David Dastmalchian Is the New Riddler in Upcoming Batman Project

David Dastmalchian is adding another major DC character to his growing list of roles. The actor has reportedly been cast as The Riddler in the upcoming animated movie Batman: Knightfall, giving him another chance to play one of Gotham’s most famous villains.

The casting news was first reported by Nexus Point News. Batman: Knightfall does not have an official release date yet, but the project has already gained attention after its first trailer was released. The movie is being directed by Jeff Wamester and written by Jeremy Adams. It is based on the classic Batman: Knightfall comic storyline, where Bane famously defeats Batman and “breaks the Bat.”

The animated film will feature Anson Mount as Batman, Michael Mando as Bane, and Pablo Schreiber as Jean-Paul Valley, the character who takes over as Batman during the original comic storyline.

For Dastmalchian, the role of The Riddler continues a unique journey through the DC universe. The actor has played an impressive number of characters connected to the franchise across movies, TV shows, animation, and video games.

Before taking on The Riddler, Dastmalchian had already portrayed several DC villains. His first appearance came in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, where he played Thomas Schiff, one of the Joker’s criminals. Years later, he returned to DC as Abner Krill, also known as Polka-Dot Man, in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

His other DC roles include Dwight Pollard in Gotham, Abra Kadabra in The Flash, Calendar Man and Penguin in Batman: The Long Halloween, and Grendon in Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham. He has also played heroes in the DC world, including The Flash in Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen and Vic Sage/The Question in the video game Batman: Arkham Shadow.

With The Riddler added to his collection, Dastmalchian has now played 10 different DC characters. While that number is impressive, he still does not hold the record for the most DC roles.

That title belongs to Tara Strong, who has voiced more than 30 DC characters over the years. Her long list of roles includes Raven, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Vicki Vale, and even versions of young Bruce Wayne. However, Dastmalchian’s DC career stands out because of the variety of his performances.

The actor has played characters with completely different personalities and styles. His version of Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad was a strange but emotional villain with a tragic backstory, while his Abra Kadabra in The Flash was much more exaggerated and theatrical. His early role as one of the Joker’s criminals in The Dark Knight was completely different again.

That range is what makes his casting as The Riddler interesting. The character has been portrayed in many different ways over the years, from a classic comic villain to a darker and more serious version. Fans will now get to see what Dastmalchian brings to the role when Batman: Knightfall arrives.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!