How would you plot a Batfamily/Robin movie trilogy?

An honest, modern attempt of seeing beloved Batfamily members on the big screen is something fans have been after for a while. Let's say that sometime in the near future, Warner launches a trilogy involving Batfamily members, and you get to pitch it. Anyone is game. Who do you include? What stories would you pull from? Do you use any time skips? Would you omit Batman in any of the films?


My version would probably be:

1 - Batman & Robin: A film focused on Bruce & Dick's relationship, with Dick's parents' murder & Tony Zucco tying into the principal antagonist - someone who isn't the Joker. Hell, maybe Scarface/The Ventriloquist.

2 - Batgirl joins the team, but friction grows between Dick and Batman, leading to the adoption of the Nightwing Persona. At the end, Barbara is shot by the Joker, further straining the relationships.

3 - A time skip from Dick's perspective sees him discover Batman has a new protege in Jason Todd. Dick and Barbara (now Oracle) are independently investigating a crime that sees them cross paths with Bruce/Jason. They don't approve of Bruce having a new Robin. Todd is killed early on in the movie, and the Red Hood story unfolds. Dick helps Bruce hold onto his principles and let go of his regret, leading the two to reconcile.

I'd love to include characters beyond these, but it's already quite stuffed. I do wonder if there's a way to do a time skip or more simultaneous plot where a much broader cast brings in Tim, Damian, Batwoman, Spoiler etc.

I would enjoy an arc of aerial dynamics being the theme. So as the movies develop, the story more and more becomes about the aerial showcases of the batfamily

[QUOTE=trokanmariel33;5784801]I would enjoy an arc of aerial dynamics being the theme. So as the movies develop, the story more and more becomes about the aerial showcases of the batfamily[/QUOTE]

Do you mean acrobatics?

[QUOTE=Lightning Rider;5784811]Do you mean acrobatics?[/QUOTE]

Yes, like in Batman Forever with the Graysons showcasing, before they are murdered. Perhaps, the real theme or the underlying theme of the aerial dynamics would be Bruce's conflict of being a leader vs being Batman

Movie 1: Focuses on Bruce & Dick. Establishes the Batman & Robin dynamic. At the very end Jason is introduced Jacking the wheels off the Batmobile.
Movie 2: Loosely adapted around the Felipe Garzonas / DITF stories. Tension between Jason & Bruce + Jason & Dick builds until things hit a boiling point & Jason runs off than dies in combat, leaving Dick & Bruce devastated.
Movie 3: Loosely Inspired by Morrison’s B&R. Focused around Dick, Damian and Jason.Bruce is dead, Dick is Batman.


I have an idea for a 4th movie that would help smooth the transition between 2 & 3, but as is I think something like this could work.

I don't think that 3 movies would really be enough cover more than one Robin properly. Especially having something like Jason become Robin, die and come back as Red Hood in one movie is a little bit to much.

With 3 movie I would likely do something like:
Movie 1: Dick becomes Robin
Movie 2: Some story some where in the middle of Dicks Career as Robin (and maybe introduce Batgirl)
Movie 3: Dick becoming Nightwing and maybe a new Robin taking over

Honestly, use HBO Max. For the first film, maybe the first two, Dick is a supporting role rather than a co-lead - mostly in the Bat Cave in training, helping with detective work and a couple of showpiece action set pieces. 12, 13 years old.

But then the character has their own HBO Max series with almost no Batman involvement but a regular Alfred, putting in the groundwork for a "kid" character to be a crime fighter - telling stories where the stakes are lower than the films, so that Robin taking out a gang of muggers or returning a kidnapping victim can be his big wins.

Then for the third film, having established credibility and the actor having aged a bit, go full Dynamic Duo.

First thing I greenlight is a Cass Cain solo film. We're not looking for a big summer blockbuster, we're looking for something more character driven, emotional. Closer to Logan than Avengers, yknow? Startlingly violent, shockingly vulnerable...even uncomfortable at times. Cass Cain is the kind of character who makes you forget you're watching a capes-n-spandex movie. And I wouldn't have her say a single gods damn word. Not one. We wouldn't screw with her origin beyond the necessary adjustments for new medium, we wouldn't shy away from the fact that she's autistic. I wouldn't build this with a trilogy in mind. I wouldn't write myself out of options either, but this isn't a story you dilute with unnecessary sequels.

Alternatively you could do a HBOMax thing with it, somewhere in the neighborhood of Daredevil.

[QUOTE=Claude;5785051]Honestly, use HBO Max. For the first film, maybe the first two, Dick is a supporting role rather than a co-lead - mostly in the Bat Cave in training, helping with detective work and a couple of showpiece action set pieces. 12, 13 years old.

But then the character has their own HBO Max series with almost no Batman involvement but a regular Alfred, putting in the groundwork for a "kid" character to be a crime fighter - telling stories where the stakes are lower than the films, so that Robin taking out a gang of muggers or returning a kidnapping victim can be his big wins.

Then for the third film, having established credibility and the actor having aged a bit, go full Dynamic Duo.[/QUOTE]

I like this idea a lot, other than the fact that it's reliant on DC churning out a few quality, consistent films to establish him. But in a perfect world? Hell yeah.

A Max series is probably ideal for this kind of thing, though that would make this a different thread!

I think I'd go with introducing Damian, you could show Bruce and Talia together in flash backs in the first film as Bruce faces off against Ra's, reveal Damian in the second film and focus on his path to Robin with a sort of play on battle for the cowl minus a dead Batman and then the third is legit Batman and Robin

Movie 1 - Robin Year One
Act 1 - The Flying Graysons - Bruce Wayne
Act 2 - Training - Tony Zucco
Act 3 - The Gauntlet - Two-Face
Two-Face has to be already established, but even without previous movies, people know him already

Movie 1: Bruce takes in Dick (phrasing) after the death of Dick's family and trains him to fight Zucco and his boss The Penguin
Movie 2: Bruce and Dick meet Batgirl after her father was kidnapped by Killer Moth because of a plot created by Bane
Movie 3: Dick and Barbara team up, after Bruce was injured during the last movie against Bane to take down The Penguin and his weapon, and a new vigilante in Gotham called Azrael.

Here’s my idea, which involves dual time periods and flashbacks, and if much more about the family than necessarily any one team member.

[B]Gotham Knights[/B]

Timeline 1: Bruce and Dick first ever case together occurs against Professor Strange when he runs Arkham Asylum, and involves detective casework, a mental attack on Bruce that Dick has to pull him out of, and ends with Strange seemingly dead and his accomplice Rubert Throne seemingly gets away with killing him. Bruce and Dick get help from a source inside the police department - Oracle, as Babs uses her dad’s credentials to assemble her first identity - to solve the case.

Timeline 2: Bruce and Dick (now Nightwing) are forced to reunite as the Strange case reopens as Thorne is targeted by someone who claims to be Strange resurrected. The tragedy of their estrangement is present in their interactions, but not explained yet - and neither is Bab’s recovering from an unexplained injury that has her in a wheelchair in this time period. It turns out that “Strange” is his revenge plan put in motion by his “students” - Hush and Clayface. One of the background details is Jason’s suit in the cave, with that hinted as being the cause of Dick and Bruce’s estrangement.

Teaser: Babs is revealed to be keeping eyes on Talia Al Ghul, and confirms to Bruce that yes, she had a son by him… only for the scene to pull away to reveal that Talia is likewise spying on them, and has a mysterious assistant in a Red Hood.

[B]Gotham Knights: Shadow of the Bat[/B]

Timeline 1: Dick being kidnapped on college, with Babs as Batgirl being alerted to it, leads to a confrontation between Bruce and Ra’s Al Ghul, including Bruce’s femme fatale love interest, Talia. Dick’s successor, Jason, is the main Robin featured in this part. Ra’s ends up betrayed by Talia, ostensibly for Bruce’s sake… but Jason is seemingly killed and Babs crippled by Ra’s [I]briefly[/I] featured “counter-Batman” plan - The Joker. (This story is also spoiled for the ending at the start here.)

Timeline 2: A game of chess between Bruce and Talia regarding what she’s actually up to and over Damian; her ace in the hole is a resurrected Jason Todd as Red Hood, his is their son’s bodyguard, Cassandra Cain. Talia’s creation of Leviathan is revealed, but Bruce manages to get his kids back, with Cassandra winning Damian’s loyalty by showing him that Bruce’s path is one fo strength still, and with Jason just bugging out when Talia goes too far.

Teaser: A brief montage of Bruce enjoying his family, using some kind fo newspapers headlines/you tube video analyses… ending with “Batman dead?”

[B]Gotham Knights: Legends of the Dark Knight[/B]

Timeline 1: Dick and Bruce’s initial “breakup” is shown in the fallout of Joker killing Jason and crippling Babs. They work together, but with some severe discomfort and distrust, against Bane. Even though they still go their separate ways at the end and are emotionally still envy, they re-establish their trust to the place it will be by the first film.

Timeline 2: The Batfamily grapples with the “death” of their patriarch, as Dick assumes the role and tries to train Damian as Robin and earn his trust. Cassandra helps Babs get back on her suit after intense physical therapy. Bane returns to the city, older and wiser in his own way, and deliberately for the sake of challenging Dick to see if he’s worthy of his position as “heir.”

[QUOTE=Lightning Rider;5784714]An honest, modern attempt of seeing beloved Batfamily members on the big screen is something fans have been after for a while. Let's say that sometime in the near future, Warner launches a trilogy involving Batfamily members, and you get to pitch it. Anyone is game. Who do you include? What stories would you pull from? Do you use any time skips? Would you omit Batman in any of the films?


My version would probably be:

1 - Batman & Robin: A film focused on Bruce & Dick's relationship, with Dick's parents' murder & Tony Zucco tying into the principal antagonist - someone who isn't the Joker. Hell, maybe Scarface/The Ventriloquist.

2 - Batgirl joins the team, but friction grows between Dick and Batman, leading to the adoption of the Nightwing Persona. At the end, Barbara is shot by the Joker, further straining the relationships.

3 - A time skip from Dick's perspective sees him discover Batman has a new protege in Jason Todd. Dick and Barbara (now Oracle) are independently investigating a crime that sees them cross paths with Bruce/Jason. They don't approve of Bruce having a new Robin. Todd is killed early on in the movie, and the Red Hood story unfolds. Dick helps Bruce hold onto his principles and let go of his regret, leading the two to reconcile.

I'd love to include characters beyond these, but it's already quite stuffed. I do wonder if there's a way to do a time skip or more simultaneous plot where a much broader cast brings in Tim, Damian, Batwoman, Spoiler etc.[/QUOTE]
The 3rd part is a redux of the Titans DitF/UTRH, which rushed everything and butchered what made Jason, well, Jason.

[QUOTE=godisawesome;5785423]Here’s my idea, which involves dual time periods and flashbacks, and if much more about the family than necessarily any one team member.

[B]Gotham Knights[/B]

Timeline 1: Bruce and Dick first ever case together occurs against Professor Strange when he runs Arkham Asylum, and involves detective casework, a mental attack on Bruce that Dick has to pull him out of, and ends with Strange seemingly dead and his accomplice Rubert Throne seemingly gets away with killing him. Bruce and Dick get help from a source inside the police department - Oracle, as Babs uses her dad’s credentials to assemble her first identity - to solve the case.

Timeline 2: Bruce and Dick (now Nightwing) are forced to reunite as the Strange case reopens as Thorne is targeted by someone who claims to be Strange resurrected. The tragedy of their estrangement is present in their interactions, but not explained yet - and neither is Bab’s recovering from an unexplained injury that has her in a wheelchair in this time period. It turns out that “Strange” is his revenge plan put in motion by his “students” - Hush and Clayface. One of the background details is Jason’s suit in the cave, with that hinted as being the cause of Dick and Bruce’s estrangement.

Teaser: Babs is revealed to be keeping eyes on Talia Al Ghul, and confirms to Bruce that yes, she had a son by him… only for the scene to pull away to reveal that Talia is likewise spying on them, and has a mysterious assistant in a Red Hood.

[B]Gotham Knights: Shadow of the Bat[/B]

Timeline 1: Dick being kidnapped on college, with Babs as Batgirl being alerted to it, leads to a confrontation between Bruce and Ra’s Al Ghul, including Bruce’s femme fatale love interest, Talia. Dick’s successor, Jason, is the main Robin featured in this part. Ra’s ends up betrayed by Talia, ostensibly for Bruce’s sake… but Jason is seemingly killed and Babs crippled by Ra’s [I]briefly[/I] featured “counter-Batman” plan - The Joker. (This story is also spoiled for the ending at the start here.)

Timeline 2: A game of chess between Bruce and Talia regarding what she’s actually up to and over Damian; her ace in the hole is a resurrected Jason Todd as Red Hood, his is their son’s bodyguard, Cassandra Cain. Talia’s creation of Leviathan is revealed, but Bruce manages to get his kids back, with Cassandra winning Damian’s loyalty by showing him that Bruce’s path is one fo strength still, and with Jason just bugging out when Talia goes too far.

Teaser: A brief montage of Bruce enjoying his family, using some kind fo newspapers headlines/you tube video analyses… ending with “Batman dead?”

[B]Gotham Knights: Legends of the Dark Knight[/B]

Timeline 1: Dick and Bruce’s initial “breakup” is shown in the fallout of Joker killing Jason and crippling Babs. They work together, but with some severe discomfort and distrust, against Bane. Even though they still go their separate ways at the end and are emotionally still envy, they re-establish their trust to the place it will be by the first film.

Timeline 2: The Batfamily grapples with the “death” of their patriarch, as Dick assumes the role and tries to train Damian as Robin and earn his trust. Cassandra helps Babs get back on her suit after intense physical therapy. Bane returns to the city, older and wiser in his own way, and deliberately for the sake of challenging Dick to see if he’s worthy of his position as “heir.”[/QUOTE]

Nice work, that was a good read. I really like this alternating timeline idea - difficult to pull off, but it can definitely lend itself to a mystery well a la True Detective. Very appropriate stylistic choice. I also like how the plot organically involves so many players at once.