The Versions Of Robin We Still Need To See In A Live-Action Batman Movie

When Matt Reeves' "The Batman" premieres in the US on March 4, 2022, it will mark the first standalone live-action movie since Christopher Nolan's 2012 flick "The Dark Knight Rises." Robert Pattinson will be donning the cowl as the Caped Crusader/Bruce Wayne, and he'll be teaming up with Catwoman/Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz). They'll be taking on a whole host of threats. Leading things off is Edward Nigma/The Riddler (Paul Dano), a Zodiac killer-inspired take on the character who's trying to murder Gotham's elites. There's also Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, and John Turturro as the gangster Carmine Falcone. Finally, Andy Serkis plays Bruce Wayne's longtime butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

As is always the case with a new Batman movie, one big question is, will Robin be part of the story or not? Unfortunately for fans of Batman's sidekick, Robin isn't in the mix — although Reeves hasn't ruled him out in the future (more on this below).

If Reeves ever does decide to include Robin in a future Batman movie, he'll have plenty of DC Comics source material to draw from. So far, Robin has been relatively scarce in live-action Batman movies. Burt Ward originated Robin in the 1966 live-action "Batman" film alongside Adam West. Christopher O'Donnell played him in both 1995's "Batman Forever" and 1997's "Batman & Robin." That was the Dick Grayson version of the character, the traveling acrobat whose family dies tragically. "The Dark Knight Rises" had an original character with similarities to Robin, John Blake, who was played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt played. He's a Gotham City cop who works with Batman and later reveals his first name to be "Robin." 

That still leaves at least four other DC Comics versions of Robin that could appear in an upcoming film. Here's what a live-action Robin could look like. 

Reeves initially joked that he didn't want to bring Robin into a future Batman film, but later said he agreed with Robert Pattinson, who's open to the idea. When asked about Robin, Pattinson said "Yeah, but he has to be 13. That's the only way I'll accept it. No, I love Death in the Family and stuff, but I think it'd be so cool. Also people are so scared of it, but it's kind of exciting. I think it would be a really fun addition'" (via Collider). 

"Death in the Family" is a reference to the Jason Todd version of Robin. Todd is a Gotham City orphan and the second individual to take up the Robin mantle after Dick Grayson became too old. Todd eventually gets murdered by The Joker during the "Death in the Family" comics arc from 1988. After that, things get even darker. Todd is resurrected as the vigilante superhero Red Hood who, unlike Batman, has no moral qualms about killing criminals. The Jason Todd arc, including the resurrection, would seem to fit right in with the exceptionally dark tone Reeves is establishing with "The Batman." 

Besides Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, there's also Tim Drake in play. He's the third iteration of Robin, a young crimefighter who figures out both Batman and Robin's real identities, then approaches Bruce Wayne and asks to become his next sidekick. Bruce trains Drake into one of the best martial artists and detectives in the world. At one point in his arc Drake even has to substitute for Bruce Wayne as Batman in "Battle for the Cowl." Drake eventually ages out of the role to make way for Damian Wayne (more on him below), after which he becomes a new vigilante hero, Red Robin. 

It's also entirely possible that Reeves could base his Robin on one of the recent animated films. If Reeves really wanted to throw a curve ball, he go with the Stephanie Brown version of Robin. She's a street vigilante and the daughter of the supervillain Cluemaster, who starts her career as the costumed hero Spoiler. She briefly claims the Robin mantle but is fired for disobeying orders. She later becomes an iteration of Batgirl. 

Finally, there's the fifth and most recent Robin, aka Damian Wayne. He was conceived in the 1987 graphic novel "Batman: Son of the Demon," but didn't actually appear as a named character until 2011. Damian is Bruce Wayne's son, whom Bruce has with Talia al-Ghul. Since Talia al-Ghul appeared in "The Dark Knight Rises" and had a brief relationship with Bruce, and since "The Batman" is a wholesale reboot of the franchise, this one seems less likely.

It's also entirely possible that Reeves could follow Nolan and go with something new. Before he can do that, "The Batman" needs to deliver at the box office first. The good news is, the critics mostly love it.