The DC Extended Universe has been on a roll over the past few years, and there are a ton of highly anticipated projects coming down the line. Chief among them is Matt Reeves' The Batman, which has had an especially long gestation period filled with delays. Reeves and company released a brief teaser for the film at DC Fandome, which included the first glimpse at Paul Dano's Riddler. What's more, it seems a fan has already decrypted one of the villain's messages.
The first footage of The Batman seems to set up Riddler as the main villains, while Catwoman and Penguin will rise up throughout the course of the movie's runtime. All three of the villains have uniquely toned down looks, with The Riddler leaving a riddle for Batman at the scene of a murder. One fan took the time to try and crack the code, and believes he's figured out at least one of the movie's secret messages. Check it out below.
Well, my mind is blown. Because while we're still over a year from the release of The Batman in theaters, and some fans are already decoding the movie's messages. It's enough to make Edward Nashton aka The Riddler very happy-- although it might dismay the powers that be within the studio.
The possible explanation for The Riddler's message in The Batman's teaser is in response to the question "What does a liar do when he's dead?" And according to one fan on Twitter, the symbols in the answer ultimately reveal the answer "He lies still." This play on words would definitely fit in with the imagery we were shown in that first teaser, which showed Paul Dano's Riddler targeting public leaders he deemed as liars.
Matt Reeves previously revealed that Riddler will be the primary antagonist of The Batman, with Robert Pattinson's younger and less experienced hero dueling with his first bonafide supervillain. Rather than focusing solely on action sequences, Battinson will have to use Bruce Wayne's mind to track down that foe, and that should include more than on riddle along the way.
Riddler's appearance in The Batman teaser is unique to any other version of the character we've seen thus far. The villain is lacking his signature green suit and purple accessories, as well as the cane that Riddler regularly uses as his primary weapon. Instead the character wears a black mask, with his glasses on top. The character also has a clear affinity for the use of duct tape, which adds a chilling sense of realism to the killer.
As a reminder, you can check out the first teaser for The Batman below.
Can this movie just arrive already? The Batman looks like a very different superhero movie, and the trailer provides its own tense and fascinating journey. Including a nearly unrecognizable Colin Farrell, Matt Reeves clearly has unique plans for his iconic trio of villains. The first footage from the long awaited movie definitely focuses a ton on Riddler, and it'll be interesting to see what chaos Paul Dano's character ultimately brings down on this new version of Gotham City.
Since The Batman isn't set within the same universe as the main DCEU, Matt Reeves had the freedom to make bold creative choices with his upcoming blockbuster. What's more, Ben Affleck is returning to the other timeline thanks to the Flash movie alongside Michael Keaton. There are three versions of Batman headed to the big screen, and the possibilities are endless.
The Batman is currently expected to hit theaters on October 1st, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
