You know what's really annoying, most of the Pro- Robin people here try and give intelligent back up statements for their point of view for why Robin should be included in the next Batman film. And the anti-Robin people can only say "No NOLAN DOESN'T LIKE HIM!! I LOVE NOLAN, NOLAN IS GOD!!!".
Despite the critical analysis and 70 years worth of comic books that have featured the character of Robin- some of the posters here think that they know the character of Batman more than experienced writers like Dennis O'Neal, Jeph Loeb (pre-Ultimates), Alan Grant, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison whose works on Batman feature Robin heavily and have all managed to understand the reason why Batman needs Robin. He is the light to Batman's dark.
Robin in many ways makes Batman different to most superheroes in a way, Batman can be dark, yes, and most of the time he should be. But he shouldn't be depressing. Honestly, The Dark Knight showed us that superhero movies can be taken seriously and not just high action fun; but they can show us themes and be great story-telling and works of art. As for the realism that Nolan implants in his movies? Yes, he's done it better than most people...but still IT'S A STORY OF A GUY DRESSED AS A BAT!!! The entire realistic approach of Batman is ridiculous in it's concept, but that's what makes it great; Morrison's recent run on Batman has showed us that he is the ultimate human being who strived to perfection to combat evil, no matter it's forms. Yes, Batman is dark, but his entire character is built to inspire and show us that human will can overcome anything. He's not a dark brooding loner, if people just copy The Dark Knight's "darkness" then we'll have comic book films that represent this:
Why am I showing you a Rob Liefeld comic? Well it wasn't that long after Watchmen that we got the anti-hero craze that swept through comics and try to make super-heroes more "dark" and "edgy" with no context. I'm not saying that this is what will happen if we don't include Robin in any future Bat-films, but to me this seems like the mindset some posters here think of the character of Batman.
Going to my earlier point, the character of Dick Grayson (notice how I say Dick Grayson, not Robin) only compliments this. Dick had a tragedy much similar to Bruce Wayne did where he lost his parents at a young age, Bruce then took the young boy in and soon trained him. Now in the comics, Dick has managed to become a more normal human being and a happier one thanks to his adoptive father, Bruce Wayne. Now, about my idea for how to adapt Robin to the next film and change him? Simple. Just change the costume, keep every other part of the character roughly the same and have him trained by Bruce. It's a perfect dynamic right there. Any attempts to change Robin to become "cooler" would then just have him become Jason Todd (who was killed for being annoying and too dark) and eventually we had Tim Drake. Now, you may argue that Damian is a popular Robin, but that's only because of the role reversal between a light Batman and a dark Robin.
Thematically, the inclusion of Robin makes sense seeing as Bruce dealt heavily with the loss of his father in the first film, it only makes sense that he manages to save someone from the same torment he had by giving him a release by fighting criminals the same way. Make the costume darker in tone and resemble Batman's, it's simple. Hell, just have Dick as a supporting character who doesn't become Robin till the end of the film, simple.
And you know what? Most audiences would love it; if any director could make people show why Robin works and he's a great character it's Christopher Nolan. Personally to me, you can kill off the Joker and still tell Batman stories without him for twenty years, and it'll still feel like Batman to me. But kill off Robin, and erase Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake from DC Continuity? Then you just have a lonely depressed Bruce Wayne with no legacy who will always be closer to insanity and become slightly better than any other Wolverine or Punisher knock-off.
Anyway, I would really hope people would stop calling the concept of Robin stupid as he is just as important as Batman towards the mythology (hell, look at the current Batman comics- Dick Grayson is in the costume!), but as usal the best response I will get is "ROBIN SUCKS!! I HATE HIM, HE'S A KID!! KIDS ARE STUPID! SINCE WHEN IS BATMAN FOR KIDS!!!?"
