Batman fans reacted with anger on Thursday upon learning that director Christopher Nolan has ruled out using The Riddler in the upcoming movie The Dark Knight Rises. The movie, the third Batman under Nolan and currently scheduled to be released on July 20, 2012, will instead “introduce some new [characters]” as well as use some of the existing ones.
The Dark Knight Rises will begin shooting in April and will be filmed in IMAX but not 3D. Given how carelessly Hollywood has used 3D in the past, that’s probably good news for Bat-fans.
Nolan’s exclusion of The Riddler has angered many in the Batman fan community.
Fez Whatley, a well-known Batman fan and co-host of The Ron & Fez Show on Sirius XM, was particularly annoyed with Nolan’s decision. Whatley said on Thursday that he’d boycott all movies unless Nolan reconsidered his decision.
“You need to have The Riddler,” said Whatley. Introducing other villains is fine, he said, but to ignore the “classic characters” is a mistake.
“The movie-going experience has been ruined for me,” he added.
Whatley is thought to be considering rallying the Whatley Posse, an informal fan group, in order to protest Nolan’s decision.
Earlier rumors had suggested that the new Batman film would feature Killer Croc, but this would appear to go against Nolan’s vision of a realistic Gotham City.