The Caped Crusader is spearheading a revamped DCEU with Matt Reeves' Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy proved superhero stories can be as serious as the most intense of political thrillers. However, Batman films don't have to always be centered around Bruce Wayne.
Batman has been surrounded by multiple allies for several decades. His Bat-Family comprises dozens of interesting characters, each with countless stories to draw from. For instance, Dick Grayson has gone through different identities as the first Robin, then Nightwing, then a brief stint as Batman, and even some time as a secret agent. Barbara Gordon is the most popular Batgirl; she has been Batman's tech genius Oracle, and her superhero persona usually clashes with her father, Commissioner James Gordon. Jason Todd famously became the Red Hood after being murdered by the Joker and turned against his former mentor, before eventually reing the Bat-Family.
These are only a few of Batman's famous allies, which also include the likes of Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, and Cassandra Cain. As vast as the DCEU has been, only Dick Grayson's old Robin suit has appeared on the big screen in the last few years. With the departure of Ben Affleck's Batman from the DCEU's main timeline, future movies could make use of Robin to explore Batman's corner of the DC universe without retreading old ground. Here's why.
Batman Needs A Break From Live-Action
Batman has over 11 major live-action appearances under his utility belt, proving the character is one of the pop-culture icons, with the most deeply-explored stories in all of cinema. His origin story hasn't taken a break in more than thirty years, and even his love-hate relationships with Joker and Catwoman have been reimagined multiple times. Shortly after Ben Affleck's departure from the role, Robert Pattinson was already on his way to be the latest iteration of the hero, bringing a whole new universe along with him. It seems Batman will always return regardless of circumstances, and this could be detrimental to the icon in the long run.
In 2022, viewers will get to meet a new Batman, a new Gotham, and a new rogue's gallery all over again. Therefore, The Batman will likely skip all references to Robin. Of course, The Batman could easily become the best live-action iteration of the legend to date, but it will still have to focus on improving the story that's already been told several times before: Bruce Wayne learns to fight under the cape and cowl in his early years. A more fresh idea would be to let Bruce Wayne rest away from the audience's prying eyes and explore Gotham from a new perspective. This way, Batman's first appearance would feel like an event, and not just a predictable tradition.
Robin's Story Hasn't Been Fully Explored In A Live-Action Movie
The few movies where Robin has been featured are Titans has truly understood Robin's importance with Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, and that's only because the show bases its whole premise around a younger generation of heroes.
Robin's only storyline in the movies has been becoming Batman's sidekick, which isn't nearly as interesting as the rest of Robin's adventures in the comics. Robin has always been a lighter counterpart to Batman's typically dark persona, always contributing a much-needed brighter perspective to every situation and sometimes bumping heads with Batman because of it. In the case of Jason Todd, Robin's story instead becomes a full-on tragedy, as Batman's worst fears return when he can't save his protégé from a brutal murder at the hands of the Joker. Live-action movies still lack Robin's journey from Boy Wonder to a hero of his own. Whether the person under the hood is Damian Wayne or Carrie Kelly, the DCEU could create a story about identity and forging one's own path, all set within the confines of a Gotham where Batman is a seasoned legend.
Batman Has Always Been Too Independent
Dawn of Justice and Justice League were poorly received, and this facet of Batman was scrapped once again.
No movie has explored the vast amount of vigilantes who wish to live up to the Bat Symbol, and Batman's efforts to help them remain on the right track both as a mentor and often father figure. In the comics, this task has often proven to be harder for him than fighting unstable lunatics or extraterrestrial threats, as thus this kind of conflict could be a fresh change to the usual narrative from previous movies.
Robin Can Expand Batman's Mythos In The DCEU
By following one of the many Robins, the DCEU can offer an all-new look at Birds of Prey has offered an innovative view at a colorful yet ruthless part of the DCEU. Black Mask and the Birds of Prey (which includes the Bat-Family member Huntress) suggest that more movies could explore Batman's friends and foes without Batman himself swooping in and saving the day.
The Batman Is Fixing A Dark Knight Trilogy Gotham Mistake
With Shazam: Fury of The Gods, the DCEU might want to hand over Batman's role to Robin. Even if it follows the basic story of Nightwing or Jason Todd, future movies would depart from what DC movies have done for several decades already. Such a major DC name shouldn't remain in the darkness anymore.
