Dick Grayson Casting Thread

[Airwings]

Pattinson said Robin should be 13 years old. What could that really mean in terms of casting?
Let's look at the actors born 2008-09. Those are, age-wise, the ones Pattinson would want to play Batman's sidekick.
Some of them are suitable for the part, others not so much.
There are some distinctly different personalities listed. All of them playing their own type of character in films, or on television.

Jackson Robert Scott
Walter Scobell
Christopher Convery & Christian Convery
Ambrosio De Luca
Kaan Guldur
Woody Norman
Luke David Blumm
Mystic Inscho
Iain Armitage
Adam Greaves-Neal
Bradley Bundlie
Miles Emmons
Jett Klyne

Several good ones here. I'll point out some of them
In terms of look, the older Convery cousin may be one of the better fits (on the list) if the character is cast this young.

There's also a few more that stick out:
*J.R Scott who can switch between playing a disturbed horror kid and a more normal one. This will make him be in tune with the dark Reeves-verse.

*Norman, which was suggested by @codesveburn (I hope to see the C'Mon film soon)

*Klyne, because actors can do both DC and Marvel at the same time! Look at Keaton!

*Scobell, who went directly from Adam Project to being cast as the new Percy Jackson. He's starting to get high-profile roles. Yes, we've seen this before, an actor comes "from nowhere" and suddenly gets cast in 3-4 other big projects. Will this lead to him being Dick Grayson in The Batman 2?

 

[shauner111]

Bruh

Somebody answer this poor lad. He’s posted the last 7 posts by his lonesome haha.

 

[Lautox]

my man is killing it with the robin casting

 

[WayneMB]

imagine all these posts and somehow robin won't even appear in this trilogy/tetralogy

 

[shauner111]

He probably won’t lol

 

[Airwings]

Somebody answer this poor lad. He’s posted the last 7 posts by his lonesome haha.

my man is killing it with the robin casting

The topic doesn't interest people. Who cares about a possible actor for the sidekick, and who cares at all about Grayson/Robin?
Batman (and Bruce) is always the one that different directors put their BIG focus on and build their stories around: Nolan, Snyder, and seemingly Reeves too.
Until proven otherwise, Robin only belongs in the comic books and in animation. Not on the big screen.
The only semi-sucessful live action adaption so far, has been on television. That was 56 years ago.
(Titans doesn't count because it's a mess in terms of the writing, but atleast it made Robin work visually in a more gritty world).

Schumacher once proved how awful it can be having the character present, if he's not done right. It made everybody else scared of even going there.
Can Robin ever be introduced again?
All it takes is a director that dares to go for a different approach than the standard one for Batman. But the stakes are high. They must get Grayson right this time, which includes the choice of actor, or else it will leave a very sour taste.
I can't affect the script or the characterization, unfortunately. The only thing I can do is to sum up all the possible actors that have (somewhat) the right age for Grayson. Has it ever been as many as there are now?

 

[shauner111]

I do believe there’s hope for you here because Reeves said he’s willing to try with Robin. Doesn’t mean it’ll happen. Maybe he tries and it just doesn’t work while he’s writing. But there is more of a chance with this guy than any other director.

 

[antsman41]

Dick bringing in even more heart to Pattinson's Batman would be cute and amazing.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Do you think Matt Reeves is going to look for a Kodi Smit-McPhee type of actor?
They've worked together twice. Maybe he's going to cast someone similar?

Here's a list of actors. They're around 18-19 and have been in the business for some time but could still be able to play Boy Wonder in an upcoming sequel.

Jaeden Martell
Louis Partridge
Theo Taplitz
Aidan Gallagher
Emjay Anthony
Neel Sethi
Jackson A Dunn
Max Charles
Jack Dylan Grazer
Cole Springer
Griffin Kane
Dominic Boyle
Flynn Allen
Ivan Mallon
Marcel Ruiz

Some choice may stink, but let's focus on a good one.
Ruiz did a good job in the film Breakthrough. He's obviously a bit older now, but not 20 yet though. Maybe he's suitable for Grayson?

View attachment 55151

My buddies in college went to school with the kid who inspired 'Breakthrough.' Apparently he was an *** in real life. That's the only reference I have for the movie.

The topic doesn't interest people. Who cares about a possible actor for the sidekick, and who cares at all about Grayson/Robin?
Batman (and Bruce) is always the one that different directors put their BIG focus on and build their stories around: Nolan, Snyder, and seemingly Reeves too.
Until proven otherwise, Robin only belongs in the comic books and in animation. Not on the big screen.
The only semi-sucessful live action adaption so far, has been on television. That was 56 years ago.
(Titans doesn't count because it's a mess in terms of the writing, but atleast it made Robin work visually in a more gritty world).

Schumacher once proved how awful it can be having the character present, if he's not done right. It made everybody else scared of even going there.
Can Robin ever be introduced again?
All it takes is a director that dares to go for a different approach than the standard one for Batman. But the stakes are high. They must get Grayson right this time, which includes the choice of actor, or else it will leave a very sour taste.
I can't affect the script or the characterization, unfortunately. The only thing I can do is to sum up all the possible actors that have (somewhat) the right age for Grayson. Has it ever been as many as there are now?

Schumacher's Robin worked for the movie Schumacher was making. It was exactly the portrayal he wanted. It's not more cheesy or out of line than anyone else in those movies. People coming away from them declaring "Robin can't work in a serious live-action movie" are making the same mistake that has ruined so many great adaptations. There are plenty of grounded Robin stories already in the comics. I don't get why people act like he's so hard to adapt.

 

[Airwings]

imagine all these posts and somehow robin won't even appear in this trilogy/tetralogy

(as a side note, I prefer the word quadrilogy)

He probably won’t lol

Perhaps he won't. But what makes you think so?
Is the Reeves-verse too dark for him?

 

[Airwings]

Dick bringing in even more heart to Pattinson's Batman would be cute and amazing.

It would widen that universe in a sense, I'll guess. Bruce won't be as quite as one-dimensional and brooding all the time.

My buddies in college went to school with the kid who inspired 'Breakthrough.' Apparently he was an *** in real life. That's the only reference I have for the movie.

Oh, for about a second I thought you meant the actor who played him, not the real person

Schumacher's Robin worked for the movie Schumacher was making. It was exactly the portrayal he wanted. It's not more cheesy or out of line than anyone else in those movies. People coming away from them declaring "Robin can't work in a serious live-action movie" are making the same mistake that has ruined so many great adaptations. There are plenty of grounded Robin stories already in the comics. I don't get why people act like he's so hard to adapt.

It was a lot going on back then, studio pressure and everything.
Many people know that Schumacher was capable of doing more serious stuff ouside of Batman. That makes it even sadder so see all the camp that was put in those films.
The Schumacher version of Robin was off-putting to other directors. Nobody did really want to use the character again. That's why he's abscent from every new version, and that's why people say it can't be a serious Bat film if the sidekick is there. So in a way, Schumacher did something bad for the Boy Wonder.
Didn't he appologize for his Batman films later on?
Atleast Clooney did that, for playing Bruce (I think he said he was sorry).
What I do know is that Tommy Lee Jones hated working with Jim Carrey.
When looking back, those two films shouldn't have happened at all. However, they did and we'll have to accept that they were made.

Now if we try to go against the common view regarding the Boy Wonder character, could he actually have worked in a serious world like Nolanverse?
If the answer is no, then he naysayers are right. It will make it true that there's no way for Robin to be written into the plot next to Bale and still keep a (somewhat) similar tone.

I look forward to the day when it's proven that Robin can work as a more serious character than before, and that on the big screen.

 

[blaberskite]

Robin can totally work in live action, is the concept silly, of course, but it could be worked into the story if they really wanted to.

Also it's already been proven that it can work and look good on screen, kick ass, big daddy and hit girl are basically batman 66 but played straight with ultra violence. Take out the killing aspect and it could totally work.

The problem comes with how insane the idea is that batman puts a teenager in harms way. My view would be that you introduce Robin, but he starts as a an oracle type figure, surveillance and tech, and as he becomes old enough and starts to actually face the bad guys he goes straight to being nightwing after he's been trained by Bruce and is an adult.

 

[shauner111]

(as a side note, I prefer the word quadrilogy)

Perhaps he won't. But what makes you think so?
Is the Reeves-verse too dark for him?

If we don’t see it, I don’t think the reasoning behind that decision will be the classic “it’s too dark for him”. It’ll likely be because Reeves doesn’t want to lose the Bruce/Batman focus. Yes you can still do that while Grayson comes into his life. But you would be taking focus off of Bruce Wayne no matter how you look at it. Focus off of the Gordon/Batman relationship too. You have to sacrifice a bit. Maybe more than a bit. A bit too much for Matt Reeves maybe? Time will tell.

 

[Airwings]

I do believe there’s hope for you here because Reeves said he’s willing to try with Robin. Doesn’t mean it’ll happen. Maybe he tries and it just doesn’t work while he’s writing. But there is more of a chance with this guy than any other director.

If he said he's willing to try, it'll likely happen.
The way I see it is, if he tries and early on sees that he doesn't make it work, will be because he approached the idea in a wrong way. One solution would be to scrap his first ideas and start over.
But then again, Warner Bros will require a deadline for the finished script. Reeves won't have unlimited time for the writing process.

If we don’t see it, I don’t think the reasoning behind that decision will be the classic “it’s too dark for him”. It’ll likely be because Reeves doesn’t want to lose the Bruce/Batman focus. Yes you can still do that while Grayson comes into his life. But you would be taking focus off of Bruce Wayne no matter how you look at it. Focus off of the Gordon/Batman relationship too. You have to sacrifice a bit. Maybe more than a bit. A bit too much for Matt Reeves maybe? Time will tell.

That's a tiresome excuse for not introducing Robin in every new incarnation of Batman.
Yes we know that one heroic character will benefit from not sharing his duties and screentime with another one. Even the Schumacher films could have fleshed out the Batman character more if he was alone.
We've had a great relationship between Bruce and Gordon in Nolan's films. It was developped over the course of three films. The same with Bruce/Alfred. It wasn't just any kind of superhero films, it was a true highlight in the genre (despite people's mixed opinions about the third film).
We really don't need to see the same. Doesn't matter if the characters are written in a different way, and other actors are playing them, It's still the same cop and the same butler as in the comic books.
Why not Bruce/Grayson this time? Is really the dynamics of the Dynamic Duo (no pun) less interesting to explore?
You talk about sacrificing something. Well, isn't the relationship between Batman and his well-known sidekick being sacrificed everytime there's a new Batman, and Robin isn't even a part of the story?

Bring in the young hero, I say. People have to deal with Robin being there.

 

[shauner111]

Yeah but for me? Just personal preference here but I’d rather more Batman and Gordon than Batman and Robin.

 

[Lautox]

It would be cool to see Robin but for my taste it would kind of feel like a drag. I mean, Batman once again teaching the boy that vengeance isn't the answer because his parents died blah blah. I think we are ready to see more Batman and Gordon pairing up to solve crimes and be that Holmes and Watson. Why abandon that concept when it worked so well in the first. But I could be wrong. If Reeves wants to include him I would be excited to see because I trust the man, but if it isn't happenning I wouldn't be losing any sleep.

 

[shauner111]

It’s basically going to be the same arc for Dick that Bruce had in The Batman. Only difference being?? Dick is even younger and Bruce makes some attempt at being a father. Maybe it’s because I don’t have kids and don’t really plan to but...I just don’t care to see that.

Me trusting Reeves goes without saying at this point. He’ll do cool **** with characters that I flat out dislike (Hush, Mad Hatter, Vicki Vale) or with characters that make me feel...lukewarm? Like Robin. But during the anticipation era, the only thing on me mind is Gordon/Batman working together like real partners. I’m willing to hold off on Jim becoming Commissioner if it means more of Gordon/Bats on the streets together every night. I like detective noir stories and Robin’s inclusion turns it into a superhero team up adventure more than the former.

All of my favourite stories are with Batman working alone. I’d love for these movies to reflect those stories, since the sidekick stuff doesn’t interest me.

 

[Airwings]

Robin can totally work in live action, is the concept silly, of course, but it could be worked into the story if they really wanted to.

Also it's already been proven that it can work and look good on screen, kick ass, big daddy and hit girl are basically batman 66 but played straight with ultra violence. Take out the killing aspect and it could totally work.

The problem comes with how insane the idea is that batman puts a teenager in harms way. My view would be that you introduce Robin, but he starts as a an oracle type figure, surveillance and tech, and as he becomes old enough and starts to actually face the bad guys he goes straight to being nightwing after he's been trained by Bruce and is an adult.

Of course he can work if he gets the right script treatment.

I wouldn't say Robin is silly per se. The whole thing will be what the writers want him to be.
Do they only see him as silly? Then he will be, and it will affect the casting as well. It won't be the best actor for the Robin character, but just one who's good at acting silly or annoying.
Perhaps Robin should rather be left out then, or the studio could always hire new writers.

You suggestion about Grayson helping Batman in a new way could work.
Personally I don't want him to move on to becoming Nightwing right away. He needs to don the Robin suit at one point, if only for 2-3 scenes. That's part of his character arch. It just can't be left out.

Yeah but for me? Just personal preference here but I’d rather more Batman and Gordon than Batman and Robin.

That's fine.
You don't care about Robin enough to wanna see him in a film. Whenever they introduce him, it will change the dynamics, and side characters like Gordon and Alfred will either have slightly less to do, or having to deal with Batman having his young sidekick.
And you wouldn't want that for Reeves-verse.
Probably not in a future reboot either because it will be the same thing then. It starts out with Bruce's journey before the kid comes along in a sequel. Grayson is always going to take some focus away from Bats and the others, no matter what director who helms the films. The sidekick character is not interesting enough to justify him being there.
It's ok to not want to have Robin in a Batman film, perhaps not any Batman film. Just be honest about your opinion

 

[Airwings]

It would be cool to see Robin but for my taste it would kind of feel like a drag. I mean, Batman once again teaching the boy that vengeance isn't the answer because his parents died blah blah. I think we are ready to see more Batman and Gordon pairing up to solve crimes and be that Holmes and Watson. Why abandon that concept when it worked so well in the first. But I could be wrong. If Reeves wants to include him I would be excited to see because I trust the man, but if it isn't happenning I wouldn't be losing any sleep.

"Once again teaching the boy"
When did Bruce do this the last time? That was in the 90s, so it's not something that's been milked too much in live action (which you're suggesting).
They didn't really treat the duo as actual human beings back then either. Their bickering was one-dimensional and flat. Those films were all about camp and spectacle.
The cbm genre has come a long way since then and today most superheroes are fleshed out as real film characters. That's why I think it's time for Robin again.

"more Batman and Gordon pairing up to solve crimes"
That's what they did a lot with Bale and Oldman. It was one of the things that stood out in Nolanverse, and THAT'S what you want more of?
Batman and Gordon once again teaming up. Why should the same thing be a major thing here considering the fact that Nolan already went that route in a trilogy?

It's a little sad that you think of Grayson as a little "lesser character" and don't fully support him to be given a chance to shine in Reeves-verse. Doesn't he deserve that?

I will try to see Northman next week. Your Robin suggestion Elliott Rose is in the cast, right?

Me trusting Reeves goes without saying at this point. He’ll do cool **** with characters that I flat out dislike (Hush, Mad Hatter, Vicki Vale) or with characters that make me feel...lukewarm? Like Robin

Let him bring in Robin then, if he's gonna do something cool with him.

I really want it to happen.
If the right actor is cast, it'll excite me even more.

I’m willing to hold off on Jim becoming Commissioner if it means more of Gordon/Bats on the streets together every night. I like detective noir stories and Robin’s inclusion turns it into a superhero team up adventure more than the former.

Why can't it be a noir detective story with Batman and Robin here? The pair will follow the same rules regarding Reeve's world-building.
The tone isn't going to shift to camp or typical superheroism just because Batman gets his sidekick. What makes you think so? Is it because you remember what Schumacher and Chris O'Donnell did?
They made every director shy away from using Robin because of how terrible those films were.

Have trust in Reeves!!

All of my favourite stories are with Batman working alone. I’d love for these movies to reflect those stories, since the sidekick stuff doesn’t interest me.

I knew it !!!

You would still want the same in the future when Pattinson is done and Batman gets a reboot.
No Robin!!!

 

[shauner111]

Oh for variety’s sake i’d like to see Robin done with respect, at least once in live action. I don’t mind if he’s there , as long as it’s done well and makes sense. But is he a favourite of mine? No. Would I cry if Reeves ignored him? No. I prefer Grayson’s origin story to him actually fighting crime next to Batman. But I just like other characters more.

 

[Airwings]

Oh for variety’s sake i’d like to see Robin done with respect, at least once in live action. I don’t mind if he’s there , as long as it’s done well and makes sense. But is he a favourite of mine? No. Would I cry if Reeves ignored him? No. I prefer Grayson’s origin story to him actually fighting crime next to Batman. But I just like other characters more.

Thanks.
I'm greatful for your reply. If it was possible to click on the like button more than once, I would have done that

Dick Grayson has potential to be a first-rate cbm character despite being only a sidekick.
Reeves might be the first film director in a long time who's dared to make use of the Boy Wonder in a Batman adventure. It's almost surreal to think of. Let's hope it happens.

How will the character be written? Is Reeves going to please the hardcore fans or could he be trying to give Robin a new generation of fanboys?
What can make Grayson work for today's audience? The same question regarding the sidekick also goes for the fictional Bat-world that Reeves has created..

The other part of the path to make Robin awesome is to cast him with just the right name. The actor will be the face of the character for a long time, even years after he left the role.
Let's hope he goes the Connery route so that he can still be doing notable films in the future after playing the biggest role of his career lol.

I have questions for you @shauner111
What's best - going for one of the most talented young actors out there.... or picking someone who's able to play Robin the way he's written in the script?
Those two alternatives don't always match. However, someone with great talent can play many different roles.
What do you personally think about this? How can Reeves's choice of actor make even you to be intrigued about seeing the character in action?

 

[Airwings]

I pick Woody Norman (C'mon C'mon). He's really good and his father-son dynamic with Joaquin is awesome, he's exactly 13 y.o now (so if they really want to cast Robin, he will be older). But im not exactly sure they will include Robin especially at that young age, but almost-adult looking Robin doesnt interest me as well.

I've seen C'mon c'mon now.

The kid was very natural in front of the camera, and able to display several different emotions.
Of course he can be Dick Grayson if the character is being cast this young.

 

[Airwings]

@Eddie Dean

I’ve just come home from seeing Licorice Pizza.
A special and entertaining film. It stands out.

I’m curious. What made Griff Giacchino your favorite for Dick Grayson (as you mentioned in the other casting thread)?
I like that you found such an unexpected candidate. It's really thinking outside the box.

He could work, honestly he could, but we don't see much of him and the rest of the teenagers during the film.
It's sometimes hard to tell him apart from the other young actor Will Angarola, lol. I mean, who's who?
Griff is the one in the middle, right? And Angarola is the sleeping one?

The little brother Greg (Milo Herschlag) is slightly more noticeable, due to 1-2 scenes with only him and Hoffman. Other than that, he has also quite limited screen time.
If I had to pick, I think Milo would be my no 1 candidate for Robin among the cast. The other two are not that far behind, though, but I need to see more of them to judge them fairly.

Are these three supporting actors going to act again or was Licorice Pizza the only time?
Do they even stand a chance against other actors during the casting process for Grayson.
It won't be easy to win the role.

There are a lot of possible Robin candidates from other films and from TV productions.
Some even have their own on-screen persona, and a type of film (or genre) they prefer.
I’m sure, though, the majority will be up for Grayson if they were offered the role. No matter their personal preferences for characters/films. What young actor wouldn’t want to play Robin?
Giacchino & Co will have to compete against those. Having played small parts in a PTA film won't give them any advantage then.

What kind of actor should Reeves go after when he holds auditions for Robin? To begin with, the sidekick is supposed to be in really good shape.
Let's go back to Griff Giacchino. He's an example of somebody who hasn’t got any prior experience of stage fighting or martial arts (or has he?). He would be hired as Grayson for other reasons. Like an ability to act, having some talent.

Good presence in front of the camera and good chemistry with Pattinson and Serkis can help too. (What if the role goes to someone who’s worked with them before?)

 

[Eddie Dean]

I thought he would be a good choice because his dad does the music for The Batman.

 

[Airwings]

I thought he would be a good choice because his dad does the music for The Batman.

Griff is welcome to try-out for the role. No advantage will be given. He has to prove himself just as the other actors.
Andy Serkis has a son who's also into acting. He can attend the auditions too if he wants.

There's a catch.
This could seem like a case of nepotism, with favoring relatives. If either of the two mentioned above lands the role, it will upset everybody who wanted to become Dick Grayson but lost. Because the choice fell on a family member to somebody who's already inside the production.
Accusations against Warner Bros/Reeves and bad publicity will follow.