Robin Williams wants The Riddler

[Locutus of Bored]

I'd like to see them combine the characters of Victor Zsasz (spelled Zsaz in 'Batman Begins') and The Riddler into one, and have him be a Zodiac-style serial killer who taunts the GCPD and Batman with letters hinting at his next crimes in codes and riddles. This would allow the movies to continue to reference back to the earlier films (as the Joker was in TDK) and would allow Batman to take on more of a detective role as in the comics.

Have Zsaz be an amnesiac due to experimental treatments and repeated exposure to the Fear Toxin by Dr. Crane/Scarecrow at Arkham. As a result of his memory loss, in addition to carving hash marks on his body for each of his victims, he also carves question marks into his skin and the skin of his victims. Though his intellect is fully intact, the riddle of his own past drives him to adopt the Riddler persona and to frequently ask "Who is the Riddler?"

They could bring back musician Tim Booth to reprise his role from the first film, but personally I'd prefer a bigger name for the role, and I can think of no one better than John Malkovich, both for his resemblence and for playing a psychopath so very well on several occasions.

That being said, if they don't go in that direction, Robin Williams is a great dramatic actor and movie psycho as mentioned above, I just don't see him being much of a physical threat to Bale's Batman. Despite the Riddler's more intellectual modus operandi, it's inevitable in these films that the protagonist and antagonist will have a physical showdown at the end.

Other actors who would be good in the role include Kevin Spacey (he hasn't played a mass murderer in a while) and Viggo Mortenson.

 

[Admiral_Young]

@JacksonArcher...you really do need to see David in "Hamlet" he was brilliant. Check out "Casanova" which was also written by Russell T.Davies he was great in that. You described you're vision of Nolan's Riddler as being something of a quiet mad man (paraphrasing of course), my friend you've just described David Tenant's Tenth Doctor. Knowing you've not seen a lot of "Doctor Who" you probably have not seen the episodes where David has shown the darker, quiet sad of the Doctor. Matt Smith would even probably be an excellent choice for The Riddler if somewhat controversial I think.

 

[Reverend]

I think whether or not Williams can play the Riddler really depends on how they interpret the character. I think he could pull off a much quieter focused performance if they choose to emphasise the intellect over the gimmicks - which given what they did with the Joker is the more likely scenario. Williams, like Jim Carry in fact, works best when he has limits imposed upon him. If they just let him loose then he tends to go all over the place.

Having said all that, I can think of a few other Bat villains that Williams might be better suited. The Ventriloquist leaps to mind, as does Hugo Strange and...maybe Fries.

 

[Small White Car]

If anyone but Nolan was directing then the idea of Williams as the Riddler would frighten me. No. Just, no. (Can you imagine him dancing around in spandex like they had Carrey do? Ugh.)

But with Nolan's creative forces behind it I can totally believe he'd use Williams in the right way and it would be fantastic.

The Ventriloquist leaps to mind

This is pretty brilliant. Make Williams look OLDER. Make him bald. Let him voice the dummy ahead of time in a sound booth so he can go crazy with it just like in all the cartoons he does. You'd get quiet, simple Williams as the Ventriloquist and outrageous, cartoon Williams as Scarface.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Can we get Tommy Lee Jones to co-star and constantly try to out-ham Robin Williams' performance?

 

[Aragorn]

To be fair, when Williams and Carrey are left uncontrolled to go wild, the movies usually are godawful.

 

[Broccoli]

I don't get the desire to make the Riddler into a zodiac killer. True, Riddler's trademark seems to be elaborate death traps back in the Silver Age, but he's usually considered one of Batman's least homicidal villains.

 

[Jetfire]

^
I liked The Batman's Riddler...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al4qm7Yxl-I[/yt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al4qm7Yxl-I

Dark...Marilyn Manson-esque in appearance. Works for me.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I don't get the desire to make the Riddler into a zodiac killer. True, Riddler's trademark seems to be elaborate death traps back in the Silver Age, but he's usually considered one of Batman's least homicidal villains.

And Ra's al Ghul was an eco-terrorist bent on killing most of the human race to bring nature into balance (instead of more selective killings aimed at eliminating criminality) who had literally lived for centuries rather than the name simply being passed on from one person to another. Things change.

 

[TheBrew]

If Williams convinces Nolan, he's convinced me.

 

[Saul]

I'd like to see it happen. Williams has worked with Nolan before and Nolan does cast a lot of the actors he has worked with before.

 

[Broccoli]

I don't get the desire to make the Riddler into a zodiac killer. True, Riddler's trademark seems to be elaborate death traps back in the Silver Age, but he's usually considered one of Batman's least homicidal villains.

And Ra's al Ghul was an eco-terrorist bent on killing most of the human race to bring nature into balance (instead of more selective killings aimed at eliminating criminality) who had literally lived for centuries rather than the name simply being passed on from one person to another. Things change.

But the core element of Ra's was retained: killing what he saw as a cancer to the world.

If the Riddler becomes the Zodiac Killer, then he's the Riddler the same way the Penguin was the Penguin in Batman Returns. In other words, not really much at all.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

But the core element of Ra's was retained: killing what he saw as a cancer to the world.

If the Riddler becomes the Zodiac Killer, then he's the Riddler the same way the Penguin was the Penguin in Batman Returns. In other words, not really much at all.

So, you're saying the Riddler's "core element" was not killing that many people, but still killing some? I thought his core element was using riddles, puzzles, and codes to taunt Batman and the police while he committed his crimes, which is still part of what I'm suggesting.

 

[Emher]

While it would definetly be intresting, after I read this...

I actually think Michael Emerson (Linus from Lost) would be an interesting choice for The Riddler.

...I can do nothing but agree. Emerson is a fantastic actor I would really like him for the role.

 

[Broccoli]

But the core element of Ra's was retained: killing what he saw as a cancer to the world.

If the Riddler becomes the Zodiac Killer, then he's the Riddler the same way the Penguin was the Penguin in Batman Returns. In other words, not really much at all.

So, you're saying the Riddler's "core element" was not killing that many people, but still killing some? I thought his core element was using riddles, puzzles, and codes to taunt Batman and the police while he committed his crimes, which is still part of what I'm suggesting.

His core is puzzles and riddles, I'll admit. However, the general nature of his crimes doesn't fall into serial killing. In fact, Riddler has lamented that there are so many homicidal villains.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

How about Tom Hardy as Edward E. Nigma?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

^^^ I've always hated that name. It's fine in the more fantastical and lighthearted stories, but in a more realistic setting I'd hope they would get rid of it or at least explain it away as only an alias.

But the core element of Ra's was retained: killing what he saw as a cancer to the world.

If the Riddler becomes the Zodiac Killer, then he's the Riddler the same way the Penguin was the Penguin in Batman Returns. In other words, not really much at all.

So, you're saying the Riddler's "core element" was not killing that many people, but still killing some? I thought his core element was using riddles, puzzles, and codes to taunt Batman and the police while he committed his crimes, which is still part of what I'm suggesting.

His core is puzzles and riddles, I'll admit. However, the general nature of his crimes doesn't fall into serial killing. In fact, Riddler has lamented that there are so many homicidal villains.

Fair enough.

 

[Aragorn]

Some viral marketing for The Dark Knight had a Gotham Times letter to the editor from an Edward Nashton. Maybe that's the name they're using.

How about Riddler as a profiler brought into help capture Batman, only he turns out to have ulterior motives?

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Robin Williams should play the President of the USA in some "Man of the Year" alternate reality.

Or Reverend Frank.

Or Theodore Roosevelt in a flashback.

Or Dr. Know...

 

[Vestboy]

But the core element of Ra's was retained: killing what he saw as a cancer to the world.

If the Riddler becomes the Zodiac Killer, then he's the Riddler the same way the Penguin was the Penguin in Batman Returns. In other words, not really much at all.

So, you're saying the Riddler's "core element" was not killing that many people, but still killing some? I thought his core element was using riddles, puzzles, and codes to taunt Batman and the police while he committed his crimes, which is still part of what I'm suggesting.

His core is puzzles and riddles, I'll admit. However, the general nature of his crimes doesn't fall into serial killing. In fact, Riddler has lamented that there are so many homicidal villains.

I always so his core as being, "I'm so smart, and you're so dumb, I can tell you EXACTLY what crime I'm going to do, and you still won't catch me."