Other than Robert Pattinson now donning the cape and cowl, a huge component to a great Batman story are the villains involved. In this case, it's Paul Dano's Riddler who looks to wreak havoc for the caped crusader. Now, director Matt Reeves has shared insight into the villain's involvement in the upcoming The Batman.

The Riddler has been one of Batman's iconic supervillains for many years, and like the name suggests, the mastermind incorporates riddles and puzzles into his crimes. After Jim Carrey's more goofy, comedic approach to the character in 1995's Batman Forever, Riddler is finally making his way back to the big screen in what appears to be a much darker, realistic portrayal of the villain.

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Speaking with MovieMaker, Reeves spoke about Riddler's motivations and how he fits into this particular story. “The premise of the movie is that the Riddler is kind of molded in an almost Zodiac Killer sort of mode, and is killing very prominent figures in Gotham, and they are the pillars of society" Reeves shared. “These are supposedly legitimate figures. It begins with the mayor, and then it escalates from there. And in the wake of the murders, he reveals the ways in which these people were not everything they said they were, and you start to realize there’s some kind of association." Reeves then compared Batman and Gordon to Woodward and Bernstein, noting that the duo are following the clues and trying to figure out Riddler's plot.

the batman solving riddler scheme

What separates Reeves' The Batman from past versions is that there will be a bigger emphasis on the detective side of Batman. While Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy featured several detective moments (mostly in Batman Begins), it appears that Reeves is really honing in on the telling of a detective/mystery story similar to other crime films like David Fincher's Seven. “This idea of a place that is corrupt, and you try to swim against the tide in order to fight against it and make a difference, is quintessential Batman,” noted Reeves. “At the center of those noir stories is almost always the detective, right? And that’s why he is the world’s greatest detective. So this story is, in addition to being almost a horror movie, and a thriller, and an action movie, at its core, it’s also very much a detective story. It’s very narrative."

Reeves also shared in another interview that one of the biggest inspirations for Pattinson's Dark Knight was Kurt Cobain and how he wanted to really explore another side of Batman that is more of a recluse and someone who looks like they have suffered through great tragedy rather than just depicting another playboy type version. Going off of the footage that has been released as well as knowing the film's runtime will nearly be 3 hours, The Batman seems as if it will deliver on Reeves' goals of presenting a darker, grittier version of the DC hero that taps into many more detective elements. The Batman will be followed by two sequels, with two other spin-off series in early development.

The Batman also stars Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Peter Sarsgaard as district attorney Gil Colson, and Barry Keoghan as young officer Stanley Merkel. Reeves co-wrote the script with Peter Craig (The Town, Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2, Top Gun: Maverick).

The Batman is set to release in theaters on March 4th, 2022.

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Source: MovieMaker