After starring in Fox’s recent X-Men films as Professor X, James McAvoy is interested in going to the DCEU for a villainous turn as The Riddler. The unofficially named DC Extended Universe looks to be on the rise, with future plans in motion on a variety of new movies. They’re only a few weeks away from Shazam! hitting theaters, which looks to be building off the positivity generated from the $1 billion hit Aquaman.

In order to continue moving the universe forward, Warner Bros. and DC Films are looking to expand several different characters. Unsurprisingly, one of their main focuses is on getting Batman and all of Gotham back in the spotlight. This will begin with Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) in 2020, but then the next year will introduce audiences to Matt Reeves’ new and younger Bruce Wayne in The Batman. The Dark Knight holds some of DC’s most iconic villains in his rogues’ gallery, many of whom are ripe for a new big screen interpretation or their first.

Edward Nygma aka The Riddler is one of Batman’s villains who could potentially be brought into the DCEU as the Batman-related properties grow, and it appears McAvoy is interested in playing him. During a live Q&A on his Instagram (captured by Fandom), McAvoy was asked who he’d like to play in the DC universe. After taking some time to think about his response, he revealed The Riddler is a character he’s always been a fan of and would like to play, further saying, “I’ve always thought DC does really good bad guys.”

The Riddler previously made his live-action big screen debut via Jim Carrey’s portrayal in 1995’s Batman Forever, so McAvoy could potentially be the second person to play the iconic villain if this interest actually materializes into a role. At this point, there have been no reports that McAvoy has actually met with DC about any role. There are also currently no known plans for The Riddler to be introduced, although The Batman could certainly change that or lay the foundation.

That all said, McAvoy playing The Riddler would be a fun role for him to take on and one he would undoubtedly exceed at. He’s shown incredible versatility with his performances, with his multiple-personality role in Split and Glass really impressing viewers. His version of Professor X is even so spot on that he’s been able to successfully pull off a young Patrick Stewart approach to the character, and is a constant bright spot for the X-Men films. If the DCEU does begin looking for its Riddler in the coming years, hopefully McAvoy will be among those considered for the gig.

MORE: Gotham’s Riddler Just Referenced Jim Carrey’s Version

Source: Fandom

  • Shazam! Release Date: 2019-04-05 Joker Release Date: 2019-10-04 Birds of Prey Release Date: 2020-02-07 Wonder Woman 2 Release Date: 2020-12-25 Super Pets Release Date: 2022-07-29 The Batman Release Date: 2022-03-04 Suicide Squad 2 Release Date: 2021-08-06 Aquaman 2 Release Date: 2023-12-25