The DC Universe's first Batman film has to surpass Robin's complicated history in cinema. The Brave and the Bold will feature the Robin sidekick, which will greatly set the film apart from most modern Batman films. While the Robin character has been well represented in animated and television mediums in recent years, the sidekick's presence in Batman movies has been more sparse in comparison. The few cinematic inclusions of Robin that have debuted in the past also had storytelling issues that have affected the character's reputation.

The Brave and the Bold will take creative inspiration from Grant Morrison's comic book plots, and will feature the caped crusader as a father. The movie will be noteworthy for its introduction of Bruce Wayne's son, Damian Wayne, as his crime-fighting sidekick. Damian's presence in the DCU has the narrative potential to deliver a unique interpretation of Batman as he comes to grips with fatherhood. However, the DCU needs to surpass the flawed portrayal of Robin that was established in Batman & Robin.

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Robin's Return to DC Films Is Long Overdue

The Brave and the Bold's re-introduction of Robin into live-action film will be a major step forward for the sidekick character. Outside of DC television series like Titans and Gotham Knights, the importance of the Robin mantle has been mostly neglected by live-action Batman films. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's addition of a dead Robin's costume severely underutilized the character and reduced Robin to a motivational plot device for Bruce Wayne. The last time Robin made a full character appearance was in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, when Robin John Blake inherited the Batcave from Bruce Wayne after he retired.

That being said, Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Robin acted as little more than a small reference to the comic character, and Blake never became Batman's costumed sidekick in the Nolan trilogy. A relatively faithful Robin adaptation hasn't appeared in theaters since the 1997 premiere of Batman & Robin, when Chris O'Donnell played Dick Grayson in Joel Schumacher's second Batman film. For 26 years, the narrative potential of Batman's sidekick character has been either ignored or squandered by the dark knight's many films. But the Brave and the Bold represents a welcome turning point for the underappreciated character. The DC Universe's upcoming Batman film will finally give the sidekick the cinematic representation they deserve after decades of exclusion.

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Schumacher's Robin Didn't Showcase the Character's Strengths

Schumacher's Batman sequel featured Chris O'Donnell in his second appearance as Dick Grayson, and the actor did an incredible job of bringing Grayson's heroism to life through his sympathetic performances. His portrayal of Grayson's quest to avenge his parents' deaths in Batman & Robin's preceding film, Batman Forever, was emotional and compelling. Nonetheless, Batman & Robin's peculiar script did a disservice to Robin. The crux of Robin's depiction was Batman's reluctance to trust his sidekick due to Poison Ivy's manipulations. The plant-themed villain convinced Robin that Batman was his rival for her affection, which led to Robin's accusations of Batman's jealousy. This hostility intensified Robin's claims that Batman believed he was better than his sidekick.

Robin furiously confronted Batman and questioned Bruce's leadership. Robin's narrative role in Batman & Robin was a significant step-down from Batman Forever in terms of character appeal. The Batman & Robin version of Dick Grayson was an incompetent hero who endangered himself frequently and let himself get manipulated by Batman's most dangerous foes. Furthermore, his fierce petulance over Batman's authority seemed naive and poorly justified, because the hazards of their adventures mainly originated from Robin's mistakes. The end result was a Robin who wasn't particularly endearing personality-wise and couldn't match Batman's crime-fighting prowess.

Even though several decades have passed between Batman & Robin's release and the announcement of the Brave and the Bold, it's difficult to ignore the legacy that Schumacher's Batman films left behind for the Batman film franchise overall. Robin's future cinematic appearances will inevitably get compared to Batman & Robin and its uneven interpretation of the character. If current audiences mainly associate Robin with Schumacher's last Batman film, then the DCU Batman faces a complicated challenge in convincing audiences of the character's appeal. The Robin character has always faced a common criticism of whether Batman really needs a sidekick who may not be as narratively compelling as Bruce Wayne is. Batman & Robin left behind a cinematic Robin who confirmed those concerns, and the Brave and the Bold will be building directly off that imperfect legacy.

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Son of Batman Showed That Damian Is the Ideal Cinematic Robin

The DCU Batman's adaptation of Damian Wayne could be the Brave and the Bold's way of repairing Robin's cinematic reputation. The Son of Batman animated film also adapted the same story material by Grant Morrison and proved Damian's strengths as a Robin. Son of Batman followed the story of how Bruce Wayne's son became his crime-fighting sidekick. Damian was a fascinating Robin in the film because he was trained by the infamous Ra's al Ghul to lead the League of Assassins. Like his mother, Talia al Ghul, Damian was a ruthless and cunning assassin who was willing to kill any enemy who stood against him or his family. The character trait became a source of conflict between Damian and Batman, who held a strict ideology of refusing to kill his villains. Son of Batman demonstrated that Damian's training makes him the perfect character for improving Robin's cinematic reputation.

In the animated film, Damian was different from Schumacher's flawed Robin because he was just as competent as Batman is. His training with the world's deadliest assassins made him an expert crime-fighter who could go toe to toe with Batman himself. The conflict between Damian and Batman was also a big improvement on Schumacher's Batman & Robin relationship. Damian's willingness to forgo his father's no-kill rule was a compelling reason for strife between Batman and his sidekick, because it directly questioned Batman's personal beliefs and why he was a merciful hero. The fact that Damian was also Batman's 10 years old son placed more pressure on the caped crusader to be a good paternal role model for Robin. Damian can redeem Robin's film legacy by introducing a deeply personal conflict for Batman based around parenthood, and Son of Batman proved that narrative potential with its plot. Son of Batman would be a great story template for the Brave and the Bold, because it gave Damian the foundation for a compelling character arc. Batman's affection for his son was undeniable proof of how essential the Robin character is for proving Batman's humanity and love for family.

Batman & Robin's flawed adaptation of Dick Grayson's Robin gave audiences a negative impression of the sidekick character. But the DCU can easily transcend that film's legacy by making Damian the new Robin. Son of Batman proved that Damian Wayne is the perfect character to demonstrate Robin's narrative appeal and importance in the Batman mythos.