Why Robin Needs To Be In ‘The Batman’ Sequel
Image Source: IMDb
Matt Reeves’ 2022 film The Batman breathed new life into the beloved but somewhat overdone character by creating a version of Batman that brought both darkness and humility to the role. The film also gives a more in-depth look at the toll that being Batman takes on the vigilante’s mental health and why he pushes everyone around him away. The most significant difference with this Batman is that he is not a playboy or a socialite. Instead, he hides away from the city and only comes out when an actual job needs Bruce Wayne. Now that The Batman: Part II has officially been greenlit, we need to discuss why the sequel needs to bring in Robin, but not just any Robin, Nightwing. Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Batman!
Batman Needs A Partner
In the 2022 film, Batman partners with Selina Kyle AKA Cat Woman. Their partnership is the only reason that Gotham is able to be saved at the end of the film. The duo works together in a complicated and mostly untrusting relationship, but through this, they both grow and by the end of the film have decided to go their separate ways with Batman choosing to stay and help Gotham rebuild. While I’m sure Batman could do everything on his own, the film perfectly sets up the character to be more open with his next partner. The development of his relationship with Alfred during the film also shows that he is ready for a closer and more trusting partnership.
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It’s Time
Image Source: IMDb
While I love Chris O’Donnell’s portrayals of Robin in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, I recognize that I am one of the few people that do. His Robin has been called “whiny” and “annoying” which may work for DC’s animated content, but it clearly does not work for the live-action movies. It has been almost three decades since we got our last live-action movie Robin, and while Joseph Gordon-Levitt was believed to be playing Robin in The Dark Knight Rises, this was never confirmed or further explored. It has also been confirmed that James Gunn is planning to introduce the next Robin in the upcoming film The Brave & The Bold, so it would make more sense for The Batman: Part II to introduce Nightwing rather than have two Robins within the live-action DCEU films at the same time.
Something Different
The Batman offers the chance to do something different with the character of Robin in live-action form. To date, Nightwing has not been featured in any live-action films, and The Batman: Part II presents the perfect opportunity to bring him in. The film is inherently darker than the other Batman films and it gave us a Bruce Wayne that is not going to be the kind of mentor the normal Robin would need. This is the first Batman that was detached and somewhat cruel to Alfred, so it creates the perfect opportunity for a darker Robin to be brought into the fold. Nightwing is the darker persona of Robin after he leaves Batman’s side to go off on his own. There are countless ways that Batman could meet Nightwing and have his origin story explained without breaking the canon of the first film. The Batman saw a decades-old character become something new and interesting, and I think that the sequel would be the perfect place to do the same thing for Robin who typically gets the short end of the stick when it comes to live-action portrayals.
The Batman, Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin are available to stream on Max. The Batman: Part II is currently expected to release on October 3, 2025.
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Source(s): Variety
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