There was a lot to love about Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and it was praised for taking the world of the Caped Crusader in a new direction. It featured some strong acting performances from its stellar cast, but Paul Dano’s Riddler was arguably the highlight.

Dano has featured in a vast number of pictures since his debut in The Newcomers in 2000, and his recent showing in the DC Films offering has propelled him to the forefront of Hollywood. He will now be a sought-after actor in the years ahead.

Dano’s Enthralling Riddler 

When Dano was cast as the Riddler in the latest Batman outing, it was met with some skepticism among loyal fans. People have come to expect certain elements in DC villains, with the cunning trickster being one of the best-known characters.

Indeed, ExpressVPN provides a handy infographic about villains, including their real identities and their disguises. The Riddler is known to wear a green suit and bowler hat, along with a purple eye mask. He even carries a cartoony question mark staff.

Reeves opted to scrap these traditional elements in his gritty Gotham city, and Dano’s Riddler was a horrifying iteration that was more in touch with reality. The actor played it perfectly, and the scenes that included him were chilling.

Despite the brand-new disguise, there were elements that kept this unique Riddler grounded in DC Comics lore. He still had a genius-level intellect and enjoyed setting puzzles for Batman to solve. He also avoided one-on-one combat with the Dark Knight.

Actor Set to Star in Two More Films in 2022

Everyone who relished seeing Dano shine in The Batman will be pleased to know that they’ll be able to watch him in two other movies this year. The first is The Fabelmans, set for release in November. It will be followed by Spaceman, which doesn’t have a release date yet but will drop directly on Netflix.

It won’t be surprising to see more filmmakers casting Dano in upcoming pictures over the next few years. Far Out referred to the 38-year-old in 2021 as one of the most underrated stars in the industry. After his part as the Riddler, more movie professionals are waking up to Dano’s talents and hoping to include him in their pictures.

Will Dano Return to Batman?

Because of Dano’s amazing turn in The Batman, there are many fans who are eager to see him return in the sequel. According to a recent report in ComicBook.com, Dano has said that he will be back for the next one.

This would share similarities with Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy if it were to come to fruition. Cillian Murphy’s Scarecrow in Batman Begins was so popular that he also made appearances in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

Dano is young enough to be a star in Hollywood for many years to come. His turn as the Riddler has made him one of the hottest properties in the industry, and he is surely not far away from becoming an A-lister.

Benjamin Blair

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