WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for The Batman, now in theaters.
The Batman's grand finale came as a surprise to many, with The Riddler revealing his final act of terrorism on Gotham City. His elaborate plan can seem out of left field, as there's little hinting at what he plans to do after killing Falcone. However, one side character midway through the movie drops a subtle hint of what's to come, and he makes a later appearance as part of The Riddler's plan.
As his way of fighting corruption in the city, The Riddler reveals his plan to kill the mayor-elect and her campaign supporters. After several vans explode around the city, they open up the flood gates for the river to wash through Gotham. During the panic, the mayor and people of Gotham seek shelter inside an indoor arena where a number of The Riddler's followers are waiting to gun them down.
As Batman, Selina Kyle and Gordon fight their way through the attackers, one of them gets the upper hand. The fanatic tries to kill Selina, but Batman knocks him down and beats him to a bloody pulp. The heroes question who the man is, and he takes off his mask, responding, "I'm vengeance." While this moment is to show Batman that his message of vengeance is wrong, it also reveals that The Riddler's plan has been staring him in the face all along.
First spotted by the New Rockstars' breakdown of The Batman, this Riddler follower appeared to Bruce much earlier on. The man is credited as "Bitter Nobody," played by actor Douglas Russell, and is the same person to appear at the mayor's funeral. As the people of Gotham pile into the church, Bruce awkwardly stands next to a man wearing a green coat, who begins criticizing the corruption of Gotham. He says that he's glad that the mayor is dead before realizing he's talking to Bruce Wayne.
While this moment shows off the general opinion of Gotham's people, it's actually a hint of The Riddler's followers to come. Not only is this man one of the later fanatics, but it's highly likely there were more in the room as well. There's also another man caught trying to cross the barrier to the funeral, who wears the same Riddler-green coloring. This heavily implies he was yet another follower and shows how The Riddler had help from his cronies the entire time.
What makes this scene great is how much it adds to a re-watch of The Batman. Not only is it known that multiple Riddler followers are in the room, but Bruce also looks directly at them as he scans the room for any threats. It's even possible that The Riddler wasn't present at all and left everything to his followers. After the car smashes through the church, Bruce looks to a silhouetted man that's assumed to be The Riddler, yet it could've just as likely been a henchman.
The Batman has been receiving rave reviews as one of the best Batman movies to date, and scenes like this prove why. There's a clear amount of care and attention placed all throughout the film, and it's more than likely that there are many more nods to The Riddler's deadly plan left for fans to find.
To catch the sneaky Riddler foreshadow for yourself, The Batman is now in theaters.