Paul Dano talks Jim Carrey's Riddler – and making the character his own

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Paul Dano has talked about his portrayal of the Riddler in The Batman – and whether he was inspired by Jim Carrey's version of the character.

Cast your minds back to Batman Forever, and you'll remember Carrey in a bright green, question mark-emblazoned suit with fiery red hair. Dano's Riddler, meanwhile, has a darker, scarier, Zodiac Killer-inspired look.

"I will say that Jim Carrey was one of my favorite actors growing up, I was obsessed with Jim Carrey in late elementary school," reveals Dano at a press conference attended by GamesRadar+.

That doesn't mean Carrey's portrayal has influenced his take on the villain, though. "Luckily Matt [Reeves, director] gave us the keys with the script," Dano explains. "I think, take the energy that's there – I do think that this stuff has energy in it. It's been around in the culture for a reason. So I didn't have to really think about any other villain's work, but unconsciously I'm sure it informed me somehow.

"Those performances are indelible to me, so somehow I'm sure something is informed by something, but I think the key to making it your own, or finding a singular approach, is just to make it as personal and emotional as possible," he continues. "And I don't mean this in an egotistical way, but at the end of the day, it's what you have to offer this character is probably where the real juice is, so you can't really go where others have gone."

The Batman sees Riddler and the titular Dark Knight, played by Robert Pattinson, go head to head. Zoë Kravitz plays Catwoman, while Jeffrey Wright is Jim Gordon, Colin Farrell is Penguin, and Andy Serkis is Alfred Pennyworth.

The film releases in theaters this March 4. In the meantime, check out our guide to all of 2022's upcoming major movie release dates for everything else the year has in store for us.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.