"The Batman" movie has its Riddler. You'll never guess who it is.
"There Will Be Blood" star Paul Dano has been cast to play the classic DC Comics villain in director Matt Reeves' film, a person familiar with the project but not authorized to speak publicly about it confirmed to USA TODAY. Dano's character Edward Nashton eventually goes by the name Edward Nygma in DC canon. The character has been portrayed as a former employee at Wayne Enterprises who idolizes Bruce Wayne, before turning bad.
Dano will square off against a Batman played by Robert Pattinson and a Catwoman played by Zoe Kravitz.
Robert Pattinson talks Batman: He was 'absolutely relieved' to get the call to play the superhero
The criminal mastermind Riddler, with his trademark garish garb and question-mark cane, takes glee in incorporating riddles and puzzles into his nefarious schemes. He has seen many screen incarnations. Frank Gorshin played the villain in the first season of the classic 1960s "Batman" TV series, before John Astin took over the part.
Jim Carrey played the villain to full effect in 1995’s "Batman Forever," directed by Joel Schumacher, facing off against Val Kilmer's Batman.
"The Batman" director Reeves suggested he was going in a cooler direction, at least in early Nashton phase, posting a Tweet of Dano with the #EdwardNashton.
#EdwardNashton 🦇 pic.twitter.com/EF9RR3BBgI
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) October 17, 2019
Production begins in January in the United Kingdom. "The Batman" will open in theaters on June 25, 2021.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Batman': Paul Dano cast as Riddler to Robert Pattinson's crusader
