carrey in 1995’s Batman Forever, Wally Wingert in the Arkham video games, and Cory Michael Smith from Gotham.
Gorshin quickly emerged as a favorite, with many fans arguing that he’s never been beaten in the role over the past 60 years.
Though, if we want to get specific, Gorshin’s Riddler in his dapper suit is best.
For others, it’s a toss-up between Gorshin and Smith, who got to take Nygma from a shy forensic scientist to the super criminal we love to hate across Gotham‘s five seasons.
There’s no debate for Gotham loyalists, though, who think Smith is unmatched.
He’s one of the best parts of the show.
While he’s not getting as much love as Gorshin and Smith, there are still Jim Carrey fans out there, too.
But some prefer the Arkhamverse version.
Elsewhere, others decided to champion animated Riddlers John Glover (Batman: The Animated Series) and Robert Englund (The Batman — the show not the film).
And let’s not forget the interesting interpretation of the character from the Telltale games.
Clearly, Dano’s got a lot to live up to when reimagining the Riddler for a new generation with The Batman. We’ll find out where he ranks among his forebears this weekend.
