James McAvoy Would Play The Riddler For DC

It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere. The comic book genre has proved the most profitable and popular genre in the industry, so plenty of studios and filmmakers are trying to get in on the fun. With multiple cinematic universes battling for box office supremacy, a ton of talented actors have adapted iconic characters from the page to the screen. In fact, actors like Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Chris Evans, and Ryan Reynolds have played multiple comic book characters in their careers.

James McAvoy has put in the hours himself, playing Professor X for the last four X-Men movies. But with that franchise's future unclear in the wake of the Disney and Fox merger, the time might come for him to hop onto another comic book franchise. When asked who he might like to play on the DC side of things, he recently revealed he was interesting in Batman's Edward Nygma aka The Riddler. McAvoy said:

Do you hear that noise? It's the sound of countless comic book fans cheering in joy. The Riddler hasn't been on the big screen since 1995's Batman Forever, as Jim Carrey played the character with ample supplies of campy energy-- fitting perfectly in with Joel Schumacher's vision for the franchise.

James McAvoy's comments come from his recent Instagram Live video, which was captured and immortalized on Twitter. While he didn't broach the subject of a DC role by himself, he did reveal which character he would like to inhabit, if given the choice. That was none other than the genius Batman villain The Riddler. He also acknowledged that DC knows what it's doing in regards to villains.

Now might be the perfect time to bring The Riddler to the DCEU, as Gotham City looks like it'll become a more important setting in the shared universe. Birds Of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will feature plenty of Gotham City denizens, and Matt Reeves is also developing his movie, The Batman. The latter will reportedly feature Batman's rogues gallery, so could that include The Riddler?

The Riddler hasn't been seen on the big screen since back Jim Carrey portrayed him in Batman Forever. Joel Schumacher took over the Batman franchise from Tim Burton, and made it more colorful and kid friendly. As such, Carrey primarily flexed his comedic muscles for his version of Edward Nygma, sharing an over the top dynamic with Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face.

On the small screen, The Riddler is a major character in The CW's Gotham. Played by Cory Michael Smith, fans tuned in every week to see him go from GCPD employee to super villain, as well as his complicated relationship with The Penguin. But with Gotham coming to a close this season, the timing also works out to possibly bring a new version of the character to audiences.

James McAvoy will play Professor X once more when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip tot he movies.