Matt Reeves Breaks Silence on The Batman Casting Paul Dano as Riddler

The whirlwind of casting news surrounding Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Comics’ upcoming reboot of Batman isn’t dying down, as it was just revealed that actor Paul Dano is joining the film as the iconic villain the Riddler. The cast of The Batman adds another talented actor just one day after it was revealed that Jonah Hill had broken off talks with the studio, giving filmmaker Matt Reeves a more than capable replacement for the role. Now the director has broken his silence on the casting news, responding much like he did when Zoe Kravitz was confirmed to be playing Catwoman.

Check out Reeves’ response to the news below:

So Dano obviously looks the part of the Riddler, that much is sure. But fans who are curious about the hashtag Reeves used for the name “Edward Nashton,” we have you covered.

Riddler is most commonly referred to as Edward Nigma, often shortened to the not-so-subtle E. Nigma in order to hammer down the point that he is a fan of mysteries and riddles. But it wasn’t until the character appeared in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity that they re-wrote his origin to give him a more “realistic” name, choosing to call him Edward Nashton instead. It isn’t until later on when he becomes a villain and decides to adopt the pseudonym of Edward Nigma.

So it looks like Reeves is taking a slightly more grounded approach in his movie, forgoing the flashy self-appointed codenames for something that people won’t actually be embarrassed to say. This tracks with what Reeves himself has said about the film, as he wants to tell a definitive Batman story that cements his status as the World’s Greatest Detective.

“It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale,” Reeves said to the Hollywood Reporter. “It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been. I’d love this to be one where when we go on that journey of tracking down the criminals and trying to solve a crime, it’s going to allow his character to have an arc so that he can go through a transformation.”

The Batman premieres in theaters on June 25, 2021.