The Batman: Paul Dano had difficulty sleeping after playing the ‘terrifying’ Riddler

‘It was hard to come down from this character,’ said the actor

Paul Dano has revealed that he had difficulty sleeping after playing The Riddler in the forthcoming DC superhero adaptation The Batman.

Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman has been described as a “dark” and “edgy” interpretation of the popular comic character, with Dano’s character serving as the film’s primary villain.

Also starring in the film are Robert Pattinson as Batman, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and Colin Farrell as Penguin.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Dano discussed the toll that the roll had taken on his wellbeing.

“There were some nights around that I probably didn’t sleep as well as I would’ve wanted to just because it was a little hard to come down from this character,” he said. “It takes a lot of energy to get there. And so you almost have to sustain it once you’re there because going up and down is kind of hard.”

The There Will Be Blood star added: “What I felt was the opportunity that Matt [Reeves] was giving with a villain in this film was more real, potentially more terrifying.”

At one point, Dano suggested covering his character in plastic wrap, as the villain sought to avoid leaving DNA at a crime scene.

Describing the experience of removing the Riddler costume afterwards, Dano said: “My head was just throbbing with heat.

Paul Dano plays The Riddler in ‘The Batman’, a role previously inhabited by Jim Carrey (Getty Images)

“I went home that night, after the first full day in that, and I almost couldn’t sleep because I was scared of what was happening to my head. It was like compressed from the sweat and the heat and the lack of oxygen. It was a crazy feeling.”

Despite the film’s reportedly dark tone, Reeves has dismissed speculation that there could be an R-rated cut of The Batman, with the film set to release in the US with a lenient PG-13 rating, and in the UK as a 15.

The Batman is released in cinemas on 4 March.