We were already feelin’ good about Matt Reeves’ forthcoming film The Batman when Twilight-vampire-turned-indie-icon Robert Pattinson was cast in the titular role. Pattinson is weirder, scrawnier, and far sassier than anyone who has portrayed Bruce Wayne in the past. An actor who deals in irony and seems to shrink from the spotlight felt like a smart choice to make the bland character vaguely interesting again.
But of course, there had to be a Catwoman to spar with Batman. Through no particular faults of their own, Halle Berry and Anne Hathaway’s iterations didn’t quite live up to the seething sex appeal of Michelle Pfeiffer. And then Zoë Kravitz was cast in Reeves’ movie, an actress with a feline sensibility, Everest-high cheekbones, and a sultry-cool energy to match Pattinson’s. Things were shaping up nicely.
Today, a third piece of excitement hit the airwaves: FLOOD 9 cover star Paul Dano has been cast as The Riddler, the obsessive compulsive supervillain who wears a lot of question marks and challenges Batman to a battle of wits by leaving puzzles and riddles for our hero to solve. The Riddler was previously portrayed by a zany Jim Carrey, and no doubt Dano will play the part less wackily. Still, we can think of no one better to take on the devious criminal; Dano’s sinister turns in Prisoners, 12 Years a Slave, and There Will Be Blood should serve him well. Most recently, he was nominated for an Emmy for Escape at Dannemora, and made his directorial debut with the quietly brilliant divorce film Wildlife.
Warner Bros. is releasing The Batman on June 25, 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md32bKo0ZDg
