The Batman helped redefine what a modern live-action look at the Dark Knight would look like. But rather than have the hero seasoned and a well-known savior of Gotham City, this film focused on his early years when he was still far from perfect. Against an enemy like The Riddler, this allowed him to make mistakes and learn from them, while The Riddler learned as well, growing in skill as a master puzzle maker. But one of the most suspenseful scenes in the film may have only been diffused because Batman overestimated his foe, saving him from a worse fate.
In the film, Riddler sets his sights on Gotham City's socialites and those in power to exact his revenge. This included Bruce Wayne, who had to pay for the sins of his father. But it wasn't until The Riddler was captured that he realized his nemesis may have already learned that Bruce Wayne and Batman were one and the same. This led to a tension-filled interrogation where Batman let The Riddler talk until he was sure his foe didn't connect who he really was. But Reddit theorist realr3zz believed that The Riddler did know but couldn't get a read on Batman's body language.
According to the theory, The Riddler's suspicions began when he tried to kill Bruce Wayne. Seeing that he'd failed in doing so, he believed that it was because he was The Batman. However, this wasn't a top priority as he knew they'd meet in Arkham when the time was right. So he continued his game and let Batman fall into his clutches. However, once they found The Riddler's apartment, Batman realized that he may have finally figured out who he was and rushed to Arkham. Here, Batman avoided eye contact and hid in the shadows, visibly scared that he may have ended his career before it began.
As he stood and watched, The Riddler taunted him by saying his name repeatedly as if to elicit a response. The Riddler, at this point, still wasn't sure but wanted to poke the bear to be certain. However, Batman's silence was misinterpreted as him not caring, so The Riddler dropped his suspicions because he believed Batman had no idea what he was talking about. In doing so, both characters overestimated what the other knew and canceled each other out. But could this have been possible in the film without dismantling their journeys from the beginning?
On the one hand, no, because to have The Riddler care so much about who Batman was would negate a line he said right after where he didn't care about his true face as he felt the mask was the real him. This could've implied that The Riddler still knew but didn't care. It also helped to add to how inexperienced Batman was as he hadn't properly separated himself and Bruce Wayne so that they couldn't be connected again. That said, if the theory were true, it would still play on the themes of inexperience as both characters, especially Bruce, would've simply gotten lucky in their findings.
For now, there's no telling if The Riddler was right to assume Bruce and Batman were the same. But for Bruce to have remained so stoic and gotten lucky, the odds would've had to have been as high as they were for The Riddler to miss the truth all along. So it's still unclear if Bruce's secret is safe, but that mystery only served to push the character's mythos more and create a world where Batman isn't perfect and still has a lot to learn before becoming the icon fans worldwide know and love.