Paul Dano has been cast as the query-packing villain in director Matt Reeves’ reboot of the superhero franchise, according to reports published earlier this week.
The latest incarnation of the lean, green quizzing machine has some prominent names to live up to. Frank Gorshin and John Astin played the bad guy on TV in the 1960s while Jim Carrey did the honours on the big screen in Batman Forever back in 1995.
It’s was also announced this week that Big Little Lies star Zoe Kravitz will be playing Catwoman, as the cast of formidable foes takes shape to torment Robert Pattinson’s Batman.
Last year, Paul directed and starred in the prisoner series Escape At Dannemora, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. He also appeared in Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood and Love & Mercy, the latter of which yielded him a supporting actor Golden Globe nomination.
Warner Bros. is eyeing a June 25, 2021, release for The Batman.
One villain who won’t be appearing in the film is the Dark Knight’s most iconic nemesis the Joker, who has recently been played by Jared Leto and Joaquin Phoenix.
It was previously revealed that Joaquin’s film – directed by Todd Phillips, which presents a reimagined version of the character – was set in a stand-alone character, but did briefly feature a scene in which the Joker came face to face with his future foe as a child.
Meanwhile, Jared Leto played the role in Suicide Squad, but will not be appearing in the upcoming sequel.
A solo film centred around his version of the Joker has also been shelved.