Jordacar
The Endless One
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- Jan 18, 2007
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Christopher Nolan has stated that as long as he’s directing the Batman movies, there will be no Robin. Fair enough.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Robin to be introduced in the Nolan-verse after Chris has left and somebody else cool takes over.
The way I see it, if Robin didn’t work, he would not still be around in the comics. He would have been quietly fazed out like so many other characters that didn’t work for one reason or another. But he’s stuck around for over 65 years and he’s not going away. That is why I firmly believe that seeing a new Robin in the movies is only a matter of time. And a few other things. But I say it can be done.
Like I said, there are things about Robin that really work. Here’s a few:
WHAT WORKS:
The Origin: All adaptations favor Dick Grayson mainly because he has the best origin. It echoes the demise of Bruce’s parents and cuts right to the core of Batman mythology. On “The Batman,” they reworked the origins of most of the other characters, but stuck very close to the comics with Robin’s origin (I’m not holding it against them, I’m just saying.)
The Training: Hard to go wrong with this one. Like Bruce’s training, this is a period in Dick’s life that is often referred to but rarely seen, and could easily be an engaging onscreen evolution from teenage acrobat to full-fledged crime fighter.
The Character: Dick Grayson is one of the most wonderfully complex, interesting, and fully-formed heroes in the DCU, and the thought of seeing his evolution is almost as appealing as Batman’s.
And then there are those pressing matters that make Mr. Nolan say no.
WHAT DOESN’T:
The Costume: I think this is the biggest one. If Batman dresses in all black, why does he bring along the kid wearing the bright colors? Is it to draw fire? Is it so Bats can keep an eye on him? Is he supposed to confuse his enemies with the dazzling array of colors?
Remedy: Not sure. Probably want to go with something more akin to his current look
but I just don’t see the yellow in the cape working.
The Mask: (Subcategory of costume.) Sure, Clark Kent gets by with a pair of glasses, but bullets bounce off his head, too. And when you’re jumping across rooftops and going up against bad guys armed with everything from baseball bats to anti-tank guns, one would think that Bruce would insist that his young sidekick wear something to better protect his skull than that little Zorro-band.
Remedy: Maybe Dick gets a cowl that covers his head. Maybe wearing a cowl throws off his balance as an acrobat. Maybe his cape comes with a hood. Stranger things were explained away in Batman Begins (memory cloth anyone?).
The Boy Wonder: The image of Batman with this little kid tagging along always seemed far-fetched. That’s probably why on BTAS, Dick is in college, and in Forever they made Dick much older at the outset.
Remedy: There’s a lot that can be reimagined. For starters, “The Boy Wonder” could easily be his circus show name, and that’s the last we’d hear of it. With what little the press and the criminals know for sure about Batman, they would know even less about Robin (like they’d never guess he’s a teenager.) This is probably the area that requires the most work.
That’s everything I’ve got so far. Did I miss anything?
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Robin to be introduced in the Nolan-verse after Chris has left and somebody else cool takes over.
The way I see it, if Robin didn’t work, he would not still be around in the comics. He would have been quietly fazed out like so many other characters that didn’t work for one reason or another. But he’s stuck around for over 65 years and he’s not going away. That is why I firmly believe that seeing a new Robin in the movies is only a matter of time. And a few other things. But I say it can be done.
Like I said, there are things about Robin that really work. Here’s a few:
WHAT WORKS:
The Origin: All adaptations favor Dick Grayson mainly because he has the best origin. It echoes the demise of Bruce’s parents and cuts right to the core of Batman mythology. On “The Batman,” they reworked the origins of most of the other characters, but stuck very close to the comics with Robin’s origin (I’m not holding it against them, I’m just saying.)
The Training: Hard to go wrong with this one. Like Bruce’s training, this is a period in Dick’s life that is often referred to but rarely seen, and could easily be an engaging onscreen evolution from teenage acrobat to full-fledged crime fighter.
The Character: Dick Grayson is one of the most wonderfully complex, interesting, and fully-formed heroes in the DCU, and the thought of seeing his evolution is almost as appealing as Batman’s.
And then there are those pressing matters that make Mr. Nolan say no.
WHAT DOESN’T:
The Costume: I think this is the biggest one. If Batman dresses in all black, why does he bring along the kid wearing the bright colors? Is it to draw fire? Is it so Bats can keep an eye on him? Is he supposed to confuse his enemies with the dazzling array of colors?
Remedy: Not sure. Probably want to go with something more akin to his current look
The Mask: (Subcategory of costume.) Sure, Clark Kent gets by with a pair of glasses, but bullets bounce off his head, too. And when you’re jumping across rooftops and going up against bad guys armed with everything from baseball bats to anti-tank guns, one would think that Bruce would insist that his young sidekick wear something to better protect his skull than that little Zorro-band.
Remedy: Maybe Dick gets a cowl that covers his head. Maybe wearing a cowl throws off his balance as an acrobat. Maybe his cape comes with a hood. Stranger things were explained away in Batman Begins (memory cloth anyone?).
The Boy Wonder: The image of Batman with this little kid tagging along always seemed far-fetched. That’s probably why on BTAS, Dick is in college, and in Forever they made Dick much older at the outset.
Remedy: There’s a lot that can be reimagined. For starters, “The Boy Wonder” could easily be his circus show name, and that’s the last we’d hear of it. With what little the press and the criminals know for sure about Batman, they would know even less about Robin (like they’d never guess he’s a teenager.) This is probably the area that requires the most work.
That’s everything I’ve got so far. Did I miss anything?
t: 
