It had been rumored that The Riddler might appear in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’, as the film was expected to include multiple Bat-Rogues in roles of varying importance. Now it seems that this may be closer to truth. What’s more, it’s possible that Robin may factor into the script.
In a lengthy article discussing Robert Pattinson‘s casting as Bruce Wayne/The Batman, Forbes’ Mark Hughes wrote:
With multiple villains appearing in The Batman — I was told months ago that Penguin, Riddler, and possibly Catwoman are expected to appear, as well as other rogues and mobsters — and additional characters including Commissioner Gordon, Alfred, and potentially Robin, we should be hearing additional casting information soon.
It had been previously rumored that The Penguin and Catwoman were set, with The Riddler likely to appear, but a bit less certain. Hughes indicates that The Penguin and Riddler are more set, with Catwoman a little iffier. Either way, definitely expect The Penguin, as Warner Brothers has– for some reason– really been itching to use the squawking gangster in a film, either ‘Birds of Prey’ or ‘The Batman’. He’s not in ‘Birds of Prey’, sooooo…
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Burt Ward played Robin/Dick Grayson in the 1960s ‘Batman’ TV series and the tie-in theatrical film, released in 1966. Frank Gorshin also appeared on both the TV show and movie as The Riddler. (John Astin briefly replaced Gorshin for one two-part episode.) Chris O’Donnell portrayed Robin/Grayson in the 1995 movie ‘Batman Forever’ and returned in ‘Batman & Robin’ in 1997. Jim Carrey appeared as The Riddler/Edward Nygma in ‘Batman Forever’.
As integral as Robin is to the Batman mythos, creators of the films and TV shows have avoided using him. There was a tease in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ that he could find himself into the story had the franchise continued, but no one expected it to.
There have been numerous Robins over the years, so it remains to be seen which one Reeves will use (if any at all), but Dick Grayson makes the most sense, seeing as how he was the original.
Most recently, Cory Michael Smith portrayed The Riddler/Nygma on FOX’s ‘Gotham’, while Brenton Thwaites portrays Robin/Grayson on DC Universe’s ‘Titans’.
Expect more information in the weeks to come, as ‘The Batman’ is expected to begin filming later this year.
‘The Batman’ is scheduled to hit theaters on June 25, 2021.
