The Time for Robin Has Come

A little while ago Gotham’s Bruce Wayne – David Mazouz submitted the idea he would love to play Robin in the DCEU. More specifically he’d like to play the Damian Wayne incarnation of Robin. It is an interesting concept to have an actor from another DC property play another character, especially when that character is playing the young, in-training, future Batman and wants to try out for the character’s son. Regardless of the actor, I would argue it may be time for Robin to come back.

Robin has been dormant since Batman & Robin, but rightfully so given the critical and financial lashing the film got. Chris O’Donnell’s portrayal was hardly note-worthy either. His Robin came as this rebellious, twenty-something old man-child suffering from wounded petulance. Given the actor’s age, it would have been preferable to have him as Nightwing instead. Robin would occasionally still show up in cartoons and video games but was dashed away from ever appearing in live-action entertainment. Christopher Nolan and even Christian Bale both made themselves clear they never wanted to feature the character. Chris O’Donnell aside the character of Robin has always been a tough sell for people. When introduced in Batman #1 in 1940 the dark, pulpy days of Batman started to wane a bit. Later on we get Burt Ward’s holy camp performance, Batman! You have the tights, the green pixie boots, the bright colors and the fact he is this kid side-kick that lowers the content to more family friendly. The concept hardly bears well with fans of the brooding Dark Knight. On the other hand, you have the tortured, orphaned avenger suiting this kid up for reckless endangerment of a minor you could argue. Therefore, the concept of Robin is silly in terms of content of Batman’s world and silly in the context of the real world.

Fast-forward to Damian Wayne and this could actually address both concerns. Damian Wayne is hardly the “holy rusted metal Batman” Robin. The son of Batman is rather stubborn, arrogant, over-confident and something of a bloodthirsty, justice-seeking zealot. When it comes to pummeling criminals to a pulp, Damian can if not may try to outdo his father on this one. The pixie-boots and tights are gone. Instead, this Robin has a hood like some mysterious ninja and wears something more akin to armor, like Batman has in the comics and the past films under both Nolan and Snyder. On top of this, Damian has quite the knack for sword play. Damian is extremely well-read and not one to crack jokes. Today’s Robin can and will be taken seriously, mainly because he himself takes things extremely seriously.

What about Batman bringing a child into danger and violence? This can still be a tough sell, but has probable justification. It all goes back to Damian’s upbringing under his mother and grandfather, Talia and Ra’s al-Ghul. These two figures are more relevant than ever in today’s world, with their League of Assassins. They seek to punish the corrupt, the wealthy, and the polluters of society. The enemies of today are faceless, stealthy, and may not strike as much damage as a full blown military invasion; they cause just as much fear and demoralization, if not more. Today’s enemies have no borders and are not a sovereignty you can simply negotiate with. I am speaking of course of modern-day terrorism. Christopher Nolan and others have even likened the characters to groups such al-Qaeda. Throughout history you can find people who indoctrinate their children into their hateful, violent ways of life such as the Nazis, Chairman Mao and others. These strict, tyrants mold a child to their liking to take up their cause. With Damian as the son of Batman, it would be hard for any of these maniacal ideologues to not want to indoctrinate the child to fight their war. Batman would have to find a way to put Damian on a just path, by taking him out at night on his patrols fighting against injustice but without the radicalness and fanaticisms of his teachings.

It gives the possibility of a new, great story. Batman does have a good supporting cast such as Alfred and Lucius Fox, but we cannot always fall back on them, otherwise we run the risk of recycling stories. We have seen conflict with other heroes before as friends and team-members, but never blood-related family. What would happen when parent and child clash from two such ideological perspectives? Damian usually wants to please and honor his father, but never fully embraces his father’s philosophy. Meanwhile, Bruce wants to do well by his son, but by taking him in an opposite direction of his teachings, he is not just as authoritarian as Talia and Ra’s al-Ghul? What would happen if Damian killed in his father’s name? Many of fans may even agree with Damian’s outlook in punishing criminals with finality. Such a film could make for something almost akin to BvS I would argue. The conflict is more than just physical, but political, ideological, and philosophical.

The hypothetical use of Damian Wayne is a positive in that it shows DC wanting to move on. This shows growth and a desire to tell new stories, rather than stick to the traditional, true and tried while never taking any risks. On top of that, it makes the characters seem a bit dated. By the time Robin first appeared in the Batman film franchise of the 90’s, Dick Grayson had already been retired from the role for close to a decade. You can find other examples of heroes always aging slowly in comparison to the comics. For instance, there seems to be a huge fascination with keeping Spider-Man in high school in the films and television, even though he’s been out of high school since 1965 from his publication history. DC has already given us Damian Wayne in their animated features, thus why not in their live-action entertainment as well?