How The Batman Can Finally Make The Riddler A Good Movie Villain

The Batman will feature Paul Dano as The Riddler and director Matt Reeves will likely be eager to provide a serious take on the character.

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The Batman is set to reinvent the titular hero and a few members of his rogues gallery, including The Riddler, who will likely be less of a weak villain and more of a serious threat. Director Matt Reeves will be unveiling his vision of Gotham City in 2021, and while there’s been a steady flow of set photos and the odd piece of official info, so far much of the film remains a mystery. It’s been confirmed that Robert Pattinson’s Batman will face off against Colin Farrell as Penguin, alongside John Turturro as mob boss Carmine Falcone. There’s even a theory that suggests Peter Sarsgaard’s D.A. character could be Two-Face. But the arch villain of the movie seems to be Paul Dano’s Riddler.

At this point there’s very little to go on in terms of concrete information about how Dano and Reeves will approach the enigmatic trickster. Paul Dano has discussed the script before but, unsurprisingly, has yet to talk in-depth about his version of The Riddler. What’s confirmed is that the character will, at least initially, be known by his birth name of Edward Nashton, rather than the more well-known Edward Nygma – a pun on the word “enigma.”

One thing many fans have been hoping for is a more serious take on The Riddler, and The Batman has a unique opportunity to deliver just that. Audiences have already been treated to Jim Carrey’s spirited take on the villain in 1995’s Batman Forever, and while the film isn’t without its charms, Carrey’s performance is far from the defining portrayal many fans envisioned. Once Christopher Nolan took the franchise’s reins and introduced his more grounded Dark Knight trilogy, many were hopeful that the acclaimed director would give The Riddler the gritty reboot-treatment – especially after it was revealed Warner Brothers were pushing for The Riddler to appear in The Dark Knight Rises. Unfortunately, a serious incarnation of the infamous rogue never appeared, all of which means Matt Reeves would be smart to finally give the fans what they want.

DC Has Already Made Ridiculous Characters Better

Whether it’s Christopher Nolan’s practical reinvention of famous Batman villains, or Aquaman’s clever reimagining of its central hero, DC’s more fantastical characters have usually taken well to a serious reinterpretation. Even Todd Phillips’ Joker was a successful attempt at grounding a somewhat absurd character in an uncaring “real world”. But Aquaman is perhaps the best example of how previously ridiculous characters can be transformed into reliably strong heroes with the right approach. Prior to James Wan’s 2018 movie, the ‘King of the Seven Seas’ was generally perceived to be one of the more humorous superheroes – mostly because he required the ocean to actually do the whole hero thing. The character had only appeared briefly in Justice League and Batman V Superman, and certainly wasn’t considered the most serious hero in the DC canon. He even inspired a series of ‘Aquaman logic’ memes playing on the characters many perceived weaknesses.

But with Wan’s film, Jason Mamoa’s Arthur Curry was pushed to his limits and given a full backstory that touched on his relationship with his parents – turning him into a fully fleshed-out character and even exposing some of his vulnerabilities. Aquaman’s balance between a serious tone and more lighthearted moments remains a great example of how to turn a comical character into a compelling figure without losing his essence. There’s no reason why The Riddler can’t be given a similar treatment in his Batman incarnation. It may seem that Jim Carrey’s wise-cracking portrayal cemented the character as somewhat of a joke in the popular consciousness, but if Aquaman can be improved on-screen, so too can The Riddler. He certainly comes with ample comic book backstory to create a similarly fleshed-out version of the villain.

The Riddler Is The Weakest Of Batman’s Main Villains

Intelligent though he might be, Edward Nygma, or Nashton as he’ll be known as in The Batman, isn’t necessarily the most powerful of Batman’s greatest villains. The Riddler has always been more of a trickster figure, at least in terms of how he’s viewed in popular culture, and not without reason. Though he’s a well-known Batman foe, he lacks the violently-psychotic impulse that drives The Joker, the brute strength of Bane, or the even the fear toxin wielded by Scarecrow. The Riddler uses his intelligence as a weapon against the Dark Knight, and usually aims to establish himself as intellectually superior rather than trying to outright destroy Batman.

While this more cerebral approach has previously led both the comic book and film versions of The Riddler to figure out Batman’s secret identity as Bruce Wayne, the villain has never really succeeded in completely breaking the Dark Knight. The Riddler may have committed some sadistic acts since his first appearance in 1948’s Detective Comics #140, but he’s far from the most intimidating rogue in the gallery. This is partly why The Riddler rarely appears in Batman movies or TV shows, unless it’s in a small role. He even has minor appearances in video games, but that can all change if he’s used properly.

How The Batman Can Make Riddler A Real Villain

With seven Batman films in the can, it would seem reasonable to expect one of them to focus on the Dark Knight’s detective skills. And while there have been moments when he’s indulged in crime-solving, no Batman film has yet made the detective aspect of the character the central focus, which is remarkable for a character that defined the Detective Comics in which he first appeared. That leaves a big opportunity for Matt Reeves, who looks to be capitalizing on this gap in the bat-market.

Batman’s detective skills are reportedly taking center-stage in The Batman, which means there’ll be ample room for a battle of wits to play out. It even seems as though the central storyline might revolve around Batman embracing his inner detective to decipher elaborate riddles left by Edward Nashton himself. Back in February, a leaked photo appeared to show a murder scene that may or may not have been the work of The Riddler. The rumored Long Halloween influence may hint at a slightly different mystery narrative for the film, but either way, Reeves would do well to deliver an on-screen Batman who is not only physically but mentally tested. Doing so wouldn’t just differentiate The Batman from previous film depictions of the Caped Crusader, but would also avoid the increasingly tired ‘world-in-peril’ plots that have driven many modern super hero films. If he can use The Riddler as the impetus for this more cerebral showdown, it will go a long way to legitimizing the character as a serious Batman villain.

Thus far, Paul Dano hasn’t revealed much about how serious his version of The Riddler will be. The There Will Be Blood actor has said “there’s something fun there in my character and in all the characters,” but whether he means “fun” to mean ‘different from previous versions’ or “fun” in the literal sense remains unclear. As long as “fun” doesn’t mean what it did for Jim Carrey’s portrayal in Batman Forever, there’s hope for a more grounded Riddler to appear in The Batman. What is known is that for years fans have been waiting for a darker interpretation of the puzzle-obsessed foe – especially one that emphasizes his intellectual abilities and pits them against Bruce Wayne’s own. The comic books have forged the path way before the films on this particular point, with Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s ‘Zero Year’ establishing The Riddler as a genuine threat to Bruce Wayne. The precedent for a darker, more serious take on The Riddler has clearly been set, if Reeves and co-scriptwriter Mattson Tomlin wanted to take advantage of it for The Batman’s storyline. In other words, if they’re smart, this isn’t a difficult riddle to solve.

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