The Batman star Paul Dano said he had to “think twice” about taking on the role of the film’s villain, revealing he was horrified by his research into the world of toxic masculinity for the part.
Dano, who has a three-year-old daughter with actress Zoe Kazan, plays The Riddler as a serial killer targeting Gotham City’s elite.
He told ES Magazine: “When you come across a dark character like The Riddler you think twice. Because there is part of you that has to stay in contact with the role while filming. But we are just two working parents trying to figure out how to be the parents we want to be and be the artists we want to be.
“Kids keep you present because if you’re not, they let you know pretty quickly. It’s nice to be with them and it is nice if there’s a day where you need space — there’s businessmen who travel and are away from their family. Here’s a nice enough way to manage it.”
Dano, 37, who appeared in 12 Years a Slave and There Will be Blood, said he wanted the character to have a “sense of purpose” and went online for research forums linked to the incel subculture, which promotes violent misogyny.
He said: “I found what people were saying on Reddit and Twitter the scariest part of the film, even more frightening than the violence, because it is the most real... There are people who feel unheard, unseen and angry. It’s horrible and I don’t know what we do about it.”
Dano appeared with Kazan in the 2012 film Ruby Sparks but said they were in no rush to work together again, adding: “When the only conversation between us is work you lose something in the relationship. To act together, it would have to be something that was meaningful to us, or a point in family life where we felt ‘Let’s just f***ing be together.’”
Dano was on the red carpet last night for the film’s world premiere in New York, where he was joined by fellow cast members including John Turturro, Colin Farrell and Robert Pattinson. Pattinson, who plays Batman, posed for pictures with Catwoman actress Zoe Kravitz, who wore a black gown complete with cat motifs.
Kravitz was joined by her stepfather Jason Momoa — who is reportedly back together with her mother Lisa Bonet nearly six weeks after announcing their split.
