Dick Grayson Casting Thread

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Dominic Boyle (born 2003)
British actor from A Monster Calls and a new TV serie called Chloe
I recently saw him in The Alienist. He didn't have many scenes,
What are this young actor's chances to be Dick Grayson?
I can't ignore that he has, look-wise, changed a lot. He's aged out of the character during the last years. I say No.

Sonny Charlton
He's also in The Alienist. Didn’t catch his cameo there so I haven't any performance to judge.
A bigger role for him was in a series with the title Maxxx,
It seems he's doing part-time modelling
I have said several times that I can’t go by pics alone. I must see some acting. But I can admit he's got a cool look in his model photos. It's almost like he deserves a Maybe for that. If anything, he would blend right in with other flashy Cirque du Soleil performers. So I go with Maybe, to be nice.

 

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Tommy Rodger
British actor who's in Goodbye Christopher Robin, The Alienist and Eight For Silver
I say No to him. The actor feels wrong for Dick Grayson. He has never suited the character.

Matt Lintz (b. 2001)
His latest string of roles are Henry in The Walking Dead, Bruno in Ms Marvel and Stevie Taggart in The Alienist.
In the latter, he grew better for each episode.
Apparently, he lost the role of Spider-Man to Tom Holland.
What if he get his revenge by becoming Robin?
I sense he could work quite well as the sidekick. He’s got a spot on my list.

 

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The Last Bus (2022) is a Netflix sci-fi series made for a younger audience. It’s entertaining but also extremely silly. Sometimes painful to watch lol

Daniel Frogson (b. 2002) plays the leader of some teenagers who survived an apocalyptic event.
At first, I was thinking he could fit Dick Grayson. But as the episodes went on, he came off as an extremely wooden actor. I would even say he’s bad. This young actor doesn’t hold a candle to someone like Griffin Gluck.

Frogson’s acting career started as late as four years ago. He had a supporting role in The Devil Outside before he went on to the recurring Tony Costa character in His Dark Materials series. That’s more or less all he’s done.

I don't want him anywhere near a Batman film, except in a cameo as a young street thug. He’s way too limited as an actor to be Robin.

 

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There is one young actor who managed to have fun with the dumbness in The Last Bus, the British up-and coming Nathanael Saleh (b. 2006).
He played a fun-loving and dorky young teen who dresses up in a stage costume

The character itself was no more clever than the others but one can also sense that he knows it’s all a joke.

The actor's talent made him rise above the lower quality.
There were moments that showed his range. He wasn't always acting like a clown, but had a serious face in a handful of scenes.
Some spoilers:

Spoiler

The loss of his mother required him to act sad. He could also look determined when he walked in dark corridors, trying to find a lost friend.
Towards the end, he surprisingly performed an interrogating technique when he confronted the villain

I wonder if his whole character in The Last Bus is actually an audition for Robin The Boy Wonder. Definitely YES to him!!!

Perhaps you know him from another project? The other stuff Saleh has done are Days of the Bagnold Summer (2019) and The Letter for the King (2020).
He's also got a new project (Dangerous Liaisons).

 

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Casting threads is an interesting thing. We get to speculate about possible actors for certain roles. It's even more fun when the character is known from comic books and earlier film versions.
The Fantastic 4 forum has a lot of these threads. Even one each for the four heroes. The people who hang around there have given a lot of suggestions for Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and the Storm siblings Susan & Johnny. I've been doing the same
It's understandable that the topic draws attention because F4 is now a part of MCU, and a film will soon be made.
But what about THIS thread?

Dick Grayson doesn't get as much focus. He's not really set to enter Reevesverse anytime soon, unless they surprise us with his introduction in the upcoming Batman sequel.
To get the right name to play Grayson/Robin is as important as getting the best cast for "Marvel's First Family". I really want to point that out.

One young actor from a recent project is the one who played Elvis as a boy, in Baz Lurhmann's latest "event film". It had a hype surrounding it.
His name is Chaydon Jay (b. 2007 in Australia)
Why would I suggest him, among everybody else?
I saw him onscreen but I was so caught up in the film’s magic and the music. I didn’t reflect much on his acting ability,
I’m not sold on Chaydon as Grayson, not yet. I didn't notice any obvious Robin vibes from him.
Who knows if he’s up for taking on such a role after the Elvis biopic? I’ll give him a Maybe.

 

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Since the first film, a new family has moved into the big house.
The lead actor here is Christopher Convery (b 2008).
When looking at the film, it seems the the old-fashioned upper-class thing suits him. He wears that type of clothes very well in a few scenes. His onscreen personality also suits the whole setting, atleast in this film. Perhaps because of his Englishness?
I get the feeling he won’t seem out of place next to Bruce at the Wayne Mansion.

When you google Christopher Convery, there a lot of real-life pics with a smiling happy boy.
Forget them all! It’s when he’s onscreen that he performs the magic.
The kid is good at acting like somebody who has experienced trauma and is brooding a lot.
That factor along with his ability to look rich, makes me think he will capture parts of Dick Grayson. You know, after the loss of his parents, when Bruce takes care of the boy.

Convery is likely to portray Grayson with ease. Out of costume, that is.
I don't how how he will handle the action part. Likely not as good as Eduardo Minett would have.

There’s also the creepy factor that he manages to carry with him for most of The Boy II. So much seems to be going on in the character's head. At times, it feels that we’re not sure if he will explode with rage or not. Does it mean he can also handle Grayson's "Robin persona" in Reeves-verse?

I decide to give Convery a Yes.
Here's a pic from about two years ago.

 

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The Black Phone is one of the popular horror films this year.
Already when I saw an early trailer, I was thinking “Hey, that one could be Robin”.
I'm referring to the lead Mason Thames (b. 2007). He's among the current crop of horror kids (Ezra Dewey and others).

In the film, Mason is a competent actor. He does good in almost every scene.
I'm sure he will remain in the business. He’s got some talent
There might be some Grayson vibes in him too. Well, perhaps not of the easy-going kind. More like a very determined young crime fighter. Which I suspect will be the type of Robin we'll get from Reeves.
I think I will give him a Yes

 

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The Black Phone has a bunch of other young actors. Perhaps I should bring them up as well?

Jacob Moran (b 2003?) plays

Spoiler

one of the ghost boys in the most terrifying jump scare in a long time

From what I saw onscreen, he’s a good actor and he’s got a look that suits Robin.
Then I also looked at his real-life photos and was shocked to see how different he looks, the face is completely different. Unfortunately!
No to him

Lukas Colagross is in one scene. He was quite noticeable and he's got a cool style. But he isn’t the right guy for the sidekick. Also a No.

Then we have the awful bully played by Spencer Fitzgerald. Not a bad actor but definitely a No to him as Robin. You should compare his looks to a typical Grayson actor like Braxton Bjerken and see for yourselves. There has to be a limit for how "not Grayson-esque" somebody can be while still playing the role. Fitzgerald has crossed that line.

It seems that Mason Thames is the only worthy one here.

 

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I know that Braxton Alexander (b 2007) and Jordan Isaiah White (b 2006) also appear in The Black Phone. I mention them because both are Grayson-esque in pics.
But I didn’t even notice them in the film because their characters were hardly seen in the background.
As I need to actually see someone onscreen to give a judgement, I can’t sort them until I’ve seen some of their other work. They are both active so there's plenty to choose from. .

Wait, there's one more actor.
.
Miguel Cazarez Mora (b. 2007) plays a Mexican American character who's the best friend of the lead.
In real life, I think his parents are either from Puerto Rico or Mexico.
Quite good at acting, despite having done only one film.
And there's one thing that speaks in his favor:

Spoiler

He could handle himself extremely well in a fight against a bigger sized bully.
I wonder if the actor already knew how to move like he did when he beat his opponent, or did he only learn it for the film? Either way, impressive!!!

Do you know something else that's really cool? His character is named Robin!!!
Of course it will be Yes to him

(Yes, I saved the best supporting actor for last)

 

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When Dick Grayson is confirmed to enter Reeves-verse, I wonder how many people that will discuss possible actors. As soon as Robin is a part of the films, he's no less important than other characters like Mr Freeze, Poison Ivy, Harvey Dent and Falcone (all have their own casting thread, a couple of those are even active).

The chosen actor can be just anyone (even Theo Taplitz).

I've now found another candidate in Jake Schur (born 2004).
He did a surprisingly good performance for a newcomer in a western film called The Kid (2019): And held his own in scenes with Ethan Hawke and Dane DeHaan.
I've read some reviews and I'm not alone in this. There are others that share my opinion.

Every scene he's in throughout the film, along with his acting, takes me to the conclusion that he’s one of the best choices for Grayson.
He even does crying scenes very good. He could easily do the same in Batman when the circus boy have lost his parents.

It's really weird that this is Jake's only acting credit, I can’t understand why he didn't do more films
The future could have been good for the young actor if he had played more roles. He could have walked the same path as Hailee Steinfeld (who also got a big breakthrough in a western).
Did he not enjoy working in front of a camera? Where is he now?
I hope the will return to acting and audition for the part! He's only 18 so he can't have aged out of the character yet..
He gets a YES from me!

 

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I've seen Antlers, a horror film.

Jeremy T Thomas plays the lead. Sadly, I read that he has Osteogenesis imperfecta. God bless that poor kid.

There are several young actors in the film. Is there a Robin among them?

Sawyer Jones (b 2015) is of course way too young

What about Cody Davis (b 2006)? No way!!! Very unsuitable for the character.

Jesse Downs and Arlo Hajdu are only background characters in 1-2 scenes. It's impossible to sort them in any list.

 

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Embry Johnson might be, look-wise, one of the young actors that suits Dick Grayson the most, More so than Owen Myre.

There’s hardly anyone else who visually fits the character as much as Embry.
Well, that was atleast true four years ago. Every second of his screen time in The Prodigy (2018) makes me think he’s a true Robin.
Has he aged out of the role today? I don’t know, I just shout YES to him

 

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I had to take a break from this project because it drained me of energy but I will continue it now.

Possible actors for Dick Grayson. Taken from films and TV series during the last years. You know the drill

I know that there are a bunch of them in GOT: House of the Dragon
Ty Tennant, Elliot Grihault, Leo Ashton and Harry Collet are all age-appropriate.
I have to see that one before I can judge them.

I've found another name that might surprise you.
Have you seen Vivarium (2019)?
Senan Jennings (born 2010) played the super weird boy who moves in with the couple. It's an annoying character. I'm sure he annoys everyone who watches the film.
Perhaps you are upset that I even thought of him?
If there's someone to blame, it's the writers, not the actor. He did was he was told.

Let's look at the matter with other eyes. To be able to act like a freak in that way, one needs some acting skills.

Jennings might suit Dick Grayson. I know he’s very young, only 13 years old now. And the film came out four years ago.
(I think I should draw the line with those born 2010. Those are the youngest actors I will consider for Robin)
As he was 8 or 9 during the filming, he still hadn't reached a certain maturity to be fully accepted for Grayson. But his acting is a factor that will get him a Maybe

 

[antsman41]

Truly believe Dick is a go for Part II.

 

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Jacob Tremblay (born 2006)

Best child actor the last ten years. And he’s Canadian!
Impressive resume:
Room, Before I Wake, Shut In, The Book of Henry, Wonder etc etc etc.

First there were more or less serious roles for some years where he usually portrayed the sensitive kid. That was what Tremblay was all about for some time, drama and horror. The latter proved to suit him very well.
Even in a slightly lighter film (compared to other titles in the list above) as Burn Your Maps, he had weight to his performance.

In Xavier Dolan’s Death and Life of John F Donovan, we see maybe Tremblay’s best acting so far. He goes from an outburst of pure joyful excitement, to some foul-mouthed “talking back” to a bully, then to sadness and tears, and to an outburst of anger. He does it all. He’s incredible in the way he acts his heart out!

The actor has also surprised us during his career, as he tried action with Predator.
Then he took an unexpected turn and went for full blown comedy in Good Boys. Something unlike all his previous roles, a totally new thing to him. But even that worked! He managed to do great also with silly and goofy acting.

Among Tremblay's upcoming projects, I can mention The Skeleton Tree as something interesting. He will star opposite Woody Norman (another young talent) there

With his incredible acting skills, there must be a Yes to him. There’s no other way.
How can he not deserve to play the role?
Well, I have said in the past that "the no 1 best actor” isn't always the most suitable one for a comic book character lol.
No need to worry. This is only for my Robin shortlist, I’m not casting the Batman sequel

There's so many good things to say about Tremblay. Such a great little actor!
But wait, he's not that "little" anymore. He's changed a lot since he first rose to fame

 

[HydraSith12]

I honestly believe that in the Matt Reeves Universe there will not be a Robin or a Bat Family i think that in this Universe this Batman will be more of loner but if there is a Robin in this Universe i could see it being something like it happened in the Nolan Trilogy with Robin taking up the mantle of Batman at the End after Pattinson Batman Retires or Dies i think Robin and the Bat Family will be more used in the New DCEU than in this Universe

 

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There's still doubt about Grayson in Reeves' Batman, I see
Perhaps actors from Beast of the Southern Wild director Benh Zeitlin's unique cinematic world(s) are the the ones that will fit playing Dick Grayson in Reevesverse?

He did his own take on Peter Pan (another boy wonder) with Wendy (2020),
It was something very special to behold as it was done in the same vein as Beasts.
The children story about the boy who never grows up was kind of set in our world, in a certain real location even.
This is the type of film that sticks out from others. It’s made with a kind of rawness to it.
Perhaps comparable to Northman, but still different.
The kids aren’t actors, they’re just locals. Neither of them will likely act ever again.
The same might be true for the adult cast as well.
But What If?

Zeitlin does this to make it look and feel realistic. We don't se “characters”, but “real people”.
One similarity to Northman is that both are dealing with magic realism. There is some supernatural stuff going on.
What about the actors… sorry, I mean the people in front of them camera lol… what can be said about them? I haven’t a clue about their age but I’ll give it a try.

I look at the film as a whole.
Yashua Mack plays Peter
It's bold to race-bend a white character that much. He’s not of mixed race, he’s actually dark-skinned. It’s not an easy way to go with Robin but I will welcome any attempt that will make it work. And in order to make it work, he must feel as a true Dick Grayson to the extent that we don’t see the actor anymore, only the character. Could Reeves succeed with that?
Mack evidently can act, so I still give him a Maybe

Among the others, there's Krzysztof Meyn.
He's the youngest and doesn’t get as much focus as the other. Maybe a bit too young to judge but he was lively and full of energy. He could maybe grow into a contender for Grayson. So yeah… a Maybe

The twins Gage and Gavin Naquin play brothers here as well.
Is there some talent there? Yes, it is! Each of them has his own screen time and moment to shine.
When it comes to being possible Robin actors, and among the rest of the Batman cast, it’s them who feel the closest to happen.
It could be that they don’t want a career in acting and prefer to stay away from the industry. I still think the Naquin brothers deserve a Yes. The two being real people, not actors, will add a dimension to the character.
They will share a spot on my shortlist


-Reeves gonna pick me for Robin
-No, way! I'm the right one!

 

[OnLeatherWings]

What's Marlon Wayans' schedule looking like?

 

[HydraSith12]

If a Matt Reeves Version of Robin exists in this Universe i hope is the Kid who his Father died thanks to the Riddler i think he would be perfect for Robin in The Batman Universe

 

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People asking for Marlon Wayans to take the role is meant as a joke, but only half-way. There are those who want him just because he was so close to playing the character in 1992.
"A 50-year old Dick Grayson? No problem, as long as it's Wayans!".

I've tried to focus on much younger candidates. Robin can't be too old and mature (and definitely not older than Batman).
If we're to find suitable choices we have to go very young. Everytime there's a character who's a kid or a teen in any film during the past years, that actor is a potential Robin. One doesn't even need to have any prior knowledge of him or any of his other roles.
One example is Samuel Leakey as one of the two siblings in Gretel & Hansel (2020).
Perhaps not the best of examples as he's on the other wrong side of the spectrum, being too young.
(unknown birth year, but it's hinted as being 2012).
But you know the deal, that's how to approach the whole matter. It's all about those who are child/teen actors right now (not 20 years ago or even further back in time).

But can Leakey grow into role later? Not sure, but I can say Maybe he will. His performance in said film was decent enough.