‘The Batman’ star admits he was always more of an ‘X-Men’ fan

While the MCU and DCEU may never crossover, there is no stopping the actors, who take on roles in the live-action adaptations of comics, from being die-hard fans of either faction. Take The Batman’s Paul Dano for example, who recently revealed he leaned heavily towards X-Men comics when growing up. 

In a hilarious interview on the Late Night with Seth Meyers show, Dano, who stars as the sadistic serial killer Riddler in Matt Reeves’ The Batman opposite Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne, admitted he was always more of a fan of the gifted students and teachers of Professor Xavier’s school for mutants in the Marvel comics. But he also added that as he had to consume a lot of Batman knowledge to take on the role of Ridler, he has now become a “superfan” of DC superhero.

“It’s the best bit of homework. And my character has a particular fascination with the Batman in the film, so I just devoured Batman comics the whole time we were shooting. It was just a way to sort of keep it in my system. But yeah, going back to being a kid, I used to collect some comics. I was — I was more of an X-Men kid, but now I’m a Batman superfan. Really, I am. I love it.”

The actor also gushed about the Batman fandom and how much he’s enjoyed being a part of the film. He admitted that initially, he didn’t expect to like being in the spotlight as a part of the Caped Crusader’s world. “But I love the Batman fans, and I’ve loved sharing this film with them, including the comic-book world. That’s been really fun,” he added.

Dano’s portrayal of Edward Nashton/Riddler in The Batman has received immense praise from critics and the general audience, with DCEU fans hoping that he remains a part of Matt Reeves’ rebooted Batman universe and returns to reprise his role in future projects.