Matt Reeves Says Paul Dano Spent "70 or 80 Takes" Over Two Days Shooting Riddler’s Final Scene With Batman in THE BATMAN
In a recently released published profile on Paul Dano by The Guardian, The Batman director Matt Reeves shared some insight on shooting the final scene between The Riddler and Batman. Reeves reveals that they shot “70 or 80 takes” of the Riddler and Batman’s final confrontation over the course of two days. He explained:
“Paul loves doing a lot of takes, as do I. We took two days on the final scene between him and Robert Pattinson as Batman. We must have easily done 70 or 80 takes. Paul loves exploring. He’s obsessive that way.”
I included the scene below for you to watch in which Batman confronts The Riddler in Arkham Asylum and learns that the villain’s master plan has yet to play out. Reeves went on to say:
“There were all these moments as the Riddler where he’d be tickled by something and then fly into a rage. You never knew from take to take where that switch would come. I’d be sitting there with the headphones on, trying to stifle my laughter because he’d always do something surprising. Paul would ask me: ‘Was that crazy? Was that too much?’ I’d say: ‘No it’s fantastic. Let’s do another.’”
Dano’s performance as the Riddler was fantastic. I really enjoyed how he played that character. It was just this evil, childlike playfulness, and he was completely nuts. Reeves previously talked about another scene in which Dano had to record his voice when the Riddler is heard over the phone. The actor recorded 200 takes of that.
“[Paul Dano] goes, ‘OK, let me try one where I’m off camera and I stick my head in. Let me try one where I’m already sitting there. He’s directing this one-person play on an iPhone…It was the giddiness that really got to me. Calling out the passing time, like he was a game show host. He was so inventive and creative. He’s also very critical of himself.”
We have no idea if we’ll see the return of The Riddler in The Batman Part II, but his cell is next to The Joker (Barry Keoghan), so there’s a chance that he might show up. The Batman Part II is set for release on October 3, 2025.