A Robin movie

[AmiMizuno]

If we could ever get a robin movie going,which robins would you want? Okay we all know Dick would be first but how would the movie start?

[godisawesome]

If we could ever get a robin movie going,which robins would you want? Okay we all know Dick would be first but how would the movie start?

Here’s some proposals:

Straight adaptations -

Robin Year One by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon - Dick Grayson focused, using the elder Shrike as an evil counterpart to Batman for Dick, and using Boone as Dick’s same sage rival. Maybe you repackage the story a bit in the line of Karate Kid/Cobra Kai in terms of dynamics.

Robin Vol. One By Chuck Dixon - The first ever Robin miniseries honestly has a pretty brisk and well developed cinematic plot. Just update King Snake to be driven from Hong Kong by legal issues instead of by the turn over of the island. I’d also maybe have Dick join Tim, and establish a multiple Robin dynamic.

Twists on familiar ideas -

Robins - Tim Drake is still a young but experienced Robin, with a partnership with the first Robin as Nightwing. But when Batman seems to die, their mourning is interrupted by the arrival of Red Hood and Damian under the command of Talia, as Tim the detective must uncover just how real their stories are, while Dick takes up the mantle he never thought he’d have. Jason would be an antagonist for most of the film, and serve as the primary foil to Dick as an older Robin, while Tim and Damian’s conflict filled relationship would grow to grudging understanding of each other, before eventually turning on Talia as the real villain. Throw in Stephanie as Tim’s girlfriend who winds howled bonding with Damian as the understanding but badass babysitter he needs.

[lemonpeace]

Personally I don't see a Robin movie working, I mean short of a complete auteured film where it's more about the creative vision of a talented filmmaker making the film work more than the property itself. It seems, from my perspective, most people see Robin as the most definitive second banana of second bananas in the pop culture lexicon. I could see a Teen Titans movie working as a stealth Robin movie. I'm just talking live action tho. Animated I can see a direct to video or straight to streaming animated Robin film working, maybe even a smaller theatrical run.

[dietrich]

We Are Robin with Duke and the kids has the most potential.
I would leave out all the replacement Robins and just have Dick the original guest keeping the focus on Duke and the WAR kids

[Ascended]

I think there's a few ways you could spin it, honestly.

You could do Dick Grayson: Year One and introduce the first Robin. You've got some great stuff to work with; a circus setting (or something similar, depending on the year the story is set), mobsters, a little "police procedural" in the mix, a young man haunted by the loss of his loved ones who rises up greater than ever, and of course a balling (if basic) rags to riches tale. Dick's origin is a classic.....but we've seen a lot of variations on this kind of narrative before. Dick could totally carry his own film franchise, but as Nightwing moreso than Robin, so I'd rather see a Batman movie that introduces Dick, instead of a Robin movie featuring Batman. Use a Batman film to bring in Dick, then spin him into his own films as Nightwing.

Damian: Year One. I honestly think this has a little more cinematic potential than Dick's origin story. You've got some really interesting topics here; a direct commentary on child soldiers, the blurred line between hero and villain, and Damian is a much more morally ambiguous character than Dick (or even Jason) so you've got plenty of chances here to catch the audience off guard and surprise them....and maybe even make them think a little bit.

We Are Robin. A bunch of kids getting together under a single banner and fighting for the change they want to see in the world? In 2020? It's basically "superhero meets protester." There's risk to that; you'd get a lot of negative press right out of the gate. In this, WAR isn't too dissimilar from the Joker movie, and with a good marketing team the negative press could be used to generate even more hype. The movie itself would have to be quality and able to withstand the criticism, but handled with a little care and you'd have a winner on your hands. As an added bonus, WAR stands on its own; you don't need so much as a cameo from Batman, you just have to establish that "Batman and Robin" are known heroes in Gotham. Oh, and the main protagonist is black, which again, could work very nicely with current events despite carrying some risk. With the right people behind it, We Are Robin could be a massive hit, far bigger than either Dick or Damian.....but if WB screwed it up, it'd be a spectacular failure.

Obviously I disagree with lemonpeace on this one (sorry man). In a world where Ant-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and friggin *Aquaman* are successful big hits, a Robin film is more than fair game. If we can have gods damn tv shows about the gods damn butler and the cop, we can have a movie about Robin.

[charliehustle415]

I would love a Tim movie where Batman is already established Dick is now Nightwing, Jason has passed, and now Tim needs to step up.

We can have cameos from Batman, Nightwing, flashbacks with Jason, Oracle, and Step (who can be introduced as Tim's classmate or girlfriend).

It can really build out the BatFam in one go - if done correctly

[dietrich]

The thing is Robin is problematic. There's a reason lots of creatives [Burton.Miller,Moore,Synder and many others ] have a problem with Robin.

Batman endangering a kid in his care is wrong
Batman endangering another person's kid without their knowledge is doubly wrong
Batman needing some kid to keep him from crossing the line undermines the character and is too much to put on a kid/teen.

The whole concept raises too many questions. In the 40's it might have been okay. Today it's not something a hero or any well meaning sane adult would do.

The Batman from All Star Batman and Robin he might do that but he was super crazy.

kids like Cass -pretty much a meta and Damian - already a solider take away a little from the ethical questions but that's still child endangerment.

WAR stands on it's own another reason why I find it more workable

[LordMikel]

I would love a Tim movie where Batman is already established Dick is now Nightwing, Jason has passed, and now Tim needs to step up.

We can have cameos from Batman, Nightwing, flashbacks with Jason, Oracle, and Step (who can be introduced as Tim's classmate or girlfriend).

It can really build out the BatFam in one go - if done correctly

I was thinking this exact idea. Tim is the Robin I would do a solo movie for.

If I wanted to do a Dick movie ... ok it would be Robin, but for comic fans, it would be a Nightwing movie. It would be the story of Robin when he decides to leave Batman's side and go out on his own.