Musical influences that inspired Paul Dano to become The Riddler in 'The Batman'
'90s grunge band Nirvana played a role in influencing his portrayal of The Riddler in 'The Batman'
According to Paul Dano, 90s grunge band Nirvana played a part in influencing his portrayal of the Riddler in ' The Batman '. Batman features the latest incarnation of the acclaimed DC superhero and is the first installment of a character outside of the DCEU since Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy ended in 2012.
The film, directed by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves, sees Batman (Robert Pattinson) in his second year of fighting crime, as he tracks down a mysterious serial killer known as The Riddler. 'The Batman' in theaters now has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike.
“ The Riddler ” has been redesigned several times for live-action adaptations over the years. Viewers have been waiting to anticipate Paul Dano's portrayal, as the trailer for 'The Batman' has featured a much darker and more sinister Riddler than seen on the big screen before.
The last appearance of the Riddler played by Jim Carrey in 1995's 'Batman Forever' with a full appearance in his green costume. Meanwhile Paul Dano's character remains hidden in the shadows or behind a mask for most of his appearances in 'The Batman' with a duration of nearly three hours. Paul Dano gave Riddler the truly terrifying edge many fans had hoped to see from the character.
In a recent interview with NME, Dano discussed his process of becoming a Riddler. About the many elements that make up his interpretation of the character, Dano has stated that he listens to music to keep himself in character. When asked what music he would listen to, Dano pointed to the song "Something in the Way" by Nirvana.
According to Dano, the song was actually mentioned directly in Reeve's script, so it "became very important" to his Riddler. Dano anticipates the chorus "the animals I trapped have all become my pets"
Dano's interest in this Nirvana song is quite reasonable. As well as being part of Reeve's script, the song was also used in many of the early trailers for 'The Batman', as it was mixed with the new Batman theme composed by Michael Giacchino. The song has been linked to 'The Batman' for fans, and may in the future be synonymous with Paul Dano's Riddler.
Dano has certainly done some impressive work with his interpretation of The Riddler. When the film was released worldwide, many reviews praised his performance as one of the scariest Batman villains ever.
Dano has been careful not to give too much into the interpretation of his character, so if fans really want to see what the Riddler has done with all the “animals he traps”, they should see 'The Batman' in theaters now.
