While fans will have to wait almost a year to see “The Batman,” which is scheduled to reach theatres on March 4, 2022, they can already get a sense of what the film will look and sound like thanks to trailers and leaks. One of the most recent leaks includes Paul Dano’s Riddler, who only appears briefly in the one trailer for “The Batman” that has been released so far.
The new image gives a better idea of how Dano’s take on the Riddler will be modelled in Matt Reeves’ film. According to the watermark on many versions of the picture currently circulated on social media, it may have come from Australian filmmaker and content developer Ryan Unicomb.
As of this writing, the original source of the leaked photo is unclear, but it appears to be part of a poster, calendar, or other piece of promotional artwork that has yet to be officially published.
The Riddler Suit Worn By Paul Dano Is One-Of-A-Kind, And Fans Have A Lot To Say About It
Paul Dano’s version of the Riddler has his face absolutely obscured in the newly leaked photo — which we won’t share here because, well, it’s leaked — just like he does in the trailer for “The Batman.” He’s wearing glasses and a leather face mask with eyeholes, and the picture as a whole gives us a better idea of how he’ll look than the super-dark trailer did. The mask seems to have a flap that can be hidden for the Riddler’s mouth, but it does not seem to be very high-tech.
Instead, it has a shabby feel to it, as if Dano’s character sewed it all together himself.
It’s also quite distinct from previous depictions of the Riddler in DC comics. The Riddler has traditionally been depicted in comic books wearing garb in shades of green, purple, and black, with over-the-top suits emblazoned with his signature question mark insignia.
When Jim Carrey played Edward Nygma, aka the Riddler, in Joel Schumacher’s 1995 film “Batman Forever,” he adopted this look. A Riddler in a complete mask that seems to have been created at home is a far cry from what viewers are used to seeing.
Fans have reacted positively to the approach that director Matt Reeves appears to be taking with “The Batman” after seeing the leaked image. “The Zodiac Killer vibes Riddler is giving off in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’ is the exact reason why I know he’ll blow our minds,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
Another user said, “The Riddler’s new look in ‘The Batman’ 2022 does not bother me.
In his own way, he looks terrifying and legendary. It’s a fascinating reimagining of this character. We’ve seen plenty of classic Riddler looks on television, so I’m all for this new approach.”
Paul Dano Is One Of The Film’s All-Star Cast Members
There are several reasons to be excited for Paul Dano’s performance as the Riddler, but he isn’t the only one in the film who deserves praise.
Robert Pattinson will play a younger version of Bruce Wayne in the film, with Zoe Kravitz playing a pre-Catwoman Selina Kyle, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (aka Penguin), Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth rounding out the supporting cast.
“The Batman” is set in the early days of Bruce Wayne’s career as a crime-fighter and defender of Gotham, and Dano’s Riddler will play the film’s main villain, a serial killer who starts leaving clues at the crime scenes. The Zodiac Killer is a natural point of reference for Dano’s version of the Riddler because of the element of clues.
For those unfamiliar, the Zodiac Killer was a mass murderer who killed seemingly random people in northern California in the 1960s and 1970s, according to the murderer himself. He was famous for taunting police and newspaper reporters who were attempting to figure out who he was.
In the teaser, Batman reads a mysterious letter the Riddler left on a dead body, and it appears Dano’s Riddler would do something similar. Isn’t it all part of his fascination with riddles?
Dano’s Riddler is already being hailed as one of the greatest villains of all time by fans. Fans have already been hyping Paul Dano’s Riddler despite not seeing much of him in the first “Batman” trailer, arguing that the Emmy-nominated actor has what it takes to bring Edward Nashton to life and infuse his criminal alter-ego with a frightening believability. Many believe Dano’s success will go down in history as one of the best in the history of comic book adaptations.
This newly leaked picture of the Riddler’s mask only confirms these assumptions for many fans.
“I just can’t help but have the impression that Paul Dano is going to smash it as The Riddler in ‘The Batman,’ even though we have to wait until next year,” one Twitter user wrote. “This might be one of the best villains in a comic book movie.” “Paul Dano’s Riddler is going to be one of the best [comic book movie] villain appearances of all time, mark my words,” another tweeted.
Dano told the Playlist in May 2020 that he was looking forward to seeing what “The Batman” might be. “It gives me a lot of pleasure. Matt Reeves, in my opinion, is the real deal. I was pleasantly surprised by his script, which I believe has great potential “Dano joked that he couldn’t say anything about the movie because he’d get in trouble.
“There’s a sense of levity in my character, as well as all the others. It’s the kind of film that we’re desperate to see on the big screen in a big way. [The wait] will be worthwhile. It’s going to be fantastic.”
