Did The Riddler have knowledge about who The Batman actually is? Details explored

The interrogation scene in 2022's The Batman between Gotham's savior and the Riddler almost had everyone convinced that the latter always knew the identity of the caped crusader. It is still the talk of the town, and people still think that it is true that the Riddler, in fact, knew who was behind the Batman mask.

However, it is not likely that the Riddler knew it was Bruce Wayne behind that mask. There is some evidence of that and we will discuss it in this article.

In The Batman, Robert Pattinson plays Bruce Wayne and the Batman, while Paul Dano plays the Riddler, who is later revealed to be a forensic accountant named Edward Nashton.

The film was directed by Matt Reeves, who also co-wrote the film alongside Peter Craig. Following the release, it made $772 million on an estimated $200 million budget and was nominated for three academy awards.

The success of the film led to a spin-off TV series focused on The Penguin, which was also praised by the critics and fans alike.

Does the Riddler know who The Batman is?

As a matter of fact, the Riddler doesn't know who the Batman is. There is evidence to prove this.

One piece of evidence is that the Riddler thought of Batman as his inspiration and he did what he does thinking he and the caped crusader are the same. On the other hand, he despised Bruce Wayne. During their conversation in the film, which almost had fans convinced that the Riddler knew the truth behind Batman's identity, he says,

"You know, I was there that day. The day the great Thomas Wayne announced he was running for mayor, made all those promises. Well, a week later he was dead, and everybody just forgot about us. All they could talk about was poor Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne, the orphan. Orphan. Living in some tower over the park isn't being an orphan. Looking down on everyone, with all that money. Don't you tell me."

He later went on to discuss more about this, which confirmed that he always despised Bruce Wayne.

Also, all those letters he sent were addressed to the Batman and not Bruce Wayne, which is something worth taking into consideration.

What made the fans believe that the Riddler knew the truth when he didn't?

Paul Dano plays the Riddler in the film. (Image via Warner Bros)

The reason so many, probably everyone, who saw the interrogation scene in the film were convinced is because of the way the Riddler starts talking. Before the aforementioned quote, he begins with calling the name "Bruce Wayne."

As soon as he says the name, we can clearly see the tension rising and even Batman's expression tells us that he thought that the man behind the glass knows who he is.

But as soon as the Riddler starts talking, it becomes clear that he is unaware of the truth.

A sequel to the film is already scheduled to release on October 1, 2027, but it is unlikely that Paul Dano's the Riddler will return. The Joker has already been teased in the story, so we may see him as the new antagonist, who is likely to be played by Irish actor Barry Keoghan.

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