thethinkingphrase: The New Riddler?

So the entertainment world has been going mad over the possible actors who will play the role of the Riddler in the next Batman movie. After the casting genius behind Heath Ledger as the Joker, it is clear why there is so much anticipation to see who will be chosen for the popular role. Personally, the Riddler is one of my favourite Batman villains, and I thought that Jim Carrey played him fantastically in Batman Forever. It is kind of sad that the current Batman franchise is trying to distance itself from the previous one because in my opinion, Jim Carrey is still perfect for the role.

Some websites are reporting that Johnny Depp has been confirmed for the role, and this brings a mixed response. Personally, I would like the new franchise to take a different view of the Riddler. Seeing how the Joker takes on a more psychotic role rather than a comedic role in The Dark Knight. If they are thinking about Johnny Depp as Captain Jack, then this is pretty much the opposite of what I'd like to see the new franchise do with the Riddler. I think it would be a nice twist if the Riddler was very clean cut, in my opinion it would make the character that bit more disturbing and dark. The Riddler has always been a light-hearted character, even with the evil undertones. He was always very active and full of energy. It would be an interesting twist to see the Riddler played as a demure, almost timid person, but with the same evil undertones. I personally think that Johnny Depp could play this role very well. It reminds me of his performance in Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a reserved character with distinct sinister intentions.

However, I worry that in an attempt to keep the franchise commercially popular they will make the Riddler more like Captain Jack than Sweeny Todd. Another issue I have with casting Johnny Depp is that he is a big celebrity, more of a celebrity than anyone else on the cast list. The villians in the previous Batman films from this franchise have not been major A-list celebrities. Many people would never have heard the name Cillian Murphy before Batman Begins. I can remember being excited when I saw his name on the cast list because it was a big film. I'd seen him before in 28 Days Later and Intermission, and knew it would test his acting abilities. The case was the same with Heath Ledger, apart from Brokeback Mountain, he had not really shone in an many acting roles. This seems to be a testament of the new franchise, being able to bring the best out of the non A-listers. The case is exactly the same with Aaron Eckhart in the role of Two Face.

I have mulled this over for a while and have come up with a small shortlist of who I would cast as the Riddler, for various reasons which I will explain.

1. Michael Emerson

If you ask me, Emerson would be perfect for a slightly more demure Riddler, but still with the ability to commit evil deeds. He plays the character of Benjamin Linus in Lost so well that I feel he could cope with the pressures of a role like the Riddler. Also he is far from an A-list celebrity so would not overshadow the main character of Batman, however is still recognisable enough to not be an on-screen stranger. Also as a point to note, his fellow Lost cast-member Nestor Carbonell (who plays Richard Alpert - The man who never seems to age) is in the Dark Knight as Mayor Anthony Garcia.

2. David Tennant

This would certainly be a test of the acting skills of Doctor Who star David Tennant. It would most likely be a hit amongst British viewers, but international viewers would probably be unaware of who he is, and he would literally be an on-screen stranger. One issue is that he would have to pull of a believable American accent. In my opinion Cillian Murphy did a great job of this, and he is from Cork, Ireland. Tennant is Scottish, however plays an Englishman in Doctor Who, so he has to put on an accent whenever he acts most of the time anyway, and it is wholly believable. The only issue I think would be whether he could pull off the sinister side, but again, these were qualms I had with Heath Ledger when I heard he had been cast as the Joker, so that just shows how redundant I am with predicting actor's abilities.

3. Lee Evans

Although this would probably be a bit of a reversion to the Riddler from Batman Forever, I could see Lee Evans playing the role. Not because of his resemblance to the character, but because Lee Evans can play the serious roles, and he is a very talented actor. It seems clear that if he was cast, the Riddler would be very similar to Jim Carrey's Riddler. However I could see Lee Evans pull off a more serious and clean cut Riddler, perhaps if he was British that would add an extra element of sinister? Although that wouldn't really be true to the original comic.

4. Kent Hovind

Seriously, this guy wouldn't even have to act. Not a word that comes out of his mouth makes any sense. Damn, I forgot, he'll still be in prison for Tax Fraud by then. Oh well.

On top of these I'd also like to mention other characters. Harley Quinn has been banging around, due to her relationship with the Joker, and so has the Penguin. Apparently Philip Seymour Hoffman has been rumoured to play the role of the Penguin, and this is a decision I highly agree with.