The Batman Villain Riddler's Backstory & Bruce Wayne Connection Revealed
A new tie-in novel for The Batman reveals fascinating background details for Paul Dano’s version of the Riddler. An iconic member of Batman’s infamous rogues gallery, the Riddler was first created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang in 1948, and would go on to join the likes of the Joker as one of DC’s best-known villains. Over the years, Gotham’s enigmatic puzzler has been brought to life on screen by actor Frank Gorshin in the 1960s Batman television series, Jim Carrey in 1995’s Batman Forever, and Cory Michael Smith on Gotham.
In 2019, shortly after Robert Pattinson was cast as Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ bold new take on the franchise in The Batman, it was reported that Jonah Hill was in talks to play either the Riddler or Penguin. After Hill eventually exited negotiations, Dano was cast in the role of Edward Nashton (AKA The Riddler) while Colin Farrell would assume the mantle of Penguin (aka Oswald Cobblepot). In keeping with Reeves’ darker, more grounded take on The Batman's mythos, Dano reportedly began preparing for the role by researching serial killers, including the Zodiac Killer, whose own tendency to produce cryptic ciphers was used as a main source of inspiration for the character.
Related: The Batman Shouldn't Have To Beat The Dark Knight (But Can It?)
Now with only weeks to go until The Batman hits theaters, DC is busy ramping up promotion and has also released a new children’s middle-school tie-in novel, Before the Batman: An Original Movie Novel. According to reports from The Direct, this new book offers fans a glimpse of a young Edward Nashton as he attends high school alongside Bruce Wayne. According to the book, Nashton sang in the school choir as a young boy, but gives up his passion for music several
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