The Batman director and co-writer Matt Reeves describes the upcoming movie as more of an origin story for the Dark Knight's rogues' gallery, in contrast to the many Batman geneses told over the years.

During a press conference attended by CBR, Reeves delved into the topic following a discussion about the identity of a friend of the Riddler's in the film. "I would say the thing about the movie is that it isn't a Batman origin story, but it is the origin story of every rogues' gallery character that you come across," said Reeves. "Selena Kyle's not yet Catwoman, and the Penguin is not yet the kingpin, and the character that you're referring to is not yet the character that you're referring to, but it is in fact him."

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Reeves had previously brought up why The Batman will not tackle the Caped Crusader's origin again, noting, "We've seen it so many times. It's been done too much. I knew we couldn't do that."

As for the Prince of Puzzles himself, Reeves revealed earlier this year that the Riddler was inspired by the real-life Zodiac killer. "The premise of the movie is that the Riddler is kind of molded in an almost Zodiac Killer sort of mode, and is killing very prominent figures in Gotham, and they are the pillars of society," he said. "It begins with the mayor, and then it escalates from there. And in the wake of the murders, he reveals the ways in which these people were not everything they said they were, and you start to realize there's some kind of association. And so just like Woodward and Bernstein, you've got Gordon and Batman trying to follow the clues to try and make sense of this thing in a classic detective story way." Additionally, the prequel novel Before the Batman: An Original Movie Novel (The Batman) looks into the Riddler's origin story, revealing his real name to be Edward Nashton and that he went to high school with Bruce Wayne.

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Of course, the silver screen will not be the only place to explore the origin of a Batman villain. Colin Farrell's Penguin will headline a spinoff series on HBO Max, which will look into the background of the Gentleman of Crime. Reeves also recently expressed interest in revamping Mr. Freeze, saying, "There's actually a grounded version of [Mr. Freeze's origin story], which could be really powerful and could be really great."

Directed and co-written by Matt Reeves, The Batman arrives in theaters on March 4. The film hits HBO Max on April 19.

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