The upcoming DC outing, The Batman, transforms the infamous character The Riddler into a terrifying serial killer, with many comparisons being made to the real-life Zodiac Killer. Well, according to actor Paul Dano, who will suit up (so to speak) as The Riddler opposite Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight, there is a lot more to the supervillain than being a simple Zodiac copycat.

“I liked how both grounded and big this film is at the same time. So there are some grounding forces like the Zodiac Killer, right? But it’s still The Batman, and for me it’s much bigger, so it was important to let my imagination react to the script, rather than strictly basing it on a serial killer.”

While the similarities between The Riddler and the mysterious Zodiac Killer are clear, with both taunting the police with letters and cryptic clues during their killing spree, as actor Paul Dano explains to Empire, this was merely a starting point. The actor continued, discussing his experience with The Riddler’s costume, the grounded nature of which was something that he found “very intense” and “very powerful.”

“The costume was very intense. I think the potential DIY element you’re talking about was actually scarier to me than the more sophisticated or composed designs we might have played with. I found working with the costume to be very powerful. When you put on something like that, there’s a way to let it speak to you, and tell your body something. There’s a way to let it have a life of its own.”

The Batman stars an all-star cast which includes Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson, Colin Farrell as Oswald "Oz" Cobblepot/Penguin, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, alongside Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/The Batman and Paul Dano as Edward Nashton/Riddler.

The Batman will introduce audiences to a younger version of the comic book icon, picking up with Bruce Wayne two years into his career as a costumed vigilante. Struggling to make an impact on crime in Gotham, Batman will face his toughest challenge yet, as a serial killer named The Riddler begins murdering members of the Gotham elite, and slowly unveiling the uncomfortable truth of Bruce Wayne’s past. Leaving a trail of cryptic clues, The Riddler sends the World's Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters the likes of Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman, Oswald Cobblepot AKA The Penguin, and crime boss Carmine Falcone.

Directed by Matt Reeves, who wrote the screenplay with Peter Craig, The Batman has been described as a standalone adventure, with Reeves hoping to have crafted the scariest version of The Dark Knight ever seen on the silver screen. “This movie, I think, is probably the scariest Batman that’s been done,” the filmmaker said. “Because the idea of what Batman’s doing – it’s scary. Never been done in quite this way. It’s a detective story, it’s an action movie, and it’s a psychological thriller.”

The Batman is scheduled for release in the United States on March 4, 2022, following a series of delays.