Damian Wayne’s DC Movie Debut Is Actually Great For ALL Your Favorite Robins

Damian Wayne as the DCU’s Robin may seem like bad news for characters like Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake – yet DC Studios’ plans for The Brave and the Bold are actually perfect for Batman’s Bat-Family. As expected, given that Matt Reeves’ The Batman was confirmed to remain in a separate universe, the DC Universe will have a new Batman actor for The Brave and the Bold. The film will not be tied to Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, or Robert Pattinson, and it will feature the first-ever live-action Bat-Family.According to James Gunn during the DC Universe slate reveal, The Brave and the Bold will feature not only Damian Wayne, but also other members of the “extended Bat-Family.” This will be the first live-action version of Damian Wayne, who was introduced in the comics before the Flashpoint reboot, and has remained an important Bat-Family character in the years since. While the DCU skipping all the other Robins may lead to divisive reactions, Damian as the DCU’s Robin could not be better for the Bat-Family.Related: How The Flash Will Reset The DC Universe (& Why)

Damian As The DCU’s Robin Means All Other Robins Already Exist

If the DC Universe is following how Batman’s sidekick timeline usually plays out in the comics and animated adaptations, then Damian Wayne as the DCU’s Robin means that all the other Robins already exist. In the Batman comics canon, the first Robin, Dick Grayson, became Nightwing. The second Robin, Jason Todd, died and later returned as Red Hood. Tim Drake was Robin for the longest period of time in comics, and later became Red Robin, though he is currently sharing the Robin mantle with Damian Wayne once again. Next, Stephanie Brown became Robin, before re-establishing herself as Spoiler and now Batgirl. This makes Damian Wayne Batman’s fifth Robin. For the films, if Batman has a son who’s already Robin, then Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Batgirl probably all exist in this new DC Universe.

Therefore, instead of waiting years between the DCU Batman movies for all of Batman’s sidekicks to appear, audiences will get to see a fleshed-out Bat-Family in the DCU right from the start. Considering that Batman only had a sidekick in two movies – Batman Forever’s Robin and Batman & Robin’s Robin and Batgirl, having a fully formed Bat-Family in the DCU with Damian as Robin is the perfect choice. That also guarantees that the DCU’s Batman will be different from Robert Pattinson’s Batman.

Damian As Robin Means The Bat-Family Can Shine In The DCU

If Damian is Robin, then characters like Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Batgirl can have their own separate movie projects within the DCU. For example, a Nightwing movie has been in the works at Warner Brothers before, including a project based on Chris O’Donnell’s version of Robin after Batman Forever. Red Hood, whose journey as an anti-hero is more robust than his time as Robin, is another character who could shine in the new DC Universe.

Damian Wayne as Robin also means that the DCU can adapt the Titans or the Teen Titans right away. During DC’s Rebirth era, Damian Wayne was a member of the Teen Titans while Nightwing and the his former teammates formed the Titans. The new DC Universe could also have its version of the Young Justice team, with characters like Red Robin and Batgirl as part of it. In fact, legacy characters like the ones in the Bat-Family can help the DCU differentiate itself from the MCU, as legacy characters are an important part of DC Comics.

Why Batman: The Brave & The Bold Is The Best Way To Adapt Damian

Using Damian Wayne’s Robin as the DCU’s Boy Wonder is the most expedient way to introduce the character. That is because, if the DCU’s new Batman franchise were to follow the comics’ timeline and start with Dick Grayson, it would have taken years for Damian Wayne to appear. For example, had Robert Pattinson or another younger Batman been the DC Universe’s Batman, four other Robins would have had to appear before Damian could make his live-action debut. Damian as the DCU’s Robin solves that problem, and it makes sure that all previous Robins can appear either in flashbacks or with their new superhero aliases.

As great as the Robins are, following the comic book timeline to introduce all of them would take a significant amount of time. While the comics have covered a lot of ground over the past seventy years in Batman and Robin’s history, a Batman movie sequel usually takes three to four years to happen, which makes Batman’s chronology quite difficult to adapt. It will be interesting to see how old the DCU Batman will be, and how much time each of his previous sidekicks spent as Robin.