Is Paul Dano's Riddler an outright villain or an anti-hero in The Batman? There's certainly no shortage of anticipation ahead of Robert Pattinson's debut as Bruce Wayne, the first Batman solo movie since 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. Initially conceived as part of the DCEU franchise, Matt Reeves' The Batman now exists very much in a movie realm of its own. A bloody, uncompromising, darkened, vengeful realm.

Alongside Pattinson come a host of supporting figures, including Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), but perhaps more intriguing is the roster of villains. Opting for an ensemble of evil, The Batman stars John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman and a near-unrecognizable Colin Farrell as Penguin. The role of main villain in The Batman falls to Paul Dano, giving Riddler his first theatrical outing since Jim Carrey in Batman Forever. Fans have long sought an unhinged live-action Riddler, and Dano appears to be giving exactly that as he eases himself into Matt Reeves' pitch-black interpretation of Gotham City.

Related: Gotham PD is The Show Fox Said GOTHAM Was Going To Be

Common wisdom would dictate that as the main villain, Riddler would be beyond redemption in The Batman - a sadistic serial killer who gets off on proving himself smarter than Gotham's law enforcement. Calmly covering a man's head and face with Duct Tape in The Batman's trailer certainly seems to support that theory. However, there's also enough in the trailer to suggest a moral swerve could be incoming. Riddler may be as despicable as he seems, but he might also be an anti-hero fighting the very same battle as Batman... in his own unique way.

Riddler Is Targeting Gotham City's Corruption

The Batman Riddler

The DC FanDome trailer for The Batman was typically cryptic about The Riddler's grand masterplan. Where The Joker seeks chaos and Penguin typically courts money and power, The Riddler is a more cerebral villain whose motivations can vary depending on the situation, and so it proves with Paul Dano's iteration of the character. Nevertheless, the trailer does make clear that Riddler will be targeting the vast network of corruption that rules over Gotham City in The Batman. Riddler is seen killing Gotham's mayor and scrawling "lies" over the scene like a supervillain Banksy. Later, his voiceover narration questions the truth of justice and the price for turning a blind eye. Trailer footage also shows a man with a riddle note on his torso and a phone taped to his hand, but there's no indication as to who this might be or what they might've done to upset Riddler.

Judging from the trailer alone, Paul Dano's Riddler seems to be going after targets he deems corrupt, and this fits with the character's usual modus operandi. Riddler is a character who thrives on proving his intelligence to others, so if any regular citizen can uncover the shady conspiracy at town hall, it's Edward Nyg...er...Nashton. Riddler is selecting his victims carefully and accusing them of injustice, the extent of which is currently a mystery, but if his targets' sins are dark enough, Riddler's brand of vigilante justice may not be too far removed from the Caped Crusader's. Admittedly, Riddler's methods look deadly and unnecessarily cruel, but this would be where the "anti" in "anti-hero" comes into play.

The only occasion where Riddler attacks innocents in The Batman's trailer is during the funeral scene, where a car rolls into the service and the crowd begin to flee. However, it appears no one is actually harmed in this scene, with the mourners making their way to safety. Does the Riddler genuinely not care about hurting civilians? Or is he trying to catch Bruce's attention by being reckless, without intending to harm those who don't deserve it?

Related: How The Batman Can Set Up Two-Face

The Batman Trailer Teases The Court Of Owls

A still from The Batman trailer shows a card with an owl on it

Look closely in The Batman's trailer, and there are multiple hints that the Court of Owls will be appearing in the movie. In the very first line, Jim Gordon reads Riddler's message, "from your secret friend, Whoo?" Pause the moment Gordon opens Riddler's card at exactly the right time (and tone down the brightness) and this message is inscribed on the front of a card bearing a cartoon owl on the front, with the "Whoo" heaping further emphasis onto the message's owl theme. Skipping to the end of the trailer, Riddler tells Bruce, "you're a part of this too." In the DC comics, Bruce's parents were entangled in the Court of Owls, and this final line could be a hint towards that.

Assuming the Court of Owls are a factor in The Batman, this secretive cabal would automatically become the main villains of the story. An organization from DC comic canon, there's no central recognizable name leading the Court of Owls that Warner Bros. could promote as a main villain, so it makes sense to build Riddler as the big antagonist instead. In truth, Nashton's intelligence and deductive ability might've helped him deduce the biggest secret in Gotham City - the existence of the Court of Owls. Is his goal to help bring down the Court and restore justice to Gotham? Perhaps. More likely, Nashton just wants to find someone he can show off his findings to, proving his intellectual superiority.

If Riddler's true aim was to expose the Court of Owls or exact justice by killing those involved with them, would this make the character a villain or an anti-hero? That would largely depend on his actions over the course of The Batman. Should Riddler's crusade against corruption be overshadowed by his need for recognition, Nashton could find himself heading down a rapidly steep slope of wrongdoing. Likewise, the Court of Owls might be impressed enough by Riddler's investigative skills to offer him a seat at their table, and if no one else in Gotham is acknowledging his genius, the Emerald Enigma would surely accept. Also worth noting is how Riddler gleefully describes his pursuit of Batman as a "game," betraying a sinister enjoyment that blurs the line between villain and anti-hero.

Riddler Is Targeting Batman With His Messages

Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne in The Batman

Whatever Riddler's plan might be in The Batman, it's the Dark Knight he's trying to communicate with. Both messages glimpsed in the trailer are addressed to "THe BaTMaN" and each of them speak to the vigilante directly. The reasons for this could be purely practical; Riddler can't be sure who in the police department or local government might be in the pocket of the Court, so requesting help from a buffed-up crime-fighter working outside of the law is a much safer option. If Batman joined his crusade, Riddler would have the muscle required to complete the Court of Owls' downfall.

Related: The Batman Trailer Breakdown: 15 Story & Character Reveals

The aforementioned "secret friend" greetings card line suggests Riddler is seeking an alliance, but if a Bat-shaped partner is what Dano's character wants, why the enigmatic public courting? Well, he's the Riddler, for one, but the Wayne family's association with the Court of Owls might also be at play, with Nashton unsure if he can trust Bruce, or whether he too is working at the Owls' behest. Riddler suspecting Batman's involvement with the Court would, of course, mean Riddler has cracked Batman's secret identity. Fortunately, Riddler is one of the few Batman characters to have uncovered this secret in the comic books, so there's a clear precedent for this storyline within the source material. Testing Batman's loyalties in such a way is a distinctly un-villainous thing to do - almost like Riddler is encouraging Bruce to put the pieces together himself.

Concepts of "good" and "bad" will undoubtedly be blurred in The Batman. Robert Pattinson's character lands on the more unhinged end of the Batman spectrum, but as always, Bruce believes his violent means are justified by a virtuous mission. Riddler might be of a similar mindset. A lonely conspiracy theorist, Edward Nashton may delight in being the cleverest person in the room, and might employ dangerous methods to ensure his point comes across. He could even be enjoying his spree across Gotham far more than is tasteful. But ultimately, could Riddler's end goal be the very same justice Batman has dedicated his life to fighting for?

More: The Batman: Biggest Unanswered Questions From The Trailer

Key Release Dates