The Batman 2 Co-Writer Defends Riddler Actor Paul Dano After Quentin Tarantino Called Him 'Weak Sauce'

Mattson Tomlin, co-writer of The Batman 2 alongside manager Matt Reeves, has defended histrion Paul Dano pursuing high-profile disapproval from Quentin Tarantino.

Earlier this week, Quentin Tarantino said There Will Be Blood could person been his favourite movie of the 21st period if “weak sauce” histrion Paul Dano wasn’t successful it.

The Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs writer and manager appeared connected The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast to uncover his 20 favourite films of the 21st century. Tarantino said There Will Be Blood mightiness person been his apical prime if it weren’t for Paul Dano, who helium described arsenic the film’s “giant flaw.” Dano played identical twins Paul and Eli Sunday successful Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 play drama.

Here’s the punctuation successful full, arsenic confirmed by Deadline:

“Daniel Day-Lewis. The old-style craftsmanship prime to the film. It had an aged Hollywood craftsmanship without trying to beryllium similar that. It was the lone movie he’s ever done, and I brought it up to him, that doesn’t person a acceptable piece. The occurrence is the closest to a acceptable piece. This was astir dealing with the narrative, dealing with the story, and helium did it f***ing amazingly. There Will Be Blood would basal a bully accidental astatine being fig 1 oregon fig 2 if it didn’t person a big, elephantine flaw successful it … and the flaw is Paul Dano. Obviously, it’s expected to beryllium a two-hander, but it’s besides drastically evident that it’s not a two-hander. [Dano] is anemic sauce, man. He is the anemic sister. Austin Butler would person been fantastic successful that role. He’s conscionable specified a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest f***ing histrion successful SAG [laughs].”

Bret Easton Ellis, who wrote 1991 caller American Psycho, suggested Dano faced an intolerable task keeping up with Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-winning performance. "Daniel Day-Lewis besides makes it intolerable to marque it a two-hander due to the fact that determination are aspects of that show that are truthful gargantuan," helium said.

Tarantino countered: "So you enactment him with the weakest antheral histrion successful SAG? The limpest dick successful the world?" Later, helium clarified his position, insisting: "I'm not saying he's giving a unspeakable performance. I'm saying he's giving a non-entity performance." But Tarantino’s feelings connected Dano are clear: "I don't attraction for him," helium said. "I don't attraction for him, I don't attraction for Owen Wilson, and I don't attraction for Matthew Lillard."

Paul Dano astatine the premiere of The Wizard of the Kremlin connected September 10, 2025 successful Toronto, Ontario. Photo by Jeremy Chan/Getty Images.

After Tarantino’s comments deed the internet, fans moved to support Dano’s show successful There Will Be Blood, pointing retired the discourse surrounding his role. Dano, who was lone 23 years aged erstwhile helium was formed successful the film, was primitively lone acceptable to play the member Paul, but took implicit some the duplicate roles 2 weeks aft filming began erstwhile the histrion primitively formed arsenic Eli, Kel O’Neill, was fired due to the fact that Paul Thomas Anderson decided helium “wasn’t the close fit.”

Now, screenwriter Mattson Tomlin has defended Dano, taking to societal media to hail the backlash to Tarantino’s comments.

“I americium truly pleased to spot truthful galore radical cheer connected Paul Dano this week,” helium said. “Not lone is helium a terrific actor, but he's an astonishing manager who exudes power and tremendous empathy. Check retired Wildlife if you haven't seen it.”

I americium truly pleased to spot truthful galore radical cheer connected Paul Dano this week. Not lone is helium a terrific actor, but he's an astonishing manager who exudes power and tremendous empathy. Check retired WILDLIFE if you haven't seen it: https://t.co/WDb34MwjcE

— mattson tomlin (@mattsontomlin) December 3, 2025

The question of whether Dano volition reprise his relation arsenic the Riddler, who was the antagonist of The Batman, for its sequel remains unanswered (although we bash cognize Marvel prima Scarlett Johansson is reportedly successful talks to articulation the movie successful a enigma role). Dano’s Riddler was past seen down bars successful Arkham, wherever helium has a chat with the Joker, played by Barry Keoghan.

Tomlin wasn’t unsocial successful defending Dano successful the aftermath of Tarantino’s comments. Shang-Chi histrion Simu Liu posted connected societal media: “Idk antheral I deliberation Paul Dano is an unthinkable actor.”

idk antheral one deliberation paul dano is an unthinkable actor

— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) December 4, 2025

Meanwhile, Dillon Freasier, who played H.W. Plainview (the lad of Daniel Day-Lewis’ Daniel Plainview), told TMZ that There Will Be Blood is simply a “perfect” movie. “It’s a enactment of art,” Freasier, who was a kid histrion successful There Will Be Blood, said. “And it’s that mode due to the fact that everyone was perfectly cast.”

After the movie came out, Dano spoke astir the trouble helium faced adding his other relation with precise small clip to prepare. "On There Will Be Blood I was formed astatine the past minute," helium said successful an interrogation with Indiewire. "I had 3 1/2 to 4 days to get acceptable for the archetypal day. That was conscionable guts and instinct, not a batch of preparation."

Daniel Day-Lewis was besides afloat of praise of his co-star successful a BBC interrogation up of the film's release, saying:

"Actually, erstwhile we formed the movie primitively we formed idiosyncratic other successful the portion of Eli and we changeable for 3 oregon 4 weeks with a antithetic actor. But it didn't enactment retired for a fig of reasons. It's the lone juncture successful my beingness that, during the people of a portion of work, we had to re-cast and re-shoot worldly which I wouldn't privation connected anybody. Paul was already contracted to play the portion of Paul, and we'd each considered him for Eli already, truthful it seemed similar an evident choice. He flew retired to what helium thought would beryllium 1 of his scenes arsenic Paul and we asked him what helium thought astir besides playing Eli and helium ne'er went location again. He had 2 days to hole for the part. He came retired connected a Friday evening and we were shooting scenes connected Monday with him. And I curse to God connected acceptable that time helium was a recognisable, afloat formed character. I situation accidental helium was somewhat unsettled successful himself, but you wouldn't person guessed it. He was conscionable close there."

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].