The Batmancame to theaters with the promise of ushering yet another new era for the caped crusader, and with that comes the exciting prospect of seeing new villains. Now, while the Riddler might not be making his film debut inThe Batman, for all intents and purposes it might as well be that way.
Despite showing a much wider acting range since playing the Riddler in 1995sBatman Forever, still a fairly beloved performance, Jim Carrey’s Edward Nygma was based on the more comical green spandex villain that first appeared in the comics. In Matt Reeves Gotham, there’s simply no room for his type of character, not only due to the realism the director pursued in his script but also because his Riddler aims to be like few villains out there.
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The Riddler’s Inspiration
It’s one thing to read or hear about theRiddler being partly inspired by the Zodiac killer, but finally getting to see the true meaning of those statements and the full sequences that were teased in the trailers really drives home the point. Paul Dano is not playing a character that resembles a comic book villain, let alone something that could ever be conceived in the MCU, he’s playing a good old-fashioned psychopath more akin the what’s in classic thrillers likeSilence of the LambsandSe7en.
When he’s finally caught, the Riddler admits he lacks the physical prowess to carry out many of the things Batman did as part of his grand plan to purge Gotham from the lies he so fervently hates. Although this is a character that’s always been all about his devilish schemes, his serial killer take is possibly the only way he could have worked in a movie likeThe Batmanor even in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, had he ever taken a liking for DC’s favorite puzzle lover.
David Fincher’s fingerprints inThe Batmanis here for everyone to see, and only after taking into consideration all those influences, plus themany comic book stories that made the Riddlerwhat he is in this movie, that’s when the character star to take form. For example, one crucial difference between a deranged Riddler and Heath Ledger’s Joker, is the fact that his end goal is not evil in itself, it’s his methods where he really goes off the rails.
Having Batman and the Riddler essentially chase the same objective, the cleansing of Gotham and taking down Carmine Falcone’s criminal empire,is what makes Dano’s role so good. When heroes and villains pursue the same causes, albeit one doing it from a discernably wrong point of view, the hero learns more interesting lessons, withT’Challa and Killmonger inBlack Pantherbeing a good example of it in the superhero film genre.
The Social Media Villain
It’s fairly easy to single out the characteristics that turn the Riddler into a more classic villain, as opposed to a superhero movie one, butReeves did not limit his visionfor the character to what has proven to be successful in the past, he also added some novelty. Perhaps the biggest net gain inThe Batmantaking place in a modern setting is the Riddler having access to a smartphone, and thus all the wonders of 21st-century technology.
Why is this important? Well because unlike the Joker, once the Riddler gets caught he doesn’t need to break free to continue wreaking havoc in Gotham.The Batmanmakes sure to let viewers know that the Riddler slowly starts to gain a following because his murderous spree echoes the needs and pain of Gotham, some of whom are happy to pick up his banner and symbols.
Much has been written about the power social media and big tech have in influencing international affairs, internal politics, and how it can foster extremism and radicalization all over the world, an issueThe Batmanbrilliantly picks up as it heads into the final act. Few villains could get away from sitting out the final showdown against Batman, and yet the Riddler does exactly that without robbing the film of its flair nor saving Batman from any dangers.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldierpulled off a similar trick with its reimagined take on the Flag Smashers, a terrorist organization that also pursued somewhat noble goals with high casualties and human costs. Nevertheless, the MCU’s more family-friendly approach prevents it from exhibiting the full horrors of widespread radicalization asThe Batmandoes.
Just a few out of the Riddler’s +500 followers actually do show up to the Garden, but these civilians posing as their deranged “hero” stillpose the biggest threat to Batman, who actually needs to be saved by Selina. This should be a reminder thatThe Batman’sbiggest antagonist is not necessarily the Riddler but Gotham City itself.
The social media villain is a relatively new concept, and it’s not like it won’t get old eventually, however, there’s something really special about seeing it executed with suchartistry in a massive blockbuster likeThe Batman. The Riddler is a fantastic villain, that he can thrive even when he’s offscreen just goes to show how good of a job Reeves did bringingSe7eninto Batman’s world and 2022 as a whole.
The Batmanis currently available in theaters.
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