By Drew Dietsch
| Published
The Batman: Part II is finally heading towards production. Though I remain skeptical but excited, it’s going to be a torturous time dealing with every rumor and flitting tidbit that is about to be unleashed online. God, I hate the droolbro nerd culture that’s going to be scouring every Funko Pop! figure for story clues as if they themselves are the World’s Greatest Detective.
Already, there’s a hefty rumor going around that the Matt Reeves sequel will include Robin in The Batman: Part II. So, as the resident Bat-dork and as someone who has to churn out articles, I guess I better get on the record with how I feel about this rumor.
Batman Needs Robin
As the headline states, I would very much like to see Robin in The Batman: Part II. A not-insignificant number of fans will put on their grimdark Serious Business uniforms and decry the very existence of Robin as silly and detracting from Batman. These fans are welcome to get in line for the feeding trough as Zack Snyder pours his next batch of cinematic gruel down their gullets.
Robin is an essential part of Batman’s story and a character that is necessary to explore the character of Bruce Wayne and what his real goals are in being a caped crusader. Without Robin, Batman can only lean into darkness and solitude even more. The ending of The Batman features one of the most powerful scenes in the character’s film history; as he comforts a frightened child about to be airlifted out of a flooded Gotham City, the voiceover tells us that Bruce realizes Batman can’t be a symbol of fear and vengeance. Batman needs to represent hope and needs to inspire that in others.
That’s why Robin matters so much to the trajectory of this Batman story. The Batman: Part II has a great opportunity to show Bruce growing even more into that symbol of hope through the eyes of a younger character. And everyone online with a modicum of Bat-knowledge already knows where this should be heading.
Jason Todd Lives
In the comics, Jason Todd was the second Robin after Dick Grayson grew up and left to become a solo vigilante, Nightwing. The story in the comics has Batman discovering Jason as he’s trying to steal the wheels off the Batmobile. Jason is not some kid mourning the tragic loss of dead parents like Bruce and Dick. He’s just a kid from the streets that Batman decides has moxie.
Jason Todd makes all the sense in the world to be the cinematic Robin in The Batman: Part II. No need to even have a Dick Grayson character in that iteration. Having Batman take on a street kid would create a thematic mirror with the last story we saw set in this universe, The Penguin. And where that story went, The Batman: Part II can find a more hopeful ending with its young protege character.
Look, I love Batman and that means I love Robin as well. It’s a character that deserves another big screen shot and not in some coy way like The Dark Knight Rises. I’m not looking forward to all the rumors we’re about to be flooded with in regards to The Batman: Part II, but when it comes to this one, I’m hoping it’s right on the money.
