Batman was fighting crime alone during Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but years earlier, he had a partner. By now, we all know that Robin died in the line of duty in the DC Extended Universe, mirroring what happened to Jason Todd in the comics. Details are still scarce about what happened to the Boy Wonder, but a weapon he used when still active has been fully unveiled, and it’s much more brutal than we would have imagined him wielding.
The “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice: Tech Manual” (via Digital Spy) shows that rather than the familiar bo-staff from the comics, Robin’s weapon originally had blades at the end, looking more like an axe or lance. Eventually, director Zack Snyder eventually decided to have the weapon damaged while on display. According to props master Doug Harlocker:
That was Zack saying, ‘Look, maybe we should just make it look like it’s been broken and smashed.’ So we deconstructed it in order to film it.
The way the Robin costume was framed in the movie, one couldn’t tell just how lethal that weapon was. However, if you took a tour through the Batcave via Google Maps, you may have noticed at least one blade while passing by the display case. Frankly, it’s not too surprising to learn Robin would have wielded that out in the field. Ben Affleck’s Batman had no qualms about killing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, whether is was breaking someone’s neck of setting someone on fire by shooting their flamethrower tank. It was originally implied that Robin’s death might have led Batman to start taking lives, but it sounds like the Caped Crusader was already in favor of a firmer hand of justice while fighting alongside Robin.
The spray-painted message, “HA HA HA, Joke’s On You, Batman!” on Robin’s costume made it clear in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that Joker was responsible for Robin’s demise, and Zack Snyder later stated that he imagined the Clown Prince of Crime killed the young hero 10 years earlier. Given the state of the weapon in the movie, we can assume it was smashed during Robin’s final mission, either while fighting back Joker or, as horrifying as it might be to imagine, Joker using it himself. Beyond that, what exactly happened remains a mystery. It hasn’t even been officially confirmed whether it was Jason Todd or another Robin who died in the DCEU, DC’s Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns alluded that the Batman solo movie will explore this loss and the other tragedies in Batman’s life.
Following last week’s announcement that the Batman solo movie is officially happening and two new dates being added to DC’s movie slate, we’ll likely get some answers about what happened to Robin. At minimum, a flashback would be welcome showing the Boy Wonder using that bladed weapon in the field alongside Batman.
