We’ve already had a lot of responses to The Batman trailer released at the DC FanDome event last weekend. Some fans have already figured out the Riddler’s code, with further theories considering whether or not the villain was created by Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne. Now, however, an eagle-eyed comic book artist has seemingly identified the origins behind the Riddler’s mask in the teaser.
Nick Derington, who has worked on a number of DC titles, recognized the mask and went into a deep dive over where it may have come from, as you can see below:
I recently felt like an even bigger weirdo than normal when I was able to immediately identify Riddler's mask as an idealized version of a US Military Extreme Cold Weather Mask.
Kudos to the costume designers for the esoteric pull! pic.twitter.com/XLjUE9h9zQ
— Nick Derington (@NickDerington) August 26, 2020
It’s certainly an intriguing theory, and one that appears to be backed up by the character design. with Derington also noting that the rest of Paul Dano’s Riddler costume looks like it comes from the same source, with an added level of authenticity thrown in for good measure.
It's probably a safe bet that Riddler's jacket is also military surplus as well. pic.twitter.com/ZGJbiA97CS
— Nick Derington (@NickDerington) August 26, 2020
Others have pointed out that the Riddler’s jacket bears a resemblance to the Year One version of the character, while his lo-fi style is in keeping with Matt Reeves’ focus on a grittier version of the Batman mythos. The director has also praised Dano for bringing a different take on Edward Nygma, now Nashton for The Batman, so we could be getting a Riddler that hasn’t been seen in the comics universe.
There’s still a long way to go, though, until the film arrives in theaters next October, meaning we still don’t know how Catwoman and Penguin tie into the story, or much about the potential inclusion of another shadowy group in Gotham City. So far, though, we’ve arguably seen a great deal more of Dano’s Riddler in The Batman footage, which could mean he’s the main antagonist for the Dark Knight, and one that might already know Bruce Wayne’s secret.
