When it comes to the history of superhero movies, there are plenty of alternate scenarios that could’ve occurred had events played out a bit differently. Nicolas Cage, for instance, was going to play the Man of Steel under Tim Burton’s direction, but the Superman film was canceled. And Emily Blunt turned down two major Marvel roles – Black Widow and Peggy Carter. Those are interesting facts, for sure, but there’s another intriguing one I want to talk about. Once upon a time, Marlon Wayans was going to play Robin in Burton’s Batman Returns. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance, and there’s an interesting story behind why the gig didn’t pan out.
It may be tough for some to imagine the Little Man star taking on a role in a superhero flick, especially that of the Boy Wonder. Back in the ‘90s, the funnyman was making a name for himself within the comedy sphere. He eventually joined the cast of his older brother's show, In Living Color, before co-leading the WB sitcom The Wayans Bros. Ahead of that though, the director of Beetlejuice envisioned the comic standing alongside Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight on the big screen. It was an inspired casting choice and could’ve opened even more doors for the then-rising star professionally. So how exactly was he cast and why didn’t he play the part? Let’s discuss that now.
Robin Was Originally Set To Play A Role In Batman Returns And Marlon Wayans Was Signed To Play The Role
As with any film, the sequel to Tim Burton’s box office hit Batman went through various changes during the writing process. Sam Hamm, who co-wrote the screenplay for the 1989 flick, had some of the earliest story ideas for the follow-up. His tale featured heavier connections to the first film and included other key elements like gun-toting Santas and a not-so-grotesque Penguin. The plot point he developed that was maintained even after Daniel Waters took over as screenwriter, though, was the introduction of Robin. Waters and Burton’s version of the character was to be an adult mechanic, as noted by Den of Geek.
Sometime before filming commenced in September 1991, Marlon Wayans was tapped to play the role. Though his presence in the movie wouldn’t have been significant, the team was set on having him appear. Plans were well underway for the iconic sidekick’s big-screen debut in the “Burtonverse,” as a matter of fact. The film’s crew had already crafted sets and costumes for the character. Meanwhile, an action figure based on the hero had even been designed. So with Robin’s appearance seemingly set, what changed?
Script Changes Led To The Character Being Eliminated, But There Was Seemingly Still Hope
It was eventually decided that Returns was already filled to the brim with characters. The screenwriters were already trying to manage the arc of Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne as well as those of Michelle Pfeiffer’s whip-wielding Catwoman and Danny DeVito’s grotesque Oswald Cobblepot. Of course, they also had to consider the presence of the villainous Max Shreck, who was played by Christopher Walken. With all that in mind, the creative team apparently thought it would be best to omit Robin from the script.
Despite that turn of events, it seemed the book wasn’t totally closed on the bird-themed do-gooder at that point. Marlon Wayans reportedly signed a two-picture contract that would’ve ensured his return in a threequel. It’s been said that the proposed third flick was to have Robin join forces with the Bat to take on Harvey Dent/Two-Face, with Batman’s Billy Dee Williams returning to play the role. This all sounds like a solid idea but, as we’ve already made clear, plans can change.
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Warner Bros. released Batman Returns in the summer of 1992 and proved to be very divisive at the time. While the performances of Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito (among other elements) were praised, pundits were mixed on the plot and some criticized the film’s dark motif. The mature content was so polarizing that not only was the movie’s impact on kids heavily examined, but McDonald’s even dropped its Happy Meal tie-in. The blockbuster ultimately earned over $266 million (against a budget between $50 and $80 million) and broke box office records. Still, WB took the public’s response to heart and opted to switch up the direction.
Enter: Joel Schumacher. The Incredible Shrinking Woman director was hired to direct the movie that would eventually be known as Batman Forever. Val Kilmer took on the titular role in the 1995 flick, which also saw the (beefing) Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones play Riddler and Two-Face, respectively. Like Harvey Dent, Robin was maintained in the story, though he was played by then-rising star Chris O’Donnell. Though it was a critical dud, the movie became a box office hit and spawned the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin.
Marlon Wayans Was Still Compensated, And His Version Of Robin Did See The Light Of Day
Although Marlon Wayans didn’t actually get to suit up on the big screen, he did still see some cash. He was reportedly paid $100,000 and also received a penalty fee of sorts, since he had technically been cast for Batman Forever. On top of that, Wayans has since revealed that he still receives royalties today. When discussing the situation during an interview years ago, he said:
I was actually supposed to play Robin, in Batman Returns, about 15 years ago. But there was too many characters. I was cast, I was paid and everything. I still get residual checks. Tim Burton didn't wind up doing three, Joel Schumacher did it and he had a different vision for who Robin was. So he hired Chris O' Donnell.
For years, fans wondered what the G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra actor’s take on the character would look like. Well, they finally got their taste of him in the 2021-2022 limited series Batman ‘89. Written by Sam Hamm, the series picks up after the events of Returns expands upon the Burtonverse. It introduces Robin, whose civilian name is Drake Winston, and he has the comedian’s likeness (with his permission). The story also sees Billy Dee Williams’ iteration of Harvey Dent become Two-Face. The characters may not have debuted when and how people might’ve expected, but better late than never, right?
One still can’t help but wonder what a third Tim Burton-directed Bat film would look like. I’d like to think Marlon Wayans could’ve brought something fresh to the role, yet few would argue that despite not appearing in the superhero movies, he’s had a successful career. And who knows, maybe he’ll find his way into a comic book movie one of these days.
You can stream Batman Returns along with many of the Dark Knight’s live-action movies (which we’ve ranked) using a Max subscription.
