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Which Robin Will Appear in the DCEU’s “The Batman” and Nightwing’s Solo Movie?

Nightwing’s introduction to the DCEU leads to many questions: most importantly, which Robin will appear in both films?

By Dylan BaldePublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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After years of pining and hoping and waiting, and two failed attempts by director Joel Schumacher at portraying his Batman’s #Robin, and one barely decent, half-assed attempt by #ChristopherNolan at coming up with an unnecessarily fake copy-Robin, we’re FINALLY getting a live-action film about the much-celebrated former Flying Grayson himself—not his arrogant, dreadfully snarky, or bad fanfiction version, but Richard “the acrobat” Grayson himself—courtesy of Warner Bros. and confirmed director Chris McKay (who is known for his fantastic work directing “Lego Batman”). This #DCEU iteration of #DickGrayson will come packaged as Batman’s equal rather than his sidekick, as his most beloved, post-Robin, #Blüdhaven-prowling, alter-ego #Nightwing.

Nightwing’s introduction to the DCEU poses interesting questions about the future and current setup of the Bat family within the DC Extended Universe. Questions such as—

Nightwing (Dick Grayson) and Starfire (Koriand'r) from the upcoming "Teen Titans: The Judas Contract" (2017, DC Entertainment & Warner Bros. Animation).

What will the Nightwing movie be about? Will Barbara Gordon (#Batgirl) be in it? Who will pose as Grayson’s love interest—Babs, #Starfire, or perhaps #Zatanna (like in #YoungJustice)? Will the Nightwing movie be a prequel or a sequel? If yes, a prequel to what? Which will come first, in the theaters and chronologically—Nightwing’s solo outing or #Batfleck’s much anticipated Matt Reeves-directed The Batman?

But more importantly, who will be Robin in both of those films?

What We Know About Robin in the DCEU So Far

So far we only know two things. First, a Robin was assumed to have been killed by the #Joker (something #HarleyQuinn is widely implied to have assisted in) prior to the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Robin's vandalized suit, courtesy of the Joker. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016, Warner Bros. Pictures).

Although strongly grounded in the comics (and probably correct), the original widespread assumption that this Robin was #JasonTodd (the second Robin and future #RedHood) was mostly, at its core, still just speculation. However when it was announced that Nightwing will be spearheading his own solo movie, the current situation within the DCEU’s Bat family suddenly became much clearer and more obvious—

(The third) death in the family.

After all, if Dick Grayson is still alive enough to have his own film, he couldn’t have been the Robin the Joker had beaten and murdered. So it had to have been Jason Todd.

This implies that the new Robin will be neither Dick nor Jason, but perhaps Tim Drake or—in my opinion, more plausibly—Damian Wayne.

Tim Drake or Damian Wayne?

The unfriendly rivalry between Damian Wayne and Red Robin (Tim Drake).

I’m going to make a case right here and say that Damian is the more likely Robin considering what we know so far about the DCEU; he also would be the more appropriate one for #BenAffleck’s Batman. Why?

Aside from Batfleck presently being at the right age to have already (plausibly, in the context of his history and the current timeline) borne a child, Damian fits The Batman’s planned narrative better.

Some time ago, Ben Affleck announced (through a smartly “leaked” / posted test video) that Deathstroke, to be played by Joe Manganiello, will be the villain in his Batman’s solo movie. In the 2014 DC animated film Son of Batman, #Deathstroke was also the primary antagonist, not only to #BruceWayne, but also—and more fittingly, within this timeline—to his son Damian.

Damian Wayne and Deathstroke clash blades in "Son of Batman" (2014, DC Entertainment & Warner Bros. Animation).

In the movie, Ra’s Al Ghul, better known within the late Batman-verse as #DamianWayne’s maternal grandfather, was killed by Slade Wilson (also known as Deathstroke) out of bitterness and jealousy over not being chosen as the League’s successor. This particular event brought Damian and Bruce together, as the younger Wayne, much like his father, sought vengeance (and much more than #SladeWilson’s eye) for the murder of his grandfather. Deathstroke and Damian Wayne don’t have much of a relationship in the comics, but if the DCEU were to follow the lead of the DCAU, which has generally been better received, it would make more sense for Damian to be the current Robin, only because Deathstroke will be there.

Similarly, in the context of the upcoming Nightwing movie, it also would make better sense if Damian were Robin; after all, in both the comics and the DC animated films, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne are known to have had a generally positive, workable, and amicable relationship as adoptive brothers, more than Dick and Jason, and Dick and Tim, are known to have ever been.

You might say Jason kicked Nightwing... in the Grayson. (Teen Titans #47)

In spite of what their occasional bickering might seem to allude to, Damian and Dick respected each other deeply; remember, Damian was Dick’s Robin the entire time he had worn the Batman cowl, and they are widely known to have worked well together in spite of their (almost polar) differences. One might even go so far as to say that Dick and Damian as Batman and Robin worked a lot better than Bruce and Damian ever did in the same roles; as brothers, they just seem to "get" each other more than the father-and-son duo ever did, which made for more effective and efficient crime-fighting chemistry (if you want to call it that).

Damian Wayne's excellent character development from "insufferable douche" to "lovable douche." (Grayson #12)

With the younger Wayne notorious for being insufferable and all, they didn’t start off getting on the right foot; over time, however, they had to learn to work together and to rely on each other, particularly so when Bruce “died,” which helped cultivate mutual respect—and eventually care and brotherly affection—between them. In fact, in Grayson #12, when Dick finally came back after everyone thought he had died, the Damian actually admitted that he had missed him and even showed genuine affection when they were finally reunited.

The touching reunion. (Grayson #12)

The Dick and Damian team-up was a massive fan favorite back when they were still Batman and Robin, so much so that when DC writers decided to break them up and switch the mantle of Batman back to Bruce, plenty of fans and readers were left extremely disappointed. It was a good run, in the comics, so it realistically wouldn't be so far off to assume that Damian might just show up in the Nightwing movie as Dick Grayson's teammate-turned-brother. I would love to see him there, personally. Aside from the obvious, it would also make for a challenging and interesting contrast to Grayson's more outgoing personality.

Damian Wayne and Dick Grayson as Robin and Batman in "Batman: Bad Blood" (2016, DC Entertainment & Warner Bros. Animation).

And finally, considering the DCEU’s predominantly dark tone, the introduction of the “Son of Batman” would be more theme-appropriate; after all (besides Jason Todd), who else has a darker and more forbidding personality for a Robin than Damian Wayne himself?

Given these, I think #TimDrake would be better introduced to the DCEU as his post-Robin alter-ego #RedRobin, rather than as the third Robin; this way he could help Dick provide guidance to Damian (from time to time), while also (possibly!) leading the #TeenTitans, hopefully someday in a film of their own.

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About the Creator

Dylan Balde

Secretly Dead and Strange, writes for a living. Moonlights as a cat-obsessed dork and innocuously wrapped human nitroglycerin. My life is an everyday Westchester incident. 💀 @dylanbalde

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