The last time The Riddler was the villain in a live-action Batman movie was in 1995’s Batman Forever, with Jim Carrey deliver a goofy version of the character reminiscent of Frank Gorshin’s Riddler from the 1960s Batman TV series. Paul Dano’s version of The Riddler, on the other hand, will be anything but goofy, as Matt Reeves’ The Batman has reimagined the supervillain through a serial killer lens. As such, he won’t be wearing anything remotely like his classic comics look, but that doesn’t mean we can’t imagine Dano’s Riddler wearing more stylish threads.
Comic book movie fans love to share fan art, and Instagram user jaxsonderr decided to share a mock-up they created with of how Paul Dano might look with the classic Riddler suit, bowler hat and question mark cane. See for yourself!
If Matt Reeves had decided to go down a more straightforward route with adapting Riddler, then I could imagine Paul Dano wearing something like this. While the character used to frequently wear a green, question mark-covered body suit, nowadays he wisely sticks with the dapper green suit in the comics and various other adaptations. However, we won’t be getting this in The Batman, so if you want a live-action Riddler with this kind of look from recent years, check out Cory Michael Smith’s version in Gotham.
Paul Dano’s Riddler is instead rocking a more basic, yet creepier look for The Batman, from that dark green jacket to what appears to be US Military Extreme Cold Weather Mask. This is clearly a Riddler who’s prioritizing function over fashion, and since he’s giving off major Zodiac Killer-like vibes, he’s definitely appears more intimidating. Still, if Dano reprises Riddler in a sequel to The Batman, maybe we could see him wear something more faithful to his traditional look.
In any case, when getting any version of The Riddler, the most important thing is the riddles themselves, and Paul Dano’s version, who goes by Edward Nashton in this continuity, will be providing plenty of those. Fans have already solved the riddle from the first trailer for The Batman, and while we’ll have to wait and see what other brain teasers he’s given to the Dark Knight and the Gotham City Police Department, they’ll help him stand out from the gloomy metropolis’ common criminal element.
While Riddler will be The Batman’s main antagonist, he won’t be the only notable Caped Crusader adversary causing trouble, as we’ll also spend time with Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman, Colin Farrell’s Penguin and John Turturro’s Carmine Falcone. The Batman’s cast also includes Robert Pattinson as the eponymous protagonist, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, among others. Along with directing the feature, Reeves co-wrote the screenplay with Mattson Tomlin and Peter Craig.
The Batman casts its shadow in theaters on March 4, 2022, and there’s also a GCPD spinoff series in development for HBO Max. As always, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on upcoming DC Comics movies.
