Gotham may have been a bit of a slow burner when it first came to the small screen all the way back in 2014 from creator Bruno Heller, but it’s a show that’s managed to garner a notably loyal following of fans who tune in each and every week, finding out a little more about some of DC’s most famous villains and their origins. Having since found its feet, the series returned this week to kick off the second half of its third season and managed to impress (see our review of the midseason premiere).
One of the fan-favorite characters and standouts of the series to-date is Cory Michael Smith’s take on Edward Nygma, aka the Riddler. The villain is one that has been fleshed out tremendously well, offering fans the chance to delve right into the psychology of the character as we see Nygma’s slow but incredibly intriguing transformation take place. Now, Smith has revealed a little bit more about the future of Nygma in Gotham, including tidbits of information about Riddler’s new look.
Speaking to CinemaBlend about his villainous role and what viewers should expect from the Riddler’s TV costume on Gotham, the actor revealed:
“[The role] is performative; not in a Jim Carrey way. I want him to be kind of showy. So what we have as the Riddler costume is really classy, and that’s kind of what we wanted.
“To give you some inside scoop, I do not have a cane yet, but I want one so badly for a few different reasons. I won’t tell you all of them so I don’t spoil anything, but I’m pitching very hardy for a cane. Plus, we do have somewhere to go and add some stuff, so maybe in the future, there will be a cane. But I want him to be someone who deserves a fucking cane. He needs to be someone that’s just begging for a cane.”
In taking all of Smith’s comments into account, it’s clear that this small screen adaptation of the Riddler is going to continue to be unlike any other we’ve seen at least in the cinematic world before. Whilst the costume doesn’t include the famous Riddler cane just yet, it’s something that’s being fought for and even Smith wants it to be something earned by his version of Edward Nygma, rather than an accessory simply handed to him because of his villain mantle.
Making too many drastic changes to the Riddler outfit we’ve all seen in the comic books and Batman big and small screen adaptations in the past however, could alienate some viewers and hardcore Batman fans. In changing something so iconic, those watching who have invested heavily in the show after a lifetime of reading DC comics, could be left feeling a bit betrayed.
In saying that, Gotham has never been afraid of taking a different direction to the back catalogue of DC lore that has been set out before it. Making big moves - such as changing an iconic costume - is definitely risky, but if it means we’re going to see more character development for Nygma than we’ve ever seen for the villain before, then surely that can only be a good thing.
Gotham continues next Monday with “Smile Like You Mean It” at 8pm on FOX.
Source: CinemaBlend