The Batman director Matt Reeves comes out in defense of Paul Dano after Quentin Tarantino's mauling

Paul Dano as the Riddler in The Batman — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Several Hollywood names have spoken up in defence of Paul Dano this week after Quentin Tarantino called the actor "weak sauce" due to his critically-acclaimed performance in 2007's film There Will Be Blood.

"He is weak sauce, man. He's a weak sister," he said during a recent appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, branding Dano as "the weakest male actor in SAG" (via THR).

The Batman director Matt Reeves took to social media to defend the actor, who played The Riddler in the DC movie. "Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person," he wrote on Twitter.

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He was not the only one. "Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant," tweeted Ben Stiller, while Marvel star Simu Liu quipped: "idk man i think paul dano is an incredible actor." Maya Rudolph and Dano's co-star in Little Miss Sunshine Toni Collette also shared images of Paul Dano on Instagram, showing support following Tarantino's comments.

Dano – who was nominated for a BAFTA award for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's film, and also has an Independent Spirit Award win and two Emmy and three Critics' Choice Movie Awards nominations to his name – has yet to address the filmmaker's remarks.

Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person.December 4, 2025

Some movie fans have also made their thoughts known on social media. "Paul Dano is one of the most talented actors of his generation. No discussion about this," wrote one, with a second one saying: "That was the entire point of that character. He was weak. He hid behind the protection of religion until it couldn't protect him any more. Maybe QT should learn film."

Another one speculated: "I feel like Dano must have said no to a Tarantino project and he's still upset about it."

Dano starred earlier this year in Olivier Assayas' satire The Wizard of the Kremlin, playing fictional character Vadim Baranov during the final years of the Soviet Union. He is also set to join The Long Walk's stars Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson in a new film called The Chaperones, directed by India Donaldson.

If you want to see what else is coming up, check out our guide on all upcoming movies in theaters in 2025 and beyond.

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.