THE BATMAN Interview: Jeffrey Wright & Paul Dano Break Down Their Takes On Jim Gordon And Riddler (Exclusive)

THE BATMAN Interview: Jeffrey Wright & Paul Dano Break Down Their Takes On Jim Gordon And Riddler (Exclusive)

The Batman stars Jeffrey Wright and Paul Dano talk about a grounded take on Jim Gordon, embracing the madness of The Riddler, working alongside Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, and taking punches...

By JoshWilding - Mar 04, 2022 01:03 PM EST
Filed Under: The Batman

The Batman finds the Caped Crusader in his early years, struggling to balance rage with righteousness as he investigates a disturbing mystery that has terrorized Gotham City. At the heart of that is The Riddler, a terrifying new threat who looks set to push Batman to his very limits. It's lucky, then, that he has an ally by his side in the form of GCPD Lieutenant Jim Gordon. 

During the UK junket for The Batman, we spoke to actors Paul Dano and Jeffrey Wright about bringing their respective characters to life in the grounded Gotham City created by Matt Reeves.

Wright talks in detail about bringing Jim Gordon into this world and elaborates on whether he, Robert Pattinson, and the movie's director discussed Year One and how whatever happened during that period influenced what we see in this story. Dano, meanwhile, explains how he embraced the madness of The Riddler, and both actors weigh in on sharing the screen with the Dark Knight.

Oh, and we wrap things up by hearing from Wright about taking a punch from DC's Caped Crusader!

Watch our full interview with Dano and Wright about The Batman below:
 


What was it like, Jeffrey, bringing a grounded character like Jim Gordon into this world of heroes and villains, particularly in what was one of my favourite scenes with you, Batman, and The Penguin?

Jeffrey: Well, I think the word grounded really is what we were going for. It’s what attracted me to Matt’s vision upon reading the script. What’s remarkable about our film is that, and it’s very gratifying to have been a part of, is that the script is really fully realised on the screen. Matt had very a specific vision and tone he wanted to realise, and we did it. It really was that; it was grounded and authentic. It was tangible. So, for Gordon, still a Lieutenant as we’re in Year Two of Batman’s story, he is literally boots on the ground in that he’s still a cop in the street and that partnership with Batman, who we celebrate as the World’s Greatest Detective going back to the origin of his character in the comics, really flourishes under this construct that Matt’s created. It was really activating for me and I think we see Gordon and Batman and their partnership in a way we perhaps haven’t in previous versions of the story.

Paul, in contrast, you really get to unleash this madness and violence with The Riddler, so what is it like getting into the mindset of a character like that to bring him to life here?

Paul: Matt laid out a beautiful script, but a great challenge as well. The first conversation he and I had were about hero and villain and the two sides of trauma. I think that was really the seed from which everything else grew. You can’t just jump to the villain part of the madness. Taking it from there and slowly building his past to page one and how that gets you there and who he was without the mask and what the mask allows him to be. 

Of course, you’re both part of these very intense scenes with Robert Pattinson’s Batman, so for you as performers - and you’re obviously invested in your own characters - what’s it like when he walks on set in that iconic cape and cowl and how does it change the dynamic for you?

Jeffrey: Because Matt’s Gotham is tangible, organic, and something that seems familiar to us, likewise Robert in the Batsuit becomes organic as well. We ask questions early on about who is he [and] why is he. ‘Isn’t he strange?’ ‘Yes.’ We acknowledge that and then we move on. Because we’ve answered those questions, it raises the authenticity of his character and so it just becomes a Batman movie. But one that feels real and possible in a way that’s very exciting. We just take it from there and live our lives in Gotham…trying to survive it all! 

Obviously, Paul, you have a costume in the film, but I guess that plays into the dynamic you have with Robert as Batman to some extent?

Paul: You’ve seen the film and I was waiting to see Robert for a long time. It felt pretty good when I did get to see him out the window there. I love that moment. Sure, I looked at a picture of his Batman every day [Laughs]. 

Jeffrey, this is very specifically a ‘Year Two’ story, so how much did you talk to Matt and Robert about what Batman and Jim Gordon’s relationship looked like in ‘Year One’ that then informed what you were doing in this film?

Jeffrey: Yeah, we didn’t delve down too deeply into the details of that, but we came to a common understanding that we’re on the ground floor [and] that this may be, within our film, the first time they’re seen together in public. They’ve been taking one another into view from afar, but recognise out of this sense of desperation and a decaying Gotham, that there’s a utility in a partnership there. It’s a place that’s devoid of trust and credibility among those that should be credible. Gordon, I think, is more in need of Batman than perhaps Batman is of Gordon, but what he sees in them is an integrity and a type of honour. Clearly, the trust is still building and that was very exciting too. Ours isn’t an origin story for Batman, but it’s an origin story for his emergence, though certainly not by going back to the death of the parents and all these things we’ve seen done before. 

Finally, Paul you’re separated by glass when you see Batman, but Jeffrey, what’s it like taking a punch from the Dark Knight? 

Oh, it’s…you know, if you’ve got to take a punch, I guess you’ve got to take one from Batman. I’m still recovering a little bit as you can clearly hear from my answers today. I may be suffering a little punch drunkenness this morning [Laughs]. I’ll use that as an excuse. 

The Batman in cinemas 4th March.
 

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AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 3/4/2022, 1:03 PM
I LOVED this Gordon. He was batman's partner and it was great.


Riddler got a little over the top towards the end but overall he was creepy 😐
Conquistador
Conquistador - 3/4/2022, 1:43 PM
@AmazingFILMporg - I kind of liked it when he lost his shit when he was twisting Batman into thinking he was his partner. It was a bit lame though that he wasn't at the final showdown. The 'Psuedo Joker' tease was meh.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/4/2022, 1:08 PM
I havent seen a cbm that has stuck with me after seeing it on so many levels in a LONG time. This is the most comic book Batman we've ever gotten. I rewatched TDK, seen Batman twice. TDK is TAME compared to this movie on almost every level. This film highlights how Batman-less TDK really is. I mean he uses Lucius' toys to put a bullet back together and that's about as much of a Detective move as we get. It's a BRILLIANT JOKER movie, but it's no where close to as great a Batman movie as THIS film. I can see Man Bat, Clayface in this Gotham. Tons of verisimilitude in this but it feels MORE PULPY and comic book Gotham than the Nolan films
SoulReaver
SoulReaver - 3/4/2022, 1:12 PM
@McMurdo - I've always said that TDK is a fantastic crime thriller, but a terrible Batman movie. I consider BB to be far superior to TDK in that aspect. As much as I loved TDK, it lost a lot of what I thought was great in BB.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 3/4/2022, 1:18 PM
@SoulReaver - yup Gotham becomes any other city. TDK goes full Micheal Mann Heat and that's cool I love the film, but nothing about my love for TDK has anything to do with the character of Batman
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/4/2022, 1:30 PM
@McMurdo - this world would use those villains so well. They would fit the atmosphere perfectly.
DTor91
DTor91 - 3/4/2022, 1:40 PM
@SoulReaver - Up until The Batman, TDK was my favorite Batman film. That and Logan were my top two in general and two of my favorite films as a whole. The Batman joins those two.

But with that said, while I consider TDK the stronger film, I’ve always felt Batman Begins was more of a “Batman” film. The Batman does this well too, but before it, Batman Begins was also to me the only Batman film where he wasn’t overshadowed by his villains.
Conquistador
Conquistador - 3/4/2022, 1:45 PM
@McMurdo - Farrell's Penguin stole every scene he was in. Really glad he's getting his own spin off. Need more of his character going forward.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 3/4/2022, 1:29 PM
Gordon was great but he was sometimes way too shook some cops were dirty. This is Gotham Jimmy lol
DTor91
DTor91 - 3/4/2022, 1:37 PM
While I do wish there was more direct development for Gordon throughout, it was more of a character study on Batman overall. But Wright was highly effective in the role and I LOVED his dynamic with Batman.
DENNISsystem
DENNISsystem - 3/4/2022, 2:00 PM
This movie was beyond good. It was the best interpretation of the Batman mythos done in a long time. Kudos to everyone involved.
connorblaze
connorblaze - 3/4/2022, 3:46 PM
I loved the cinematography and tone, and Dano as The Riddler and Kravitz as Selina. But the story wasn’t great (the riddles weren’t exactly a mindbending puzzle, everything was pretty expected. Shock, falcone is a bad guy and Bruce’s dad did something shady. Did anyone not figure out that was where it was heading from the trailers and clips?) batmN didnt come across as some amazing detective to me, he seemed pretty dense a lot of the time. He didnt even figure out the flood master plan, it all got laid out in a video and he didnt stop it (which goes back to the poor story. Wheres the symbolism in that? What do floods or water have to do with Riddler? That whole ending came from nowhere). There were no great twists (minor plot revelations but nothing big). Thrillers like the ones theyre emulating thrive on plot twists and turns. I was never suprised or puzzled. This should have been a puzzlebox and it was just, what, everyones corrupt under the guy we already knos is a crime boss and he killed bruces dad? Pegged all that from the surgery discussion scene, that he either was in his pocket or killed by him.

And Pattison. I dont get people praising his performance here. I was actually in his corner for this casting, he’s done great work in so many films in recent years. But he was a pouty teenager here who seemed like he was trying too hard to be dark and moody. He was actually really not far off his old twilight performance here, lot of simularity. He looked constipated in his scene with alfred in the hospital. I like the angle of a brooding, noir batman and bruce, i like what they went for, but Pattison did a terrible job with it. He was annoying and I didnt buy his anger or pain because he was trying so hard to be Kurt Cobain.

In my theatre a whole bunch of people laughed when alfred wakes up and the first thing Bruce says is ‘you lied to me’. Not the reaction they were going for I bet. He really did come across like a moody teen.

But the Batmobile scene was [frick]ing awesome. And I love the suit and designs. Riddler’s performance was creepy. Catwoman was my favourite one yet. Falcone was great, Turturro is always so good. I wanted to yell out ‘you dont mess with the Jesus’ so much though. I thought Gordon was really dull. Wright is great but he kinda plays the same guy every time and he was one note as hell. Same character he plays in Westworld. Penguin was ok… entertaining but it pains me to say, since Farrell is one of my favourite actors due to films like In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, but… it was really just a DeNiro impersonation with prosthetics wasn’t it? With a bit of Tony Soprano mixed in? I think just casting Deniro and giving him the nose and scar wouldve had the same effect… though he was charismatic and fun. Like all colourful mob bosses I guess?

I dont know I think I’m just disappointed. Se7en and Zodiac are some of my facourite movies and I was really excited about this tone and approach and it just felt like an inferior ripoff pretending to be a noir to me. The plot wasnt there and I didnt buy Pattison. I hope round 2 is better because the atmosphere and approach of this world and potential worldbuilding are great. And I want more musclecar Batmobile. The sound of that thing… shivers.

Wow what a ramble.
cheeseburger
cheeseburger - 3/4/2022, 7:52 PM
Saw this the other day on Imax and it was great. The casting was spot on and these two did a great job.
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