With Jonah Hill effectively out of the picture (word is he was demanding too much money to play Oswald Cobblepot), Warner Bros. has turned its attention to The Riddler, Gotham’s cackling maniac and a constant thorn in Bruce Wayne’s side. And it wasn’t long before the role was filled.
News broke earlier today that Paul Dano had climbed aboard The Batman as Edward Nygma, and will now join a cast comprised of Jeffrey Wright (Commissioner Gordon), Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman) and Robert Pattinson as the World’s Greatest Detective. It’s an enviable ensemble, not least because Warner Bros. still has a number of key roles to fill – specifically The Penguin, with rumors circulating that Seth Rogen has emerged as the new frontrunner.
But with Dano now officially locked in, Batman fans have today reacted with glee, citing the actor’s standout performances across There Will Be Blood, Swiss Army Man, and the Denis Villeneuve-directed crime drama, Prisoners.
The casting for Matt Reeves’ #TheBatman is just absolutely perfect…
• Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
• Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
• Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon
• Paul Dano as Edward Nygma/The Riddler…& they aren’t even close to done yet. pic.twitter.com/7H6pvzCxdT
— DR Movie News ? (@DRMovieNews1) October 17, 2019
paul dano getting cast as the riddler has me thinking about his perfect performance in prisoners pic.twitter.com/gPkSJUGhVr
— ?????? ??? ??? (@paranoidspark) October 17, 2019
He totally fits as the Riddler. I really like this choice. pic.twitter.com/ISxcmnjGIs
— rih rih ?? (@harlscanary) October 17, 2019
And two more, just for good measure:
So Paul Dano is our new Riddler. I’m down for this. pic.twitter.com/pvjpmUS2Wf
— Adam Stabelli (@AdamofGotham) October 17, 2019
BREAKING: According to Variety, Paul Dano (THERE WILL BE BLOOD, PRISONERS) has been confirmed to play the iconic villain the Riddler in Matt Reeves' THE BATMAN.
Please, my heart can not take it any more. This is just too perfect. We seriously never f*cking lose! #TheBatman? pic.twitter.com/0QutXzAvDA
— Jesabel ? (@JesabelRaay) October 17, 2019
Of course, this is but a vertical slice of the online commentary surrounding Paul Dano’s casting, and we fully expect comic book fans to be poring over every scrap of intel that emerges from The Batman now that Matt Reeves’ standalone pic is finally – finally! – nearing a production start.
It’ll seemingly light the fuse on a brand new trilogy at Warner Bros., which is bracing for a totally new slate of DC movies (see: The Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey) following the less-than-stellar Justice League and Batman V Superman. Let’s hope this marks the beginning of an exciting new era at DC Films.
As for The Batman, look for Pattinson’s morally conflicted ‘hero’ to arrive on June 25th, 2021.
