Paul Dano went to extreme lengths to capture the “almost maniacal detail” of The Riddler in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, giving consideration to everything from costuming to conduct.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 37-year-old actor was committed to meticulously crafting his character for The Batman, tapping into both the physical and psychological workings of The Riddler. Dano was keen to align his thought process with the Prince of Puzzles and sometimes that also manifested in his vigilante aesthetic.
“The thoroughness of this person, the almost maniacal detail that he puts into plotting — I was like, ‘OK, well, should I just shave all my body hair? So there’s no evidence?'” Dano quizzed, considering how his Batman villain might have orchestrated the brutal murders terrorizing Gotham in the movie. “I’m going to wrap my head in Saran wrap.”
So while Robert Pattinson was busy working on his Bat-voice, spending hours on set in the Bat-suit, Dano turned up on the first day of shooting with his head encased in plastic wrap. Reeves loved Dano’s dedication to the character, however, he realized after three or four takes that it might not be something that the actor could endure throughout production.
“Paul takes off the mask, his head, his face is beet red,” Reeves said, remarking on the level of intensity that Dano brought to his performance as The Riddler. “The heat can’t escape. I was like, ‘OK, all right, Paul, let’s rethink this. You don’t have to do this.’ He goes, ‘No, man, I told you that I wanted to do it. I’ll do it.'”
Fortunately, the costume department made some modifications that made it easier to breathe inside Dano’s Riddler get-up but that didn’t stop the actor from obsessing over every last detail, including the glasses his character wears. He apparently tried on “hundreds of pairs” before settling on the clear plastic frames that he sports atop his mask.
Outside of his character’s appearance, Dano also put the work in to capture the inner essence of The Riddler. In fact, Reeves estimates that it took in the region of 200 takes to shoot a scene in which The Riddler is talking to Batman via cellphone video, positioning Dano alone in a room with an iPhone to deliver variations of his character’s madness.
“He goes, ‘OK, let me try one where I’m off camera and I stick my head in,'” Reeves explained. “Let me try one where I’m already sitting there.’ He’s directing this one-person play on an iPhone. It was the giddiness that really got to me. Calling out the passing time, like he was a game show host. He was so inventive and creative. He’s also very critical of himself.”
The Batman is scheduled for theatrical release on March 4, 2022. The movie was originally intended to be released in the summer (as most Batman movies have traditionally been), but it was pushed back from its June 25, 2021 release date multiple times after the production was forced to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more on the forthcoming DC reboot movie, take a look at everything we know about The Batman, from plot details and casting information to how you can watch the film.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
