Paul Dano Has Been Cast as the Riddler in 'The Batman'

Philip Ellis

October 17, 2019 6:32 PM

Ever since the movie was first announced, speculation has been running wild around who will play the primary antagonist of Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman . For a while, Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen were both rumored to be in talks for the roles of the Riddler and the Penguin. It was confirmed this week that neither Hill nor Rogen would be joining the cast , but the film found its first villain today.

Paul Dano Will Play the Riddler in 'The Batman'

Paul Dano has been cast as the Riddler in The Batman. Dano is best known for his roles in critically acclaimed movies like There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine and 12 Years a Slave, as well as more recent Netflix productions Okja and Escape at Dannemora.

According to The Hollywood Reporter , Dano will play a version of the supervillain named Edward Nashton the character is named Edward Nygma in the comics. (E. Nygma. Get it?) The Riddler was last seen on screen in 1995 in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever, where he was played with deranged glee by Jim Carrey. Before that, the character appeared in the original live action television series in the 1960s, played by Frank Gorshin and John Astin.

This casting news follows the announcement earlier this week that Zo Kravitz had been chosen for the role of the whip-wielding master thief, Catwoman. Dano and Kravitz will both play dramatic foils to Bruce Wayne, who will be played in this latest iteration by Robert Pattinson , taking over from Ben Affleck . Westworld star Jeffrey Wright has also reportedly been cast as Commissioner Gordon.

Philip Ellis