Paul Dano considers 'The Batman' to be a "grounded" movie.

The 37-year-old actor is playing the Riddler in Matt Reeves' new superhero blockbuster – with his serial killer character striking terror across Gotham City – and admits that he didn't want to specifically base his work on movie murderers.

Paul told Empire magazine: "I like how both grounded and big this film is at the same time.

"So there are some grounding forces like the Zodiac Killer, right? But it's still 'The Batman', and for me it's much bigger, so it was important to let my imagination react to the script, rather than strictly basing it on a serial killer."

The '12 Years a Slave' actor also suggested that his character will be wearing an "intense" costume during the movie that will see Robert Pattinson make his debut as the Caped Crusader.

Paul explained: "The costume was very intense. I think the potential DIY element you're talking about was actually scarier to me than the more sophisticated or composed designs we might have played with.

"I found working with the costume to be very powerful. When you put on something like that, there's a way to let it speak to you, and tell your body something. There's a way to let it have a life of its own."

Dano previously teased that there is something "fun" in all of the characters in the upcoming picture, but he couldn't go into much detail about the plot.

He said: "There's something fun there in my character and in all the characters. It's the kind of movie that we're just desperate to share on the big screen in a big way. So, I hope we all figure this out and get excited to see a Batman movie. It will be worth it. It's going to be really cool."