Paul Dano Coming Back For The Batman 2?
Paul Dano has stated he would return as The Riddler in The Batman 2 but has not been asked yet.
Everyone had assumed that Paul Dano would be returning to The Batman 2, but it appears that the actor is not so convinced about that possibility. According to Dano, “Well, if they wanted there to be one, I’d probably be there.” The one is referring to Riddler coming back for another live-action movie, but the response also reveals that Dano has not yet been asked to reprise his role as Edward Nashton.
While Paul Dano has not been asked to return for The Batman 2, he has been steadily busy with the character, as the spent nearly two years writing the origin comic for The Riddler. The Riddler: Year One was completely written by Dano and will hit shelves on October 25th. Dano added, “But I actually have not thought a whole lot about it [The Batman 2], and I find it curious myself that I’ve somehow spent even more time with this character.”
Paul Dano seems to be dedicated to playing The Riddler, even if that means he embodied the character again to write the six-issue comic that is set to be released. We would imagine that Matt Reeves is going to be working towards getting Dano back, especially because of the end events of the first movie. Joker and Riddler shared words, with Joker stating that everyone loves a “comeback story.” This comeback could be Joker and Riddler teaming up with one another to break out of Arkham and wreak havoc on Gotham.
We do know that Reeves is currently building out the more expanded universe of The Batman, which could mean Paul Dano’s Riddler could be involved. There is a Penguin series being worked on that will see Colin Farrell reprise his role, which will also showcase the meteoric rise of the character as a viable threat in Gotham. Farrell also confirmed that the series follows the events of the first movie, as the city is still somewhat underwater.
There is a second series being worked on as well that surrounds Arkham Asylum, and since The Riddler is currently locked up there with Joker, we could see Paul Dano return for that series. This is just speculation, but it would make sense for all these elements to cross into the bigger scheme for the Reeves-built DC universe. Reeves signed an overall deal with Warner Bros, so expect a lot more Batman content to be released in the coming years.
Paul Dano has been lauded for his spectacular performance in The Batman, as his portrayal of The Riddler was something never quite seen before. While every iteration of the character was always a mastermind, which Dano’s version is, Dano’s version also brought in the more serial killer horrifying element. People are certainly going to want to see the man return, whether it be just to have Batman attempt to ask him more questions about the downfall of Gotham.
The Batman 2 is probably not going to release until late 2024 or 2025, so there is plenty of time for Paul Dano to make his return as The Riddler. We would imagine that he is going to return in some capacity, as the character is part of Batman’s Rogues Gallery. There should be more casting announcements happening in the next few months, and Dano could be among them.
