Paul Dano, 35, has been cast as The Riddler in upcoming reboot The Batman, Warner Bros. confirmed, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Dano’s Riddler will be go by the name Edward Nashton.
The Prisoners actor joins Zoe Kravitz, 30, and Robert Pattinson, 33, in what’s shaping up to be a star-studded cast.
Kravitz was recently announced for the role of Catwoman in Matt Reeves’ upcoming movie.
Confirmation of Dano joining the line-up comes after reports Jonah Hill, 35, had dropped out of talks to play one of Batman’s adversaries.
He had been rumoured to be up for either The Riddler or The Penguin.
Dano is known for appearances in Escape at Dannemora, Swiss Army Man, Looper and There Will Be Blood.
He previously received a Golden Globe nomination for his supporting role in Love & Mercy and, this year, was nominated for an Emmy for Escape at Dannemora.
Dana began his career on stage before making his silver screen debut in The Newcomers as a teenager.
He went on to gain critical acclaim in Little Miss Sunshine.
He will be the antagonist to Pattinson’s Caped Crusader as The Lighthouse star takes over the role from predecessor Ben Affleck, 47.
The Riddler is infamous in the DC world for his scheming, delighting in taunting Batman and Gotham City’s law enforcement with riddles and puzzles.
Pattinson recently opened up about being cast in The Batman, telling Esquire: “It’s kind of insane. I was so far away from ever thinking it was a realistic prospect.
“I literally do not understand how I’ve got it, at all,” he admitted humbly.
Elsewhere, Westworld star Jeffrey Wright, 53, is tipped for the part of Commissioner Gordon.
Filming is due to start next year, with the release date set for June 25 2021.
Leading man Pattinson has teased an “interesting direction” for Reeves’ new take on the superhero, telling Variety: “I really like Matt Reeves and his setup for it.
“It’s an interesting direction. It’s something from the comics which hasn’t really been explored yet,” he continued.
“It’s crazy shoes to fill.
“It’s interesting the different directions you can take with it and that the – in some ways, quite a specific character actually has a lot of leeway.”