Dick Grayson Casting Thread

[Airwings]

Is there a limit to how young Dick Grayson can be in live action?
Some recent posts have pointed out that it's hard to put the character in a cinematic world that's like the Reeves version.

In the other casting thread, The Lazarus Pit had Alan S Kim as his candidate for Dick Grayson.
(Where is he now, btw? Has he left SHH?)

Other child actors that age are James Quinn Markey and Asher Miles Fallica.
These three are born 2012-13. As of today, that's very very young!
But they will actually be between twelve and thirteen when the sequel comes.

It's possibly the youngest ones we can get. Atleast if it should be a kid who's played other roles before, and isn’t totally unexperienced in front of the camera (why would we want an unexperienced one anyway?)

I don't want Robin to be that young. It's more suitable with a somewhat older one.

 

[Airwings]

Let's look at candidates born 2005
As of today, these are very good in terms of age. Not too young or too old. None of them will have hit 20 during the filming of the sequel.

Sunny Suljic, Noah Jupe, Owen Vaccaro
Tom Sweet, Kale Culley, Ezra Dewey
Gregory Diaz IV, Maxwell Jenkins
Nathan Blair, Lucas Bond, Teo Briones
Lincoln Jolly, Kenta Asars

Ezra Dewey is a surprisingly talented actor for his age. He did a good performance in The Boy Behind The Door (an otherwise not that interesting film).
I've also recently seen a trailer for Djinn and he appears to be remarkable there as well.
It's not a disadvantage that he has the Grayson look either, if you know what I mean

I just hope the name "Ezra" isn't cursed, lol

 

[Airwings]

Sunny Suljic, Noah Jupe, Owen Vaccaro
Tom Sweet, Kale Culley, Ezra Dewey
Gregory Diaz IV, Maxwell Jenkins
Nathan Blair, Lucas Bond, Teo Briones
Lincoln Jolly, Kenta Asars

I won't only pick Noah Jupe as the most people here would do. I vote for him AND others too:
Suljic, Vaccaro, Dewey and Blair. More or less classic Graysons! Suljic will be the most edgy one ( Thank you, @Lautox ! )
Also with a nod to Tom Sweet as a left-field candidate who could totally be in line for the type of Robin we'll get from Reeves.

We shouldn't forget Gregory Diaz IV either, an interesting suggestion from @BobJM

 

[Lautox]

No problema my man

 

[Doc Samson]

IF they include Robin I just want it to make logical sense. The whole idea of Batman running around with a child (even when I was a child) never sat well with me. His costume (pretty much any iteration) I never cared for, and the fact that he would willingly subject anybody to that lifestyle was always strange. Obviously the time period Robin was introduced was a different tone, but from the 70s onward, it just flies in the face of what a responsible Batman with any sense would allow.

BUT, the scene with Alfred in the hospital was interesting to me, when almost losing Alfred let Bruce realize he wasn't immune to feeling that pain again that he experienced with his parents death. Adding Robin puts more of that humanity in him, and places that possibility of loss front and center.

I just want it to make sense for him to include someone in that horrible lifestyle. I would prefer it's someone that's already doing his own thing, a young man preferably, who was inspired, and he takes him under his proverbial wing so to speak. More of a Red Hood/Nightwing style vigilante as opposed to a Boy Wonder...

 

[shauner111]

And that’s why I like the origin of Dick Grayson, those early interactions with Bruce. But I don’t care for the Robin stuff. Yes, they could double down on the strict “you’re not working with me. Sorry Richard but it’s too dangerous. Under NO circumstances” with Dick eventually rebelling and going out anyway. Possibly even saving Batman in his first outing. But that only works if Grayson is like 16-ish. Even then, I still feel like Bruce should and could easily grab this kid and be like “nope! I don’t care, I’m sending you to an Orphanage out of the city if I catch you doing this again”. The fact that he’s willing to go with the sidekick vigilante thing after one rebellious act is...still strange.

 

[Airwings]

IF they include Robin I just want it to make logical sense. The whole idea of Batman running around with a child (even when I was a child) never sat well with me. His costume (pretty much any iteration) I never cared for, and the fact that he would willingly subject anybody to that lifestyle was always strange. Obviously the time period Robin was introduced was a different tone, but from the 70s onward, it just flies in the face of what a responsible Batman with any sense would allow.

BUT, the scene with Alfred in the hospital was interesting to me, when almost losing Alfred let Bruce realize he wasn't immune to feeling that pain again that he experienced with his parents death. Adding Robin puts more of that humanity in him, and places that possibility of loss front and center.

I just want it to make sense for him to include someone in that horrible lifestyle. I would prefer it's someone that's already doing his own thing, a young man preferably, who was inspired, and he takes him under his proverbial wing so to speak. More of a Red Hood/Nightwing style vigilante as opposed to a Boy Wonder...

I think it will be interesting if you discuss this with DarkKnight88.

They should skip Boy Wonder, you say.
And go for Nightwing right away?
Sorry but that's not a good idea. Dick Grayson always starts out as a young crime fighter, it's part of his arch.
Robin has to be there. There will never be any Nightwing without him.

It's weird that there still are people who don't think Robin can work in live action, despite we being in the middle of a CBM era.
Every character imaginable is being adapted. Why not Robin, then?

 

[Airwings]

And that’s why I like the origin of Dick Grayson, those early interactions with Bruce. But I don’t care for the Robin stuff. Yes, they could double down on the strict “you’re not working with me. Sorry Richard but it’s too dangerous. Under NO circumstances” with Dick eventually rebelling and going out anyway. Possibly even saving Batman in his first outing. But that only works if Grayson is like 16-ish. Even then, I still feel like Bruce should and could easily grab this kid and be like “nope! I don’t care, I’m sending you to an Orphanage out of the city if I catch you doing this again”. The fact that he’s willing to go with the sidekick vigilante thing after one rebellious act is...still strange.

16 is a good age for Grayson. I would suggest the character to be somewhere around 16-18.
The actor can be slightly older, of course.

I think you read too much into the Robin matter, wanting it be treated realistically..
The scenario you describe won't work in our world but we can't look away from the the fact that this is fiction. It only looks real because there aren't anything supernatural or sci fi.

 

[Airwings]

Time for the actors born 2006
These are perfect, age-wise. They’re in the mid-teens at this point
One could say that the age makes all of them young and energetic, which is what Robin should be. But playing the role requires more than that.

Here we have Zackary Arthur, suggested by @Chip Chipperson

@CaptainWagner gave us Javon Walton, as a late addition to the mix.

Oh, I applaud you guys!!!

Here's the full list!
Zackary Arthur, Jacob Tremblay
Eduardo Minett, Henry Lawfull
Jack Fulton, Callum Booth-Ford
Luca Luhan, Nathanael Saleh
Javon Walton, Tyroe Muhafidin

 

[Airwings]

Zackary Arthur, Jacob Tremblay
Eduardo Minett, Henry Lawfull
Jack Fulton, Callum Booth-Ford
Luca Luhan, Nathanael Saleh
Javon Walton, Tyroe Muhafidin

Booth-Ford did a mini series called Butterfly four years ago. Since then he has appeared in some episodes of Peaky Blinders.
In the "The All New And Improved Batman Reboot Casting Thread", a couple of posters have brought up Peaky Blinders and it seems they like the series.
I would like to ask them if Booth-Ford is any good there, @Luke995 and @BrollySupersj
Atleast he was in Butterfly.
He could perhaps be one of my candidates.

I definetely vote for Tremblay solely for the reason he's one of the best child actors in the 2000s. Doesn't matter that his appearance doesn't scream Robin. His talent alone could make it work.

My other choice is Minett because I thought he was good in Cry Macho. He also could speak English quite well. If they ever go for a non-caucasian actor for Robin, Minett deserves to be first in line.
I think also Luhan could work in the role, somehow.

Another actor I'm going to mention is Muhafidin. He's in LOTR: The Rings of Power and could get a lot of attention from that series after its premiere. I don't think he's he's the right guy for Dick Grayson, though.

 

[shauner111]

Man, you’re really obsessed with Robin

 

[Airwings]

Man, you’re really obsessed with Robin

Obsessed?
I don't know

During my childhood, a TV station broadcasted a rerun of the 60s Batman series. I've been hooked ever since. In a kid's eyes, Burt Ward appeared to be awesome.

Robin fascinates me. Not like Superman used to do, I was crazy about the big blue boy scout, but still...
Nobody here would be around to post messages if they weren't into superheroes. We're all geeks in some way.

It was a disappointment to me when Chris O'Donnell played the character. Even more so when I look back at the Schumacher era.
That's the reason I keep looking for the right actor to come along again. I want the same kind of magic I felt as a boy.
I actually believe it can be achieved. Even if the tone is different from the camp of the 60s.
Actually, I want Robin to be handled seriously this time!!!

The next one to play Grayson will come from one of the popular films or TV series during the last 1-2 years. Either the lead or a supporting actor.
Take my word for it!
Examples of such films are Belfast and C'Mon C'Mon, but I'm not saying it's going to exactly these two. There are way more films with young actors to choose from.

 

[shauner111]

Oh I’m not questioning your enthusiasm or what you want from a live action Robin. And you seem like a nice lad. But I was bugging you. A lot of us here are clearly obsessed with this Batman mythology. But I was just pointing out that you’re specifically obsessed with Robin since you post like 5 times a day about the character even when nobody responds :;

 

[Airwings]

Oh I’m not questioning your enthusiasm or what you want from a live action Robin. And you seem like a nice lad. But I was bugging you. A lot of us here are clearly obsessed with this Batman mythology. But I was just pointing out that you’re specifically obsessed with Robin since you post like 5 times a day about the character even when nobody responds :;

I like Batman a lot too. Can you believe it, lol
Villains in the 60s series also made a big impression with me, especially Penguin and Riddler.

As for Bats, there have been a number of actors after Adam West and around half of them made a really good performance. The topic of getting the right guy won't be dragged that far, then.
I don't need to.
However, I will have an opinion about the actor in a future reboot, lol

The reason nobody replies here is that people don't care about Robin

Oh, what I wish for somebody who can finally surpass Burt Ward as the definite version.

 

[Doc Samson]

I think it will be interesting if you discuss this with DarkKnight88.

They should skip Boy Wonder, you say.
And go for Nightwing right away?
Sorry but that's not a good idea. Dick Grayson always starts out as a young crime fighter, it's part of his arch.
Robin has to be there. There will never be any Nightwing without him.

It's weird that there still are people who don't think Robin can work in live action, despite we being in the middle of a CBM era.
Every character imaginable is being adapted. Why not Robin, then?

To be clear, I didn't say Nightwing specifically, I said a Red Hood/Nightwing-type of vigilante, meaning not a young child, but somebody who's already on that path and is a young man. You achieve the same goals while making the whole scenario more logical.

Inherently, IMO of course, the idea of a child Robin is ridiculous to begin with. Of course it could work to some degree but how could Batman condone anybody, let alone a boy, to a life of crime fighting? Alfred being ok with it is even more egregious.

You say you want Robin taken seriously, how could you and not address the foolishness of an adolescent beating criminals to a pulp? Not only does it throw whatever grounded tone they established in this universe into question, but it also cheapens who Batman is.

How special is Bruce, really, if a child can do the same things it took Bruce years to learn? How much can Bruce say he cares about stopping crime when he's committing crime by allowing a kid to partake in vigilante justice? Most modern interpretations call into question Wayne's sanity to live that life himself, is Grayson also unhinged to some degree? Surely he must be.

I'm sorry, it's a bad character that I've never cared for, and unless Reeves works some sort of magic, I'll probably remain that way for the foreseeable future...

 

[shauner111]

Agreed. I like his connection to Bruce but when the Robin stuff starts coming into play, I check out. I definitely agree that it’s ridiculous to set up a scenario where a child or 16 year old can take out a 37 year old serial killer or a large mob enforcer or even a skilled Catwoman. It’s just stupid. It works so well in a cartoon or video game. Maybe a movie where it’s almost Raimi-esque. But certainly not in a movie universe like this.

 

[DeadlyWest]

Yeah, I think the best way to do it is to have Bruce take Robin in, Robin starts acting as a vigilante of his own volition, Bruce tries to stop it but ultimately proves to be futile so Bruce trains Robin to ensure he doesn't kill himself and let's him accompany him for that purpose. That at least makes the most sense, to me

 

[shauner111]

That’s literally the only way to do it at this point. But I have to ask. Why bother? When you have Dick Grayson coming into the DC movies.

 

[DeadlyWest]

That’s literally the only way to do it at this point. But I have to ask. Why bother? When you have Dick Grayson coming into the DC movies.

I wouldn't say it's mandatory, but I definitely think it'd be an avenue at least worth attempting. We haven't had a fully thought out adaptation of Robin (at least in terms of the traditional Robins) since the 90s and Robin is a pretty important aspect of Batman's development. It's not needed to get Battinson from this point A to the point B of Prime Batman, persay. But it's a very effective way to do so. By raising a child and preventing them from falling into the same traumatic darkness that Bruce did, it's a great way to develop Bruce as a character so he can prioritise his compassion and be an extension of the lesson he learns at the end of Batman 1.

And given Batman 1 already kinda has the seed planted of this Bruce in particular caring about kids who go through the same thing he did, I feel like him adopting someone who has gone through that trauma (i.e. a 15-16 year old Dick Grayson) is a pretty natural choice.

 

[shauner111]

I agree with that. The early days of Grayson/Wayne has always been a touching story. And it’ll happen at some point. I don’t think it would happen in this universe until the third film at the earliest. But I just don’t care for seeing a movie where Dick Grayson (no matter what his age is) stands side by side with Battinson in some costume, fighting thugs. Could it work? Yeah I trust Reeves. I don’t think he’d do it unless he knew he can pull it off. So if it’s a go, i’ll assume it’s for a reason. But I don’t find Robin to be a believable concept , especially not in a world this dark and gothic. It also kinda craps all over Alfred’s monologue from his hospital bed. I can’t imagine Alfred’s guilt if something were to happen to Robin after everything he said about trying to protect Bruce.

 

[Airwings]

To be clear, I didn't say Nightwing specifically, I said a Red Hood/Nightwing-type of vigilante, meaning not a young child, but somebody who's already on that path and is a young man. You achieve the same goals while making the whole scenario more logical.

Inherently, IMO of course, the idea of a child Robin is ridiculous to begin with. Of course it could work to some degree but how could Batman condone anybody, let alone a boy, to a life of crime fighting? Alfred being ok with it is even more egregious.

You say you want Robin taken seriously, how could you and not address the foolishness of an adolescent beating criminals to a pulp? Not only does it throw whatever grounded tone they established in this universe into question, but it also cheapens who Batman is.

I'm sorry, it's a bad character that I've never cared for, and unless Reeves works some sort of magic, I'll probably remain that way for the foreseeable future...

Can he still be Robin if he's a young man doing that?
Not Red Robin but the Robin.

I'm not one of those who would go for a child. Mid-teens is much better. Maybe that's still a child in your eyes?

A teenager figting villains can work. There's the suspension of disbelief factor. A rich man dressed as a bat already does the same. Isn't it already some foolishness there? It's just made to look like something realistic, but it isn't.

We can't always use the film's tone as an excuse to not include Robin. Batman is always going to be moody, unless they camp him up. And we don't want another Schumacher-esque take on that world.

It's evident that you think Robin is a "bad character that you don't care for", with the way you speak against him.
Have trust in Reeves! He and his co-writer(s) will manage to do something that works.
Btw, what do you think that "magic" is going to be?

How special is Bruce, really, if a child can do the same things it took Bruce years to learn? How much can Bruce say he cares about stopping crime when he's committing crime by allowing a kid to partake in vigilante justice? Most modern interpretations call into question Wayne's sanity to live that life himself, is Grayson also unhinged to some degree? Surely he must be.

Because Bruce already masters all these things and is able to teach Grayson.
The sidekick doesn't have to make the same long journey to learn the set of skills.

Maybe both the characters are "uninged" as you say. But do we need to analyze them that way?
How much should we humanize them?

 

[Airwings]

Agreed. I like his connection to Bruce but when the Robin stuff starts coming into play, I check out. I definitely agree that it’s ridiculous to set up a scenario where a child or 16 year old can take out a 37 year old serial killer or a large mob enforcer or even a skilled Catwoman. It’s just stupid. It works so well in a cartoon or video game. Maybe a movie where it’s almost Raimi-esque. But certainly not in a movie universe like this.

Hey, didn't you said you would accept the character if Reeves does something cool with him?

I'm leaning more towards a 17/18 year old. Is that still not good enough?

As for how he's able to fight so well? It's because of his background as an acrobat combined with what Bruce has teached him.
He's so agile and fast.

Every Bat universe in the 2000s would speak against the sidekick. It's time to stop caring about that and include him anyway.
Even Pattinson is open to have a Robin.

Yeah, I think the best way to do it is to have Bruce take Robin in, Robin starts acting as a vigilante of his own volition, Bruce tries to stop it but ultimately proves to be futile so Bruce trains Robin to ensure he doesn't kill himself and let's him accompany him for that purpose. That at least makes the most sense, to me

That sounds like a way to go.

Maybe we should see the murder of his parents, or atleast hear about it.
Then one night, Batman crosses path with Grayson fighting thugs in the streets. He's already become Robin before teaming up with Batman. How about that?

I wouldn't say it's mandatory, but I definitely think it'd be an avenue at least worth attempting. We haven't had a fully thought out adaptation of Robin (at least in terms of the traditional Robins) since the 90s and Robin is a pretty important aspect of Batman's development. It's not needed to get Battinson from this point A to the point B of Prime Batman, persay. But it's a very effective way to do so. By raising a child and preventing them from falling into the same traumatic darkness that Bruce did, it's a great way to develop Bruce as a character so he can prioritise his compassion and be an extension of the lesson he learns at the end of Batman 1.

And given Batman 1 already kinda has the seed planted of this Bruce in particular caring about kids who go through the same thing he did, I feel like him adopting someone who has gone through that trauma (i.e. a 15-16 year old Dick Grayson) is a pretty natural choice.

It's true that Robin is long overdue at this point.
Personally I didn't think the 90s version used the full potential of him.

I agree that he's an important character. Glad I'm not the only one here who knows that.

Bruce can prevent Grayson from going the same dark route by doing what it's like in the comics. Robin is the opposite of Batman with his youth and his energy. These differences can be pointed out in the film.
The only sharing trait is that they're vigilantes with gadgets, and they know how to fight.

 

[Airwings]

That’s literally the only way to do it at this point. But I have to ask. Why bother? When you have Dick Grayson coming into the DC movies.

That other Robin is Keaton's sidekick, right? He's a more seasoned character. It's not really the same.
I want Robin's origin story to be told.

I agree with that. The early days of Grayson/Wayne has always been a touching story. And it’ll happen at some point. I don’t think it would happen in this universe until the third film at the earliest. But I just don’t care for seeing a movie where Dick Grayson (no matter what his age is) stands side by side with Battinson in some costume, fighting thugs. Could it work? Yeah I trust Reeves. I don’t think he’d do it unless he knew he can pull it off. So if it’s a go, i’ll assume it’s for a reason. But I don’t find Robin to be a believable concept , especially not in a world this dark and gothic. It also kinda craps all over Alfred’s monologue from his hospital bed. I can’t imagine Alfred’s guilt if something were to happen to Robin after everything he said about trying to protect Bruce.

What do you think Reeves will do with Robin? How is the sidekick going to be written into this universe?
We don't know what's in the director's mind but we can try. Do you have any ideas about the characterization?

 

[Doc Samson]

I'm not one of those who would go for a child. Mid-teens is much better. Maybe that's still a child in your eyes?

It is, certainly.

A teenager figting villains can work. There's the suspension of disbelief factor. A rich man dressed as a bat already does the same. Isn't it already some foolishness there? It's just made to look like something realistic, but it isn't.

I won't derail the thread with this, it already happens too much. Yes, of course the character of Batman needs a suspension of disbelief. Including Robin asks you to go even deeper though, to the point where suspension can become distraction.

The basic idea of Batman is very real. Plenty of people suffer a tragic event and are shaken into public service of some kind. And if Elon Musk decided to outfit himself with a tactical costume and modified Tesla to fight crime, he could. And die within minutes...but it's possible on some level.

It's very hard to see an adolescent child or teenager in that same context, doing the same things, which is why I suspect most of the time Robin shows up in any medium, Batman's tone usually changes. Which brings me to...

We can't always use the film's tone as an excuse to not include Robin. Batman is always going to be moody, unless they camp him up. And we don't want another Schumacher-esque take on that world.

It's not an excuse, it's the main point of my argument. It's too much of a tonal shift, and unless you shift Batman with it, he comes off as even more of a maniac.

Robin, by his nature, is a lighter character, he's meant to be. Making him too dark isn't really the traditional Robin at all. So you have this younger, more colorful and childish character juxtaposed against a surly, acerbic vigilante man. Unless Batman lightens also while dealing with him, it's a complete clash that's hard to accept in any sort of grounded setting.

On top of that, what purpose does he serve in this world? Batman already has a working relationship with an actual cop who he can get information from, investigate clues with, and battle criminals alongside. Do we really need a kid in a circus outfit standing there too? And why wouldn't Gordon have an issue with it himself, there's multiple crimes being committed just by being complicit enough to stand with anybody under 18.

I think the best way to make this work is with a young man OR go the Jason Todd route where Batman making this decision costs this kid his life. Better still, maybe he survives somehow and becomes the Red Hood...then Bruce has to deal with the repercussions of allowing this in the first place.

 

[Airwings]

It is, certainly.


I won't derail the thread with this, it already happens too much. Yes, of course the character of Batman needs a suspension of disbelief. Including Robin asks you to go even deeper though, to the point where suspension can become distraction.

The basic idea of Batman is very real. Plenty of people suffer a tragic event and are shaken into public service of some kind. And if Elon Musk decided to outfit himself with a tactical costume and modified Tesla to fight crime, he could. And die within minutes...but it's possible on some level.

It's very hard to see an adolescent child or teenager in that same context, doing the same things, which is why I suspect most of the time Robin shows up in any medium, Batman's tone usually changes. Which brings me to...


It's not an excuse, it's the main point of my argument. It's too much of a tonal shift, and unless you shift Batman with it, he comes off as even more of a maniac.

Robin, by his nature, is a lighter character, he's meant to be. Making him too dark isn't really the traditional Robin at all. So you have this younger, more colorful and childish character juxtaposed against a surly, acerbic vigilante man. Unless Batman lightens also while dealing with him, it's a complete clash that's hard to accept in any sort of grounded setting.

On top of that, what purpose does he serve in this world? Batman already has a working relationship with an actual cop who he can get information from, investigate clues with, and battle criminals alongside. Do we really need a kid in a circus outfit standing there too? And why wouldn't Gordon have an issue with it himself, there's multiple crimes being committed just by being complicit enough to stand with anybody under 18.

I think the best way to make this work is with a young man OR go the Jason Todd route where Batman making this decision costs this kid his life. Better still, maybe he survives somehow and becomes the Red Hood...then Bruce has to deal with the repercussions of allowing this in the first place.

As you dislike Robin, it's almost impossible to convince you that Reeves can make the sidekick work somehow. Don't you have trust in a director who's created a Batverse that people keep praising?
Grayson will be written in a way that suits the tone.

Robin is more young and light, yes, but that doesn't mean he's going to infuse campiness. It won't be a copy of Burt Ward.
He doesn't need to act childish either.
One of the team dynamics, however, is the difference between Batman and Robin. Grayson is energetic and not as brooding as his master. It's meant to be that way.
But the recent death of his parents will affect him very deep. Maybe Reeves will keep some focus on that.
Parts of the story in the sequel might revolve around Bruce and Dick.