After the news that Warner Bros would be making announcements soon regarding their DC Cinematic Universe comes the news that BATMAN VS SUPERMAN will not only have a foe for the Henry Cavill‘s Man of Steel but one for Ben Affleck‘s Dark Knight as well. Deadline is reporting that Michael Cera has been cast as The Riddler in Zack Snyder‘s superhero movie, putting him alongside Jesse Eisenberg‘s Lex Luthor as the second bad guy in the film. This will mark the second big screen incarnation of The Riddler since Jim Carrey played the part in Joel Schumacher‘s BATMAN FOREVER. Wow.
Following the same outside the box casting of Eisenberg, Cera will bring a less imposing presence as the man once known as Edward Nigma. Many may be considering this another nail in the coffin for the MAN OF STEEL sequel, but the selection of Cera could provide a much more grounded and realistic villain for the franchise. Cera recently starred in a pair of indie films, CRYSTAL FAIRY and MAGIC MAGIC, both of which were departures for the actor best known for his roles on ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT and in movies like SUPERBAD and SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD.
With Warner Bros building towards a JUSTICE LEAGUE film, casting The Riddler gives them the potential to have a breakout turn for Cera that could turn him into the DC equivalent of Loki: a fast-talking bad guy who could fight a single hero or a whole team of them. It is also an apparent character selection that can keep the franchise away from recasting The Joker for a little longer.
Am I excited at the prospect of Michael Cera taking on The Riddler? No, I am not. While I can see how it may work, it just doesn’t strike me as a strong enough pick for the part. There are a lot of Cera haters out there and, while I am not among them, I don’t think this will ultimately work.
Cera will join the already packed cast that includes Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, and Jesse Eisenberg. BATMAN VS SUPERMAN will also be moving up it’s release to avoid CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 and will now hit screens on April 1, 2016. Get it?
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