Matt Reeves Says the Riddler in THE BATMAN Was Inspired by the Infamous Zodiac Killer
Director Matt Reeves is sharing some additional insight on his upcoming DC film The Batman and the villain in the story, The Riddler. This character is played by Paul Dano in the movie,,\ and this version of the character looks very dark and menacing, and I’m confident that Dano is going to be awesome in the role. According to Reeves, this version of The Riddler is inspired by the infamous Zodiac killer.
While talking to Empire Magazine, Reeves said, "He made me think of the Zodiac Killer. He went around in a black, crudely-made costume, with an insignia and an executioner-type hood. In the darkest of dark ways, he's the real-world analogy for one of these rogues'-gallery characters. There was something very powerful and provocative in that idea."
You can definitely see the likeness of Zodiac in the Riddler design. He’s got the hood, the glasses, and even the unique markings on his suit are very close to the same distinctive crosshairs insignia that the Zodiac used.
Dano went on to talk about his character saying, "I liked how both grounded and big this film is at the same time. So there are some grounding forces like the Zodiac Killer, right? But it's still The Batman, and for me it's so much bigger, so it was important to let my imagination react to the script, rather than strictly basing it on a serial killer."
Damn, I can’t wait to watch this movie! I also included a motion poster that you can check out below:
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city's corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham's elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World's Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
We can't wait to see how Reeves strikes that balance when The Batman arrives in theaters on March 4, 2022.
Via: /Film