Early this year, Ben Affleck announced he wouldn’t return as Batman in the DC Extended Universe. That opened a door for someone new to don the cape and cowl in the next Batman movie, titled simply The Batman. Due out June 25, 2021, The Batman will be directed by Matt Reeves (Planet of the Apes sequels) and he’s said the film will be “an almost-noir driven, detective version of Batman that is point-of-view driven in a very, very powerful way, that will hopefully connect you to what’s going on inside of his head and inside of his heart.”
Reeves has also said The Batman will only slightly connect to the larger DC Universe so don’t expect to see Jason Momoa swimming around in this one. You can expect, however, to see new versions of not only Batman, but Catwoman, the Riddler, and the Penguin, among others. Here’s how the cast is shaping up:
1. Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson
3. Paul Dano
Role: Edward Nashton/The Riddler
The Riddler is another bad guy and part of Reeves’s plan to include a rogues gallery in The Batman. At least three villains are confirmed, including Catwoman, who’s historically only on her own team. Batman will have his hands full, but at least there won’t be another Joker to deal with (we don’t think).
Paul Dano has been cast as The Riddler in The Batman, the first version of the character since Jim Carrey took on the role in 1995’s Batman Forever. He’ll go by Edward Nashton, not Edward Nygma — the original comic name. The Riddler is known for his psychological assaults on Batman. He’s not a fighter. And Dano is perfect for the character. Watch him in There Will Be Blood or 12 Years a Slave to see him screaming and being evil. Dano would’ve made a great Joker, but we’ll take him as the Riddler.
4. Colin Farrell
Role: Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (rumored)
The Penguin completes The Batman‘s rogues gallery and it appears Colin Farrell will play the part. Another classic Batman villain, the Penguin was last played by Danny DeVito in Batman Returns. Don’t expect to see anything like that again. DeVito was essentially a monster. Look for the new Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot to be more in line with the old Batman TV series version played by Burgess Meredith — a well-dressed mobster with a sharp nose. We can’t imagine they’ll put Farrell in a fat suit, but who knows?