Robin in other media

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This article is about the comic book superhero Robin as he appears in other media, such as films, television and radio. Dick Grayson, the first Robin, is generally the version of Robin chosen to be portrayed.

For decades, Robin rarely appeared without Batman. The only exceptions have been animated stories featuring Robin as a member of the Teen Titans. Furthermore, from the 1940s to 1980s, Grayson was generally portrayed as being a teenager or adult. This was somewhat different from comic books, as Grayson started out at the age of eight.

From the 1940s to 1980s, Robin appeared in the classic comic book suit of Grayson. However, since the 1990s, Dick Grayson's original "pixie" outfit has been discontinued in other media. Instead, Robin usually wears a costume similar to the original uniform of Tim Drake, the third and current Robin in the comics.

[edit] 1940s

• In director Lambert Hillyer's 1943 film serial Batman, Robin was played by Douglas Croft. Croft was the only actor who was young enough at fourteen/fifteen to play Robin, subsequent live-action actors have either been in their early to late 20s.

• Batman's radio series with Robin, the Batman Mystery Club, in which Batman told ghost stories, never aired. One episode was made: "The Monster of Dumphrey's Hall".

• During radio broadcasts of the Adventures of Superman radio drama Batman and Robin were paired with Superman over the years from September 15, 1945 to 1949. The pairing was pure novelty. The Batman and Robin appearances provided time off for Bud Collyer, the voice of Superman on radio. These episodes called for Superman to be occupied elsewhere and the crime fighting would be handled by Batman and Robin. On that series the voice of Robin was played by Ronald Liss.

• Robin was played by 26 year old Johnny Duncan in Columbia Pictures' Batman and Robin (1949), directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet.

[edit] 1960s to early 1980s

Burt Ward as Robin.

In the campy 1960s Batman television series and its 1966 movie offshoot, Robin (Dick Grayson) was played by Burt Ward. Burt's version of Robin was known for the catchphrase: "Holy [relevant pun], Batman."

In DC Comics related cartoon series, produced by Filmation and Hanna-Barbera throughout the 1970s and 1980s, such as the Super Friends, Robin (Dick Grayson) was voiced by Casey Kasem or Burt Ward. Both the live-action and animated versions wore the standard Robin costume, much like the film serial versions of the 1940s.

[edit] Late 1980s to late 1990s

[edit] Film

Robin did not appear in the Tim Burton movies Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). This was the first time where Batman and Robin were not presented as an inseparable pair to the general world. The special edition version of the DVD features an animated storyboard sequence of when his parents are killed by the Joker. Burton planned to cast actor Ricky Addison Reed as Robin, but later felt it was unimportant to the story and cut Robin out altogether.

In an earlier script of Batman Returns, he was portrayed as a technologically savvy street kid who would help Batman following his narrow escape when The Penguin tried to kill him. He would later play a crucial role in Batman's final confrontation with The Penguin. In that script, he was simply called Robin, has no known real name, and was to be played by Marlon Wayans.^{[citation needed]}

Chris O'Donnell as Robin in Batman Forever.

After the 1980s, Robin appeared in Joel Schumacher's two Batman films, but not in Dick Grayson's classic costume. In Batman Forever (1995), Robin was played by Chris O'Donnell. Grayson's parents were murdered by Two-Face during a hostage situation at the annual Gotham Circus. Robin meets Batman and becomes a costumed hero in his late teens. O'Donnell reprised the role again in the 1997 film Batman & Robin. The film features tension between Batman and Robin, which some say is greater than in other adaptations.^{[original research?]} In Batman Forever, his costume closely resembles the Robin uniform worn by Tim Drake. In the latter film, Robin's costume resembles Dick Grayson's third "Nightwing" costume, but with rubber nipples, a cape and red/crimson coloring instead of blue. This latter outfit has been compared^[who?] to the "Renegade" outfit Dick Grayson wore in comic books many years after the films.

Robin's costume as worn by Chris O'Donnell in Batman & Robin.

[edit] Animation

The first two seasons of Batman: The Animated Series (1992) feature Robin/Dick Grayson. He was voiced by Loren Lester and only made occasional appearances due to Lester's real-life commitment to college. In the third and final season (1994–1995), the show was retitled The Adventures of Batman and Robin and Robin made regular appearances. In the series, Dick Grayson wore a costume much like Tim Drake's original suit.

In The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), Grayson becomes Nightwing, and his place as Robin was taken by Tim Drake, voiced by Mathew Valencia. The animated series continuity does not include Jason Todd by name, but the cartoon's Drake is described as a combination of a young Grayson, Todd and Drake. Between his origin and appearance in Batman: Return of the Joker, he mostly resembles Todd in storyline while bearing little resemblance to the comic book's Tim Drake.^{[original research?]} A 2006 costume adopted by Drake in the comics seems very similar to the animated Drake's red and black outfit.^{[original research?]} A version of the Carrie Kelly Robin also makes a short appearance in Batman: Gotham Knights, in a dream sequence in the episode "Legends of the Dark Knight."

[edit] 2000s

• In the Krypto the Superdog episode, "Bathound and the Robin", a robin called "Robbie" is saved by Ace the Bathound and wants to be Ace's sidekick, much to the dismay of Ace. Robbie's costume resembled the classic outfit of Dick Grayson.

In a June 2005 interview, Christopher Nolan, the director of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, said that as long as he is directing the franchise, Robin will not be appearing. Since Christian Bale is portraying Batman as a young man at the time of Year One, Robin is still a little kid at this point.^[1] When asked who he would cast if he was forced to, Nolan replied "Frankie Muniz," jokingly saying "if he doesn't age too quickly." According to an article on CinemaBlend.com Robin might appear in the third Batman film after all and it will be based on the graphic novels The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. [[1]]

• Lego produced a Lego Batman line of licensed sets in 2006, currently into its first wave. The 7783-The Batcave: The Penguin and Mr. Freeze's Invasion set features Robin in the classic costume with a mini speedboat. 7785-Arkham Asylum includes Nightwing and his motorcycle as well.

Robin has been featured in two games. He is a playable character in both the Teen Titans video game for Game Boy Advance and the console Teen Titans game.

• Robin (apparently Dick Grayson) was featured in the DC DTV movie Justice League: New Frontier, where he was apparently adopted, as a teenager (not a child, as in most interpretations), apparently during the events of the movie. Batman apparently did so because he realized that he was frightening those he was trying to protect. The circumstances of his adoption are not explained.

[edit] Teen Titans animated series

The Cartoon Network series Teen Titans appears to be an adaptation of the New Teen Titans comic book series. One similarity is that both series have the character Robin, who also acts as the team's leader. In the comic book series (as noted above), Dick Grayson is Robin. In the animated series, the style of his costume is still closely modeled on Tim Drake's, as in the 1990s; however, the colors are those of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. Robin, voiced by Scott Menville, has not been referred to by any full name. This non-identity is intentional, according to both Sam Register and Glen Murakami.

However, several clues have indicated that this Robin is Dick Grayson.

Robin from the Teen Titans animated series.

A time-travel themed episode of the animated series showed a future where Robin has taken on the role of Nightwing (a role taken up by Dick Grayson). In a later episode, an alternate universe Robin with the exact same DNA shows up named "Nosyarg Kcid", which is "Dick Grayson" spelled backwards. This latter clue was confirmed by the creators at a panel at the 2005 San Diego Comic Con.^[2]

In many instances, Robin's relationship to Batman is heavily referenced. In the Season 5 episode "Go", just before Robin attacks a thief, bats fly at him. After a while the thief says, "Aren't you supposed to be with—" only to be interrupted by Robin who says "Just moved here. I work alone now". Throughout the episode, he says he doesn't want to be in a team again so soon. In another episode, "Haunted", Raven uses her powers to enter Robin's mind; one of the images she sees is Robin's shadow in a cave area swearing an oath to someone. When Robin rejects Slade in "Apprentice: Part 2", he mentions "I already have a father", and then the screen shows a shot of a dark sky with bats flying through it, also referring to Batman. In that same episode, a battle ensues on top of a building that says, WAYNE ENTERPRISES.

In the episode "Haunted," the flying Graysons are seen falling off a trapeze. In Static Shock, Batman (from Batman: The Animated Series) made a guest appearance, and mentions that Robin is "With the Titans.", however, Paul Dini, who wrote the episode, claimed he did not know that the Teen Titans series had nothing to do with the DCAU at the time.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Batman TV series

The Batman with Robin as he appears in The Batman.

In The Batman, Robin is voiced by Evan Sabara. Dick Grayson was an energetic, gifted acrobat and one of the main attractions of Hayley's Circus, along with his Mother (Mary) and Father (John) as part of the amazing Flying Grayson's act. His life was changed forever when Tony Zucco and his brothers tried to threaten circus manager John into taking a "protection" policy. When John Grayson refused, an altercation resulted in the police and the Batman being called. The Zuccos were easily defeated for the moment one of Tony's brothers was even captured.

An angered Zucco altered the rigs on the Flying Graysons trapeze act, causing John and Mary to fall to their deaths right in front of Dick during a performance. Young Grayson, with no surviving family members was taken in by Bruce Wayne, who saw shades of himself in Dick after his own parent's murder. After Dick discovered that Wayne was Batman, the two worked together to capture Tony Zucco. Dick chose the codename "Robin" because that is what his mother had called him.

Grayson sports a costume much like comic book's Tim Drake first wore, although an early promotional photo showed a suit with a bit more originality. Some tension arose when Robin and the character of Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) met. Batgirl, having been active as a vigilante and wanna-be partner of the Batman some time before Robin appeared, was quite jealous of Batman's new "official partner". This was changed when Batman took the liberty of revealing his and Robin's identities to her and fully accepted her into the fold. Afterward, Robin and Batgirl developed a more friendly, almost sibling-like working relationship.

As depicted in a possible future during the episode "Artifacts," Dick Grayson gives up the "Robin" name and costume to become Nightwing. Barbara and Batman still persist in calling him by his original codename. Interestingly, the Police department who discover the Batcave in the beginning of the episode call Robin "The Red Robin", a reference to Kingdom Come, and they theorize that Bruce Wayne was the Red Robin.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Robin's description on the animated series
• Batman On Film's "Robin" biography