Although it’s not serving as an origin story like Batman Begins did, Matt Reeves’ The Batman will follow the eponymous protagonist reportedly in his second year of costumed crimefighting. So at that stage, one would imagine Bruce Wayne is still perfecting his vigilante game, but it’s possible that his next cinematic appearance could also see an appearance from, or at least lay the groundwork for, his first sidekick: Dick Grayson, better known as Robin.
Over at The Casting Collective, there’s a casting call for men and women “of all ethnicities” aged 17 and up who are located in North West England and have circus skills, with particular interest in fire dancers, fire breathers and puppet operators. They’re needed for a “Major Action Feature Film” that’s shooting in Liverpool this March.
While this casting call didn’t specifically say it was for The Batman, the DC movie did recently begin principal photography in London, England, and supposedly it’ll be shooting in other areas of the U.K. too. Assuming these circus folk are indeed needed for The Batman, and knowing that Dick Grayson was an acrobat before meeting Bruce Wayne, that could mean Haley’s Circus will be visiting Gotham and The Flying Graysons will be part of its menagerie.
Although Dick Grayson is currently being depicted in live action on the DC Universe series Titans, and Michael Cera voiced the character in The LEGO Batman Movie, it's been since 1995’s Batman Forever and 1997’s Batman and Robin since we last saw Robin depicted in a live action movie, where he was played by Chris O’Donnell (no, I’m not counting ‘Robin’ John Blake from The Dark Knight Rises). Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice did show a graffitied Robin suit on display in the Batcave, but that was a reference to the Jason Todd incarnation.
So needless to say we’re about due for another live action Robin on the big screen, but even if The Batman will involve a circus coming to town, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee we’ll see the young Dick Grayson. After all, Batman Returns involved circus performers serving as Penguin’s goons, and while there plans to include Robin in the movie, he was nowhere to be seen in the final product. Plus, because Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne hasn’t been Batman for that long, it might seem too soon to give him a sidekick.
However, let’s not forget that that The Batman is reportedly taking inspiration from The Long Halloween, which chronicled Batman’s search for a serial killer over an entire year. Its sequel, Dark Victory, brought Dick Grayson into play and ended with him becoming Robin, so there is precedent for the Dynamic Duo forming within the first half decade of Batman’s existence.
Also, keep in mind that even if we see Dick Grayson in The Batman, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll suit up as Robin. If we do indeed venture into Haley’s Circus, Dick could simply cameo alongside his parents as part of The Flying Graysons act, and him becoming Robin will be saved for a sequel.
This circus casting call isn’t the first time Robin appearing in The Batman has been a possibility, as it was reported last year that he could “potentially” show up. With the movie still early into shooting, and a little under a year and a half until it finally hits theaters, it could be a while until we get more of an inkling about if Dick Grayson will be involved in the story or not, let alone confirmation. Frankly, an appearance like this could just be kept a secret until the movie’s release.
So who is part of The Batman’s main cast? Well, joining Robert Pattinson are Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson as Bella Reál. Along with directing, Matt Reeves also co-wrote The Batman’s script with Mattson Tomlin.
The Batman arrives on June 25, 2021, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates. Don’t forget to also look through our handy guide that details what other DC movies are on the way.
