Dick Grayson Casting Thread

[Chip Chipperson]

Zackary Arthur who plays the lead role in that chucky tv show would be cool. He’s also 15-16 so he’s in age range. I’m a fan

 

[Airwings]

Zackary Arthur who plays the lead role in that chucky tv show would be cool. He’s also 15-16 so he’s in age range. I’m a fan

View attachment 50397

Great to see a new actor suggestion that's not been mentioned here before
Thank you!!!

He's not my first choice, I don't even know who he is.
Would he suit the role? Maybe!

Since you mentioned Chucky. How about the lead actor in the latest film?
Gabriel Bateman.
Hm, interesting last name for an actor in a Batman film.
It makes me think about Christian Bale who played a Bateman before he did the Nolan trilogy.
.
The kid actor really has that classic look for the character. He’s so much Robin!
Maybe he will be top candidate in a few years, maybe not!
Someone needs to photoshop this image and have him wear the costume

 

[Airwings]

After mentioning Gabriel Bateman, I want to bring up the typical Robin look again.
Let's compare actors on both side of the scale. It's going to be a duel.
In one corner, the Bateman kid from Chucky and a few other films.
As evident in the pic, he has the Robin look going for him. He really has!

For Bateman's opponent, let's find someone who doesn't look like the character.
I choose Charlie Shotwell as a good example. He's another recent child actor.
When it comes to Dick Grayson/Robin, there's nothing about him that makes us think about the character. This is not how the sidekick has ever looked before in comic books and live action
Is it possible to look that different and still be a good choice???
Can you imagine him in the Robin costume? Should he be exluded from the list because of the hair color? Grayson has never been blond before. The actor's face is not the classic image of the character either?




For all we know, someone can still hold the true essence of Dick/Robin even if he doesn’t look like the character at all. It doesn’t always boil down to someone’s acting chops. The personality is a huge factor too.
There’s a chance that Shotwell is better than Bateman.

Between the two above, I actually think Shotwell is more likely to happen. The explanation is Matt Reeves. The director would want to challenge us with Robin as much as the already confirmed actors.
Imo, Andy Serkis’s Alfred and Colin Farrell’s Penguin are definitely cast against character.
It’s like the two of them switched roles.

 

[Airwings]

What a bummer that Bateman vs Shotwell didn't lead to a discussion.

I have new suggestions for Dick Grayson

Louis Ashbourne Serkis (The Kid Who Would Be King)
Henry Lawfull (A Boy Called Christmas)
Eduardo Minett (Cry Macho)
Justin Korovkin (The Book of Vision)

I'm still going for untraditional actors for the character, as you see

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

Not sure what you mean by "real life" but if Reeves is working toward a trilogy then I wouldn't want to see a proper Robin until the third film. The Batman is his second year, so a sequel could be around his fifth year maybe, then the third film would be s couple years after that.

I suppose my hope would be similar. Intro Dick in 3 with whatever villain they want to tie to Robin's origin. And then do a Batman and Robin arc (say 2 or 3 movies) that ends with him going solo and eventually a Nightwing movie *cough* trilogy *cough*.

The hope at that point is Pattinson is down to do like an entire series. But if he's not they could replace him (bond style) and head into Jason Todd and Damian territory.

1 (solo)
2 (solo)
3 (Dick)
4 (Dick leaves, partially solo)
5 (Jason)
6 (Jason dies, partial solo)
7 (Solo, skip tim but... maybe pay homage to him somehow. )
8 (Damian)
9 (Beyond)

Then you could do a nightwing series and red hood series throughout. Again, feel free to recast Bruce halfway through. But, just sayin Jackman did 10 movies. Holland has done 6 and is 25.

Batman is where its at with DC. This should just be a BMCU

 

[Luke995]

No matter how you try to spin it though, the idea of Bruce taking in a minor and recruiting him for his insane one-man war on crime just edges on a bit uncomfortable for some people, especially when put into live action. I think Batman Forever honestly did it pretty well, I was fine with aging Grayson up a bit. And I didn't need to see another third Batman film that repeated that arc.

I think too Batman Forever used Robin pretty well and, of course, Robin as a minor doesn't work very well in live action.
But who said Dick has to become immediately Robin?

If you introduce in the second movie as a 15 years old orphan who Bruce adopts and then you jump to his 18 or 20 in the third movie and show him as Robin after years of training by Bruce, I think it would perfectly work.

We never really saw this Bruce arc (in Forever just a little bit and in Rises not at all), but since The Batman seems to be a movie about an angry never grown child who has idealized his dead parents and needs to grow up and find his own path, I think that Robin could a keystone to his arc in the second and third movie making him a man and a father.

Blake worked because he wasn't literally supposed to be Robin, or any sort of adaptation of any of the individual Robins. The name is just there as a nod, a tribute to the idea Robin represents at his core- the protege, the successor, the young idealist who might someday become an even better hero than Batman. I understand it's not for everyone though and if you're a hardcore Robin fan you might take issue with it. I get it.

First af all, I didn't like Blake's character, regardless of the fact he was a Robin-figure or not.

But beyond this, the point is that Robin is not a "successor": he is not Terry McGinnes.
As you said he is the protege and an another hero who could become even better than Batman.

He is a boy who grows up under Batman's wing (literally... LOL) and that, one day, will decide to emancipate himself from him. But the point is that he represents the legacy of Bruce, someone educated from him but that grows up as something different from him, exactly what "being a son" means.

So the tribute to Robin wasn't just silly, was quite without a sense. It shows how Nolan understands only partially Batman's character.

Personally though, I think we have to admit that the tone IS inherently different when Robin is involved. It's inherently more playful and colorful, whether you want to call that "camp" or not.

Well, considering that Reeves was able to went from this



to this



without - since all we know so far from trailers, interview and leaked spoiler - betray the core of the character, I think is a good proof of what a good connoisseur of Batman's mythology like Reeves can do even with the (appareantly) most ridicolous things of that history...

I think that he could introduce Robin making him amazing... And I think he will.

Let's see!

 

[Mindreaper21]

This is how I see it. Batman is already in his early 30’s and you need about 20+ years to properly tell the story of Dick, Jason and Tim. So, Bruce would be pushing 60. It works in the comics, because there’s no real concept of time, but not in a movie that’s more realistic. You have to be conscious of time. Not just the time in the film, but time in reality as well.

If you want to include Robin, you have no choice but to reimagine him/her to fit this particular story. You either have to combine them, choose one, choose none or come up with something totally unique.

 

[BMW 224]

No matter how you try to spin it though, the idea of Bruce taking in a minor and recruiting him for his insane one-man war on crime just edges on a bit uncomfortable for some people, especially when put into live action. I think Batman Forever honestly did it pretty well, I was fine with aging Grayson up a bit. And I didn't need to see another third Batman film that repeated that arc.

Blake worked because he wasn't literally supposed to be Robin, or any sort of adaptation of any of the individual Robins. The name is just there as a nod, a tribute to the idea Robin represents at his core- the protege, the successor, the young idealist who might someday become an even better hero than Batman. I understand it's not for everyone though and if you're a hardcore Robin fan you might take issue with it. I get it.

Personally though, I think we have to admit that the tone IS inherently different when Robin is involved. It's inherently more playful and colorful, whether you want to call that "camp" or not. That's why even BTAS had plenty of episodes without Robin even when he was introduced. Sometimes you just want a good solo Batman story.

I think it's actually pretty easy to get around the uncomfortable part by changing the order of event's.

Dick Grayson is already Robin or at least viganlte by himself doing his thing.

Bruce Wayne does adopt him after he sees this kid risking his life and putting himself out there to bring hope and fix this city like him.

He wants to know the kid behind the mask and hopefully stop him from getting Killed.

That way Batman isn't some physcpathic transforming some inoccent kid into a child soldier or his sidekick and sending him after the most dangerous criminals in the city.

He's making the best of a reckless and dangerous situation.

This stuff would need to be in a first film of a triolgy though so it's not happening in Reeves universe which is fine by me.

Let Matt Reeves tell the story he wants to tell.

 

[BatLobster]

We never really saw this Bruce arc (in Forever just a little bit and in Rises not at all), but since The Batman seems to be a movie about an angry never grown child who has idealized his dead parents and needs to grow up and find his own path, I think that Robin could a keystone to his arc in the second and third movie making him a man and a father.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Reeves doing Robin in his films if that's a story he wants to tell. I think he could adapt it to make it work.

On the other hand, I think there's an argument for letting him do a trilogy to explore Batman as thoroughly as he'd like. Maybe end the third film with Bruce adopting Grayson and leaving the door open for a future trilogy to explore the Robin arc with a more firmly established Batman. Personally I always thought a Batman movie told more from Robin's perspective would be interesting.

I'm not anti-Robin, but I also think we just need to acknowledge that there are solo Batman stories and there are Batman/Robin stories, and not every single Batman story needs or works as well with Robin in there.

First af all, I didn't like Blake's character, regardless of the fact he was a Robin-figure or not.

But beyond this, the point is that Robin is not a "successor": he is not Terry McGinnes.
As you said he is the protege and an another hero who could become even better than Batman.

He is a boy who grows up under Batman's wing (literally... LOL) and that, one day, will decide to emancipate himself from him. But the point is that he represents the legacy of Bruce, someone educated from him but that grows up as something different from him, exactly what "being a son" means.

So the tribute to Robin wasn't just silly, was quite without a sense. It shows how Nolan understands only partially Batman's character.

That's fine that you didn't like Blake, not trying to change your mind on that, but I have to push back a bit on a few things here.

- What Robin has represented in the comics has evolved a lot over time. I mean if you really just look to the core conception of the character....he was a stand-in for the reader. Comics were primarily intended as children's entertainment, and Robin was put in there as a young character who readers could latch onto and relate to. And to make it more bright and fun. The father/son dynamic was sorta there (although there were/are a lot of homosexual undertones to it as well, but I won't even open that can of worms...), but it wasn't about giving Bruce some grand fatherhood arc. That all came much later.

-So when you think of the "audience surrogate" origins of the character, that's why the Blake thing works for me. Because he is essentially a fan insert. He's the youth element, the character who is literally a Batman "fan" who looks up to Bruce. That's where the connection of the nod works for me. On top of that, the character does cleverly mix some elements of Dick Grayson (Dick has been a cop in the comics), Tim Drake (him deducing Bruce's identity, the name rhymes, etc.). I think it's simultaneously a unique original character and an acknowledgement of Robin's important history in the comics. I'm not going to hold it against Nolan that he didn't want to devote the screen time needed to do a full Robin arc in his movies. It would've entirely changed the entire trajectory of the trilogy and made it something different. And for the same reason I'm not going to hold it against Reeves either if he wants to focus on other things. I mean, the Bruce/Selina relationship alone could be the focus of this trilogy, for instance. It's a vast mythology and there's only so much you can do in 2 and a half hours each time.

-The idea of Grayson being a successor to the cowl did become prevalent in the comics due to Morrison's run. So the idea of a "Robin" taking the mantle of Batman was actually very timely with what the comics of the time were doing near the time of TDKR's release. So the thing is, there is no definitive successor IMO. Is it Terry? Dick? Looks like it's going to be Batgirl in Keaton's universe. Just depends which story you want to look at. I have a friend who is a diehard Dick Grayson/Robin fan. Ask him. He hates Terry McGinnis, cause he feels his mere existence is encroaching on Dick's territory.

 

[Airwings]

@Luke995
@Mindreaper21
@BMW 224
@BatLobster

It's so great to see you discuss the matter. You give good opinions (even the ones I don't agree with, lol)
Don't forget this is a casting thread though. I would be happy if you could include 1-2 names that you think would fit the Reeves films.

 

[Airwings]

I suppose my hope would be similar. Intro Dick in 3 with whatever villain they want to tie to Robin's origin. And then do a Batman and Robin arc (say 2 or 3 movies) that ends with him going solo and eventually a Nightwing movie *cough* trilogy *cough*.

It's nice to have a vision like this. However, the Grayson actor have to be really young at our point in time.
Let's say there is 3 years between the films. There won't be a Robin before 2028, the last in the trilogy.

And then you suggest a B&R trilogy after that. Which in turn could be followed by a Nightwing film.

The guy who will be cast as Robin, he has to be born in 2010-11 or later in order to make this vision work.
Azhy Robertson fits that requirement. But we're not even sure how he will age over the years, and what he will be like as a teenager.

 

[Invader Joker]

This scooper has a proven track record so if this is true I think it's pretty much guaranteed Reeves has zero plans whatsoever for Dick Grayson and Barbara in this universe.

 

[shauner111]

This scooper has a proven track record so if this is true I think it's pretty much guaranteed Reeves has zero plans whatsoever for Dick Grayson and Barbara in this universe.

Thinking the same thing. At least Grayson fans will get their fix.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

That’s a bummer if yet another Batman director has no plans for Dick/Robin.

but I love Dylan O’Brien as a choice and a Nightwing movie in any capacity is a dream come true for me, so I can’t be bummed out.

 

[BMW 224]

This scooper has a proven track record so if this is true I think it's pretty much guaranteed Reeves has zero plans whatsoever for Dick Grayson and Barbara in this universe.

This actually makes me even more excited for what Matt Reeves has planned for his Batman arc.

Adopting a kid and becoming a more mature less rage induced Batman would have been cool but it was kinda already predicted anyways.

Now we're back to square one.

 

[BMW 224]

That’s a bummer if yet another Batman director has no plans for Dick/Robin.

but I love Dylan O’Brien as a choice and a Nightwing movie in any capacity is a dream come true for me, so I can’t be bummed out.

I still think Matt Reeves at some point considered it but realized it would take away focus from Pattinson Batman.

It's better to not crowd this series with to many supporting characters for Battinsons sake.

It wouldn't he fair to Robert Pattinson either.

He was born for this role and deserves the same opportunity Bale got.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

My favorite kind of Batman is the one that has Grayson and Babs to fall back on, people he can relate to as they’re all in the trenches of Gotham fighting every night. So I’m not gonna lie and say I’d prefer another Batman who works alone, because we’ve gotten that for just about the last 25 years worth of movies.

but this does sound like a pretty ideal compromise for everyone. And it’ll be cool to see Keaton interact with his own Dick Grayson, so there’s that too.

 

[shauner111]

Doesn’t mean Reeves won’t bring in a teenage Dick Grayson for the third film and do his origin story but keep it to Bruce’s perspective. Like a tool for Bruce’s arc. And then they strongly hint at him becoming Robin as the trilogy comes to a close.

I’m open to something like that while HBO delivers on a 20 something Nightwing. You won’t actually see DCEU Grayson’s Robin days with Keaton, so this way there’s no overlapping if Reeves wants to tell that story.

But I have to admit that I’m kinda relieved too. Another solo Batman trilogy is right up my alley.

 

[Mani-Man]

This scooper has a proven track record so if this is true I think it's pretty much guaranteed Reeves has zero plans whatsoever for Dick Grayson and Barbara in this universe.

Funny how none of these scoopers had any Robin leak before, but suddenly they have the scoop on the casting etc.

Anyway...Its all wait and see for me, even with Reeves.
It all comes down to how The Batman turns out.
Maybe that is a world where a Robin doesnt fit into, so i would be fine there with no Robin.
Maybe in Batgirl the Robin wont work etc...i dont really can build an opinion on the Robin topic unless i see more of this all.

 

[The Lazarus Pit]

Some kind of variation on this would be such a cool ending for the second or third movie.

This scene was close, but I need to see Dick Grayson/Robin.

 

[BatLobster]

View attachment 52387 Some kind of variation on this would be such a cool ending for the second or third movie.
View attachment 52388

That's a bit twisted and creepy and not in a good way IMHO. The idea of Bruce Wayne making a child swear an oath or something....oof. It's just not something that resonates with me on any level.

Give me the good ol' Batman Forever handshake any day of the week...

 

[Luke995]

On the other hand, I think there's an argument for letting him do a trilogy to explore Batman as thoroughly as he'd like. Maybe end the third film with Bruce adopting Grayson and leaving the door open for a future trilogy to explore the Robin arc with a more firmly established Batman. Personally I always thought a Batman movie told more from Robin's perspective would be interesting.

Sorry I didn't answer earlier.

I understand your point and thank you for your argumentations on Grayson's comic history, very interesting
I haven't your comic knowledges and you quite convinced me on Robin/Blake haha

Anyway, what you say in this quote would be awsome, my ideas was considering the case that Pattinson would do only three movies, but... who knows?

Now Holland's Spiderman is doing two trilogy and in this time where universes are build in 10-15 years with dozens of movie, it wouldn't be crazy if Reeves will have the chance to Batman trilogies with different focus.

I just hope there won't be troubles on the way (first of all with The Batman's box office) and WB will understand that a Bat-universe is much more convenient to them than a DC universe...

Anyway, considering that Reeves has been maybe (...) able to convince WB to use his own Joker while Phillip's movie broke the box office and Phoenix won an Oscar, I think he doesn't give a damn if WB is putting a Nightwing in DCEU, frankly...

 

[shauner111]

That's a bit twisted and creepy and not in a good way IMHO. The idea of Bruce Wayne making a child swear an oath or something....oof. It's just not something that resonates with me on any level.

Give me the good ol' Batman Forever handshake any day of the week...

I second this. I don't have much interest in seeing that on screen. Even though, I'm a dark/twisted way it does kinda make me giggle thinking of Keaton doing something like that in his 50's with a young Robin. Just because Keaton is so on edge and doesn't really give a **** about many people lol. I can totally see him acting like that. But it's not something I can see with Bale or Pattinson. Not even Affleck.

 

[SquirrelBallZ]

I think too Batman Forever used Robin pretty well and, of course, Robin as a minor doesn't work very well in live action.
But who said Dick has to become immediately Robin?

If you introduce in the second movie as a 15 years old orphan who Bruce adopts and then you jump to his 18 or 20 in the third movie and show him as Robin after years of training by Bruce, I think it would perfectly work.

We never really saw this Bruce arc (in Forever just a little bit and in Rises not at all), but since The Batman seems to be a movie about an angry never grown child who has idealized his dead parents and needs to grow up and find his own path, I think that Robin could a keystone to his arc in the second and third movie making him a man and a father.



First af all, I didn't like Blake's character, regardless of the fact he was a Robin-figure or not.

But beyond this, the point is that Robin is not a "successor": he is not Terry McGinnes.
As you said he is the protege and an another hero who could become even better than Batman.

He is a boy who grows up under Batman's wing (literally... LOL) and that, one day, will decide to emancipate himself from him. But the point is that he represents the legacy of Bruce, someone educated from him but that grows up as something different from him, exactly what "being a son" means.

So the tribute to Robin wasn't just silly, was quite without a sense. It shows how Nolan understands only partially Batman's character.



Well, considering that Reeves was able to went from this

View attachment 52292

to this

View attachment 52293

without - since all we know so far from trailers, interview and leaked spoiler - betray the core of the character, I think is a good proof of what a good connoisseur of Batman's mythology like Reeves can do even with the (appareantly) most ridicolous things of that history...

I think that he could introduce Robin making him amazing... And I think he will.

Let's see!

This is obviously an amalgamation between Hush and the Riddler, really curious and excited to see where they’re going with the is and why.

 

[CaptainWagner]

I still think Matt Reeves at some point considered it but realized it would take away focus from Pattinson Batman.

It's better to not crowd this series with to many supporting characters for Battinsons sake.

It wouldn't he fair to Robert Pattinson either.

He was born for this role and deserves the same opportunity Bale got.

The Bat Family is a huge part of the mythos, though. Are we going to say this for every talented actor to get cast as Bruce, that they should be the sole focus and not have to share the story with other protagonists? We've seen a solo Batman in 7 out of 9 movies. It's time to fully realize his scope, IMO.

Just look at LEGO Batman. A ridiculous movie, but one that works so very well because it cuts to the heart of who Bruce/Batman is. He starts as a depressed, brooding loner, but the new family he makes along the way saves him from a life forever alone and makes him a better man.