Big words
Matt Reeves’ The Batman has been out in cinemas for a little 0ver a week and has been met with some very positive reviews – but one thing people are praising in particular is Paul Dano’s turn as The Riddler.
In fact, the Caped Crusader’s latest antagonist has wowed audiences so much that it is being compared by some to arguably the greatest superhero villain performance ever, Heath Ledger‘s Joker.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca68D5boDfA/
Arguably one of the most recognised method performances in the history of acting, Ledger’s Joker is often perceived as an unattainable level of excellence. That being said, many feel Dano has matched, if not bettered it.
You know what, fuck it, I’ll say it.
Paul Dano’s performance as The Riddler is on par with Heath’s Joker. I would even argue better in some ways. https://t.co/Qumnk1H4qw
— mika (@RIPmika) March 10, 2022
The 37-year-old notably treated the role with similar intensity, spending prolonged periods in self-imposed isolation refusing to even hug his partner as he prepared for the role. The method approach clearly seems to have worked.
Paul Dano as The Riddler is without a doubt the best performance in any comic book movie since Heath Ledger's Joker
— Theve20 (@thevenayam) March 3, 2022
While some are hailing the film and Dano’s performance as the “best” Batman film of all time, others are being slightly more measured and despite confessing their love for this version of The Riddler, it’s hard for anyone to forget about both Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix’s iconic Joker roles.
Paul Dano’s performance as The Riddler in #TheBatman is one for the ages. The indubitable MVP of the cast, his chilling turn is a TOP THREE comic book movie villain performance that falls only under Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix in THE DARK KNIGHT and JOKER. pic.twitter.com/udA8LLvoCR
— Diego Andaluz (@thediegoandaluz) February 28, 2022
The character of The Riddler itself already had a big name attached to it, with Jim Carrey famously playing him in Batman Forever and although it was certainly a more exaggerated version, Dano seems to have made an even bigger impact.
After watching the film, I can say without a doubt that Paul Dano’s Riddler is my favorite version of the character #TheBatman pic.twitter.com/uAQ0t9XhAU
— AlJoJoLands (@WhiteCloverx) March 5, 2022
Many are now urging fans of the performance to go and watch his other films, having received plenty of acclaim for his parts in Prisoners, There Will Be Blood and his directorial debut, Wildlife.
Now that everyone is praising Paul Dano for his performance as The Riddler in THE BATMAN, I think it’s the perfect time to implore you all to watch his brilliant directorial debut WILDLIFE, a movie that should have won Carey Mulligan an Oscar but was criminally slept on instead. pic.twitter.com/kxfwTVfEuP
— Michael. (@yosoymichael) March 9, 2022
The debate might have started out as whether Robert Pattinson would be a better Batman than Christian Bale but now the focus very much seems to have shifted to the man opposite him.
Related links:
- Robert Pattinson has hinted he’d do X-rated movies – on one condition
- Heath Ledger’s haunting Joker diary proves he was one of most committed actors of his generation
- Live bat released during screening of The Batman
