The Batman Director Matt Reeves Confirms If That 'Secret Robin' Theory Is True

With director Matt Reeves' "The Batman" introducing a fresh take on the Caped Crusader, online speculation quickly began swirling regarding what the future may hold for Robert Pattinson's especially brooding Bruce Wayne. One particularly intriguing fan theory was that, without even knowing it, audiences have already been offered a glimpse of this Dark Knight's future Robin. The hypothesis, outlined by Sean O'Connell of CinemaBlend, posits that the young boy we see in the film's very first scene will eventually become the Boy Wonder. 

In the opening sequence, before killing Gotham City Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Rupert Penry-Jones), the Riddler (Paul Dano) is seen observing Mitchell's son (Archie Barnes) as he prepares for Halloween, unaware of the fact that his father is about to die. The child pops back up a few times throughout the movie, most notably when Bruce Wayne saves him from Riddler's attack on the mayor's funeral. While this all may have seemed to be setting the kid up as an important character in the future, and a potential Batman ally, Reeves has shot down the notion that he's destined to become Robin.

"It's a cool idea," Reeves said on the ReelBlend podcast, before insisting that it wasn't his intention. However, the director did jokingly imply he'll keep the idea in his back pocket, saying that he may need to credit O'Connell if he uses the idea for a "The Batman" sequel.

Just a month after the March 2022 release of "The Batman," a sequel was already announced, with Robert Pattinson set to don the cowl again and Matt Reeves returning to write and direct. While he may have shot down the above theory, Reeves' comments indicate there's a chance we could see some version of Robin in his take on Gotham City. The Bruce Wayne we see in "The Batman" is still very early on in his vigilante career, only having been fighting crime for around two years. So there's still plenty of time for Pattinson's Dark Knight to find his sidekick.

On the page, the first Robin, Dick Grayson, made his debut in "Detective Comics" #38, 11 issues after the Caped Crusader first swung onto the scene. But that version of Batman already seems to be a seasoned veteran, so it's hard to say how long he was protecting the streets of Gotham before taking on his ward. Considering Pattinson's Batman is still relatively new to the scene, it could understandably take some time before he enlists a child sidekick.

With Reeves setting "The Batman" toward the beginning of the Dark Knight's crusade, and with so much comic book lore to draw from, there's no telling what the future holds for this Bruce Wayne. There are myriad storylines "The Batman 2" could explore. And while it's possible we may get a new spin on Robin in any "The Batman" sequels, we apparently haven't seen him yet.