Paul Dano said he wants to play The Riddler again in The Batman 2. Speaking to IGN about his new comic book ‘The Batman. The Riddler: Year One’ Dano was asked if he fancied taking another crack at the puzzle-obsessed Batman villain.
“I’ve been spending the past year writing this comic [Riddler: Year One] because I loved so much our film, Gotham, Batman, all of it,” Dano replied. “So you know, if they call me, I’ll show up, yeah! It’d be pretty fun to get in there with another good actor like Barry.”
The Batman ended with The Riddler’s scheme being foiled and the villain locked up in Arkham Asylum. As The Riddler cried about his failure, the man in the cell next to him – who’s implied to be a proto-Joker (Barry Keoghan) whispered some words of consolation, teasing the villain’s eventual return. It’s good to know that if director Reeves decides to pay off that plot thread, Dano’s more than willing to slip on his old green mask.
Reeves, meanwhile, has been downplaying the Joker’s role in future Batman movies. Speaking about a deleted scene featuring the Clown Prince of Crime, Reeves said he doesn’t consider the Joker’s inclusion in The Batman a set-up for the sequel.
“The scene is not meant to be there to say, like, ‘Oh, there’s an easter egg, the next movie is X,'” he said. “Like, I don’t know that the Joker would be in the next movie, but I can tell you is that here’s what you’re seeing is an early days version of the character, and trouble, as always, is brewing in Gotham.”
Whatever trouble is brewing in Gotham, we’re sure Robert Pattinson’s take on the Dark Knight can handle it. If you love the Caped Crusader, check out our guide on the best Batman actors.