How Every Robin Can Appear In The Batman 2

The Batman was a huge success and has already been greenlit for a sequel. With that greenlight has come the hotly debated subject of Robin's inclusion in the next film.

I don’t care who the villain is I just want Robin in the Batman 2 pic.twitter.com/cLWzEounbK

— Smoothie (@SmoothieWas) April 27, 2022

No. They need to keep it serious. Robin makes it silly

— Skeletor Sandwich (@SydNick13) April 30, 2022

With the themes and story dynamics of the first film, it only makes sense to include Robin in the second. This Batman not only works well with a partner but has a newfound ambition to inspire as a symbol of hope. These elements make the introduction of Robin feel inevitable.

So, it's not a question of if, but more how the next film will include the Boy Wonder and which Robin it will be. Conventional wisdom would tell us that it will be Dick Grayson, as he was the original. However, movies often take liberties depending on the story they want to tell and what's most popular at the time. By this standard, any of the Robins might be on the table.

Interestingly, the comics have already provided an answer to how every Robin could be present in The Batman 2 while perfectly matching the established tone. This approach, while very different to what fans expect, could make for the perfect sequel.

The most organic approach to bringing in a cinematic Robin that would gel with The Batman's tone is to borrow from Lee Bermejo's 2015 series, "We Are Robin". There, Robin was expanded from one individual into a youth vigilante movement.

This tale follows the adventures of a team of untrained teenage vigilantes who form in the wake of the real Batman's disappearance and replacement by a cop (Jim Gordon) in a mech suit. His dismissal of the teens leaves them both confused and defiant, choosing to act largely on their own and now distrustful of their few adult allies.

By The Batman's end, the Caped Crusader's new goal (after inspiring terrorists) is to transition from a symbol of fear into something more hopeful. The consequence is that while he may no longer inspire wackos he now sets himself up as an example to kids who will want to be just like him.

If Robin isn't just one kid but an entire gang of teen crimefighters, the opportunities for who can be Robin open up. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Carrie Kelley, Stephanie Brown and anyone else who's called themselves Robin might be in the sequel.

Should the next movie adopt "We Are Robin" as it's model, it would also solve the problem of tonal shift. Introducing one colorfully costumed kid fighting at Batman's side might be a lot more distracting than if through the course of the film he encounters and takes charge of a gang working against the same enemy.