When a Jonah Hill leaves, a Paul Dano swoops in, apparently.
The Hollywood Reporter has word that, in the wake of recent news that Jonah Hill had exited talks to join Matt Reeves’ Batman movie, Paul Dano has signed on to take one of the alleged roles Hill was in discussions for: Edward Nygma, a.k.a. the cryptic puzzle-loving mastermind the Riddler (though THR notes the character will be named Edward Nashton here).
The other alleged role Hill was in talks for appeared to be the Penguin, but it remains to be seen if other actors are being pursued currently for that one. Part of the earlier reports around Hill’s exits had tapped Seth Rogen as a potential name to join him as the Riddler, but that seems to have been another false start given Dano’s arrival.
It’s been a busy week in Gotham City — beyond the Hill news, we learned that Zoë Kravitz had also signed onto the film to play Catwoman, Batman’s long-time frenemy (and, most recently in the comics, ex-fiance).
Dano — whose many credits include There Will Be Blood, Little Miss Sunshine, Okja, and Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora — joins the aforementioned Kravitz, as well as the previously cast Jeffery Wright as Commissioner Jim Gordon, and Robert Pattinson as Batman.
The Batman movie is currently scheduled for a June 25, 2021 release.