Warner Bros. has announced today that Golden Globe-nominee Paul Dano has joined the cast of Matt Reeves' The Batman in the highly coveted villain role of The Riddler. However, unlike his previous live-action appearances, the alter-ego of Dano's version of The Riddler will be named Edward Nashton, not Edward Nygma, which actually lines up with the character's origin story in the comics.
Dano joins an ensemble headlined by Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse) as the Dark Knight, with a supporting cast that recently added Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies) as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Commissioner Gordon.
This latest casting news comes less than a day after talks broke down with Jonah Hill (Maniac), which seemingly suggests that Reeves and the studio were already high on Dano prior to ending negotiations with Hill.
Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes) is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mattson Tomlin (Little Fish). Pre-production has already begun with filming set to commence at the tail end of this year and/or within the first few weeks of 2020.
Dano's past credits include, but are not limited to, Escape at Dannemora, Okja, War & Peace, Swiss Army Man, Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave, Prisoners, Looper, Cowboys & Aliens, Knight and Day, There Will Be Blood and Little Miss Sunshine.
The Batman hits theaters June 25, 2021.