Casting Couch: Dexter’s Michael C. Hall = The Riddler
Christopher Nolan is coming back to do to a sequel to The Dark Knight and make his Batman series a trilogy. That’s good news, because there’s at least one villain left who is tailor made for Nolan’s style — the Riddler. Gary Oldman has even hinted that the Riddler will be the baddie in the third installment. If Nolan was born to bring a Zodiac-style Riddler to the screen, Michael C. Hall was born to play that character. Anyone who’s seen his work as the titular character on Dexter knows that.
Imagine this scenario: Commissioner Gordan and the rest of Gotham City’s finest continue to hunt public enemy No. 1 — the Dark Knight himself. If that wasn’t enough for the Caped Crusader to handle, he also has a new archenemy — the Riddler. While the Joker thrived in the spotlight, the Riddler lurks in the shadows. If the Joker was a dog chasing cars, the Riddler is something more camouflaged, more cannibalistic. He’s the praying mantis.
A casting choice that fits like a glove.
Speaking of Dexter, picture the Ice Truck Killer meets Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Batman would have to track down this ghost of killer while he’s on the run from the law. Picture a room wrapped in plastic with Alfred on the table. How do you defeat the smartest, most-sociopathic opponent you’ve faced with one arm tied behind your back? Even Batman would have a tough time solving that riddle.
Hall is a brilliant actor who’s mastered the nuanced art of acting clever, crazy and calm simultaneously. A serene serial killer seems like an oxymoron, but Hall has been pulling it off for four seasons on Showtime. If there is one actor who can take where Heath Ledger left off and up the ante, it’s Golden Globe winner Hall. Additionally, he’s got a great sense of comedic timing. There isn’t much that could possibly be more difficult acting-wise than making an audience chuckle while playing a serial killer, but Hall does just that and does it routinely.
I’m clearly not the first person to think this as there is actually a Michael C. Hall as the Riddler in Nolan’s Batman Facebook page. That’s proof that Batman fans would get behind this casting choice. He sure the hell beats David Tennant. That guy is better suited to play Bilbo Baggins.
Hall is the Riddler. No different than how American Psycho served as Christian Bale’s Batman audition, Hall has been auditioning for this role for years as the star of Dexter. Christopher Nolan, there’s one sure-fire way to keep the momentum of The Dark Knight going. As you gear up for Batman 3, cast Michael C. Hall as the Riddler.
Other Links You Might Enjoy:
- Real-life Spider-man one step closer to reality. – Lightly Buzzed
- Casting Couch: Who should be the new Spidey? – FlickSided
- Goyer is the new Superman scribe. – FilmDrunk
- Nolan oversees Superman reboot. – Screen Junkies
- You can be Mark Millar’s evil Batman for charity. – Gamma Squad
- Nine fatal flaws of beloved movie characters. – Guyism
- The 12 most iconic comic book heroes. – Gunaxin
- Gollum and Scotty play serial killers. – Latino Review
It seems pretty obvious from “The Dark Knight” that “The Riddler” is Coleman Reese played by Joshua Harto. It’s all explained at this site – http://ahole.org/2009/09/next-batman-villains/
Hall would be my second choice. If you want to talk about the perfect actor for the role, look no further than Michael Emmerson from LOST.
David Tennant would be an amazing Riddler. His work on Doctor Who was incredible and his range is fantastic. Hall would be good as the methodical Riddler, but Tennant would be able to portray a Riddler completely at the whim of his emotions and intelligence. The Riddler almost never kills someone outright he has to put them in a death trap which he enjoys watching them struggle out of. I can’t picture Hall as the Riddler being absolutely giddy watching someone try adn escape his trap. He seems more of a catch a kill villain. I could see Tennant portraying the Riddler’s joy in the trap brilliantly… Just my two cents
Wait a minute, what about Jonny Depp? There was a rumor that he was going to play the riddler around the time Dark Knight came out. I still feel he would be the perfect role.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b303/naughtybean2469/riddler.jpg
this was a comp I did showing johnny depp as the riddler
is he wearing a half-shirt in the second pic?
Michael C. Hall would be a great Riddler. I just don’t think it’s a stretch for Hall from similar characters/roles. The brilliance of Heath Ledger’s Joker was the viewer recognized/saw the character of the Joker in the film rather than distinguish and identify the actor. I don’t think there’s enough disparity between Hall’s Dexter and the envisioned Nolan version of the Riddler.
I definitely think Hall is the favorite if Nolan goes the direction of Riddler. My dark horse candidate for the Riddler… Jim Carrey. I know his original version of the Riddler was over the top and hammed up but it was asked the role for that movie. Carrey is a talented enough actor he could definitely put a completely different perspective on the role. I also think Nolan’s vision of the Riddler will be a polar opposite of Carrey’s original Riddler. He’s definitely worth considering.
My top three candidates: Jim Carrey, Michael C. Hall and Robert Knepper.
Not So Fast, your link is so blatantly wrong that I find it offensive. The only thing it lacked was a terrible idea about Catwoman being in the next movie simply because the word “cat” was mentioned.
Anyway, Micheal C Hall would definitely be awesome, but my vote still goes to Daniel Day-Lewis.
Has anyone ever thought Micheal Emerson who plays Ben on Lost to be the perfect choice for this role? I mean based on how he acts, I’d see him as being great at this role, cryptic, psychotic and generally creepy. These are the traits I feel that embody the Joker. Don’t get me wrong, Hall seems like a great choice, but I just wanted to put Emerson out there considering I’ve never heard it brought up.
Won’t happen. Hall, although a gifted actor, is too tightly attached to the Dexter character for Nolan to touch (I think). Furthermore the Joker was not ‘a dog chasing cars’, he was a brilliant sociopath with an entire plan from start to finish – a plan that included lying to Harvey Dent. The Riddler and the Joker are almost the same character: a brilliant, violent criminal that prides himself on holding Gotham hostage. I hope the third installment of the batman series focuses on another one of Batman’s large archive of super villains.
I don’t think Oldman actually knew anything about the third Batman movie (as it wasn’t written yet), he was just talking about another villain that he knew of. Perhaps he was just mentioning the Riddler to get people like us talking. We’ll only know in a year or two for sure.
what’s more , if they time it right Michael C Hall could die of cancer before the film comes out and give the box office a big boost (sorry, feeling well cynical right now)
[...] More [...]
Seen Hall as the Emcee in Cabaret? The man is a genius chameleon. There’s wouldn’t be trace of Dexter in The Riddler. Not Tennant or Depp, please. Jim Carrey was actually quite brilliant in what was a bad Batman movie.
Never thought about it, but Michael C Hall would be the PERFECT Riddler. Hope this happens!
[...] casting director. We’ve pegged Chiwetel Ejiofor to play a young Morpheus in a Matrix prequel, picked Michael C. Hall to suit up as the Riddler and even cast the Wizard of Oz reboot. Our latest idea isn’t completely our own, but [...]
What are you people thinking? Any fans of the comic and franchises so far know the Riddler is brilliant and undoubetdly psychotic, but he is not SOCIOPATHIC! He rarely kills as it’s ‘beneath’ him. Michael Hall is a great actor, but if Nolan goes in a killer-Riddler direction, I think that will detract from the character too much for fans. Like another poster said, part of why Dark Knight was great was the Joker was perfect – both in the movie/plot but also as a true realization of the character (wihtout being campy). Johnny Depp would be good because he is phenomenal, but I think it’s too close to other roles/movies he’s done. I like Daniel Day Lewis, he makes a creepy bad guy. Maybe Jude Law; he’s funny but he is also creepy? I dunno.. it will be interesting. I have also heard more than one rumor about Catwoman because she’s an iconic Batman villain. If it didn’t require so much CG, Killer Croc would be interesting.
look up the word oxymoron before you use it. also look up the difference between titular and eponymous.
[...] I’m just glad things are really starting to take shape in Gotham City. A definitive “no” on the Joker from Nolan. This rumor. Inception about a month away, and once its opening passes Nolan will only have bats on the brain. Joseph Gordon-Levitt would definitely be an inspired pick for the Riddler, one which could work out much like casting Ledger as the Joker did the last time around. I’ll definitely co-sign on this possibility (even though I still love Michael C. Hall of Dexter as the Riddler). [...]
one problem here, there isn’t going to be a riddler in the third movie.
and I’m very glad for that. ever since the riddler was played by Jim Carey the character is just a joke (no bad pun intended)
IMO a riddler would just seem like a shitty joker rip off.
I love Dexter and Michael C. Hall, but I just can’t picture him as the Riddler. Someone on another website that I was reading said that thought that Paul Bettany would make a great Riddler, and I agree. I think he’d be perfect for the role.
I LOVE MICHAEL C. HALL. sorry just sayin.
[...] the past, we’ve donned our casting hats and suggested Michael C. Hall from Dexter would make an excellent Riddler, and debated whether or not Inception co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt [...]
How could it be Coleman Reese? His name is Coleman Reese, not Edward Nygma.
I want Michael C. Hall to play the part of the Riddler. I love David Tenant (Dr. Who) I think he’s incredible, the guy from lost would lose himself in the role. Joseph Gordon-Levitt wouldn’t be convincing as the Riddler, because he lacks flexibility, and complexity-meaning, he doesn’t have the range required to pull off the Riddler. Back to Michael C. Hall who went from, working on Broadway in the Cabaret, and had no television credits to his name, to playing a gay undertaker on Six-Feet Under to a Blood Splatter analyst who moonlights as a serial killer-to a manipulative computer tech in Gamers. Talk about range. Now compare that to Joseph Gordon-Levitt? And I think the casting Director should buck up and make a decision, instead of polling online for confirmation.
If your not sure then get to work and start auditioning people. That is how it works right? The potential selection auditions for the part and who ever the director is feeling wins the role. What’s up? sounds good to me. Stop crying over Heath Ledger and get to work!
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