6 Stars I'd Love To See As The Riddler

The world tends to overlook The Riddler as a great and iconic Batman villain.  With the newer movies taking a darker turn, The Riddler has drifted to the wayside in the film world along with other iconic villains like The Penguin and Mr. Freeze.  

But I think The Riddler is a bad guy that could really bring something interesting to the silver screen.  So if DC Films are thinking about bringing this character into all our Blu-Ray collections, here are 5 actors that I think could grab that iconic cane and run with it!

Neil Patrick Harris

Already a famous super villain from the cult classic: Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, Neil Patrick Harris has shown via film and stage that he can pull off eccentric roles quite easily.  Harris would pull off a different kind of Riddler, something dark yet comical in my opinion.  I also entertain the idea of a psychotic musical number.  His portrayal would be Legen...wait for it...dary.  (Sorry, had to do it.)

Jim Carrey

Call me a sucker for the classics, but he did a great version of The Riddler before, I think seeing him play a darker version of the same character would be interesting to say the least.  While Carrey is known as Hollywood's all time great funny men, he's also proven he can do crazy pretty good as well.  Carrey is also a bit older now and it would be cool to see a new take on an old gem.  I also really wanna go watch some 90s Batman movies now!

Benedict Cumberbatch

I slow speaking, more menacing Riddler?  I see that being just what Mr. Holmes himself would offer us if we saw Cumberbatch take the role.  Cumberbatch is somewhat of a darkhorse in my mind because he would offer up a completely new take on The Riddler than what tradition sees him as.  Alas, it may not happen, Benedict has already announced he'll be portraying Dr. Strange and usually in show business, it seems you only get one superhero.

Max Riemelt

A star from Netflix's new series Sense8 has been taking the internet by storm, mostly because in the series you get to know him...really well.  Riemelt has shown from that show alone that he can play the unstable role well.  I picture his version of The Riddler as more of a street made villain like he's made out to be.  Now I'm looking at comparisons between The Riddler and Aladdin...weird.

Zachary Quinto

Already a villain (a pretty dang evil one too) from NBC's Heroes, Quinto has the makings to become The Riddler and really make this character marketable.  His portrayal of Spock in the new Star Trek films really showed me how amazing this guy is, because honestly I didn't know it was him till the credits of the first film and I was a huge Heroes fan!  If Quinto was The Riddler, get me some popcorn, it's gonna be a good night!

David Tennant

While I respect all my other choices as Riddler, I true to my heart believet that The Doctor himself would be the perfect casting for the role.  After seeing Tennant portray my favorite version of The Doctor on Dr. Who, I quickly made comparisons between him and The Riddler.  One reason and one reason alone: delivery.  Tennant delivers lines and quips in the exact way that the iconic Batman villain should.  I see him producing lines that would become instantly iconic, such as Ledger's, "Why so serious?"  If anyone deserves this role, I again say that this man is tailor made!

Sense8 Scrambles Your Brain. In A Good Way!

Just like most of the world has been, I've been intrigued by Sense8 since I first saw a preview a few months back.  The creative force know as The Wachowskis (The Matrix) have joined forces with the new face of television: Netflix, to bring this sensory overload (no pun intended) straight to your computer, gaming console, tablet, or smartphone.  (I should probably work for Netflix's marketing team.)

So I'm currently typing this just after finishing the fourth episode of the season.  And I have to say one thing, this show so far is fantastic!  It leaves you guessing and sitting on the edge of your seat.  Also, if you have popcorn, make it and munch because this is a camp and enjoy series. 

The series focuses on 8 strangers who become mentally linked to each other out of nowhere.  The mysteries grow as the experience: out of body sensations, random emotions, unexplained visions, and various random abilities.  You see the characters discover, question and learn.  But there's something that gravitates you to all these characters (it's not just the extraordinary acting) and that thing is seeing all these people deal with true, real life situations.  You relate to these characters because they have real life struggles and dilemmas that coincide with this phenomenon that is happening.

The show also has very progressive storylines and characters who explore and comment on subjects like race, gender, self-identity, sexuality and personal discovery.  Nomi (pictures above, right) is trans woman who struggled finding her happiness due to her family.  Happiness does come in the form of her girlfriend Amanita, the bond between the two is strong and is portrayed brilliantly by the two actresses.

My favorite characters by far though have to be the three pictured above.  Lito (left) is a famous Mexican actor, who hides his boyfriend Hernando (right) from the public to protect his career.  He has a pseudo relationship with Daniela (middle) who is basically his beard.  The scene pictured above where she learns of Lito's boyfriend has me rolling on the floor, it was perfection at its finest.

In addition to its brilliant cast, the show so far has kept my attention, which is hard to do, because I am a bit of a scatter-brain. 

So, if you're looking for captivating, entertaining television then you've got yourself the perfect show in Sense8.  What you need to do next with your life is: log into Neflix, sit your butt down, and get to watching.  You're not gonna regret it!

(Also, I hope you like 4 Non Blondes)