It was inevitable the casting of Robert Pattinson would open the floodgates of casting news on The Batman, as his was the pivotal role. And we’re starting to see that play out with Jeffrey Wright’s reported casting as Commissioner Gordon, and now the possibility of Jonah Hill coming aboard as the Riddler.
This all started with Variety who said Hill was in talks for a secret role in Matt Reeves’ film. They were scarce on details, however, only saying that Hill has long been sought by producers for a villain role, but it was put on hold until Pattinson’s casting was confirmed.
It’s Collider who chimed in with the Riddler update. Speculation had him pegged to play the Penguin, but with a genuine rogues gallery of Bat-villains expected in the film we may see someone else play that role. Josh Gad has been lobbying hard for it at least a couple of years now, right?
A deal isn’t in place with the two-time Oscar nominee, but if Hill does sign he’ll be a big piece to the puzzle Reeves is putting together. The tone of his film is said to be a dark, film noir that emphasizes Batman’s detective skills. Riddler would be perfect for that.
To this day it’s Frank Gorshin in the 1960s Batman TV show that has the most iconic portrayal of the Riddler, even more than Jim Carrey’s in Batman Forever. Cory Michael Smith played Edward Nygma aka the Riddler on Fox’s Gotham series.
The Batman opens June 25th 2021 with production eyed for late this year or early next.
