Robin actor from Batman 89

[Grissom]

I watched the storyboard sequence for Robin and I always felt that it was tacked on, sort of just to introduce Robin. It didn't quite flow with what preceeded in the film. I'm so glad they didn't use it and remember when Batman started out it was Batman alone, no Robin. Robin came some time after. I think it was Burton who insisted to have Batman go it alone and they eventually scrapped that particular sequence.

[Kamdan]

You're right about it being tacked on. It was interesting to have The Joker be the one who killed the Graysons, but it would need to be another movie to do it more justice, a la Batman Forever. Robin was in the script at the beginning, because to the general public, it was always Batman and Robin.

[Paul (ral)]

Yeah Robin was one of WB's demands at the start, along with the Joker being the villian.

Interestingly, Harvey Dent was to have a bigger role, but it was split in two - creating Mayor Borg - because WB didn't know who Dent was!

[The Dark Knight]

^ So glad that didn?t come to pass. Call it hindsight, but I cannot see how such a sequence could fit into B89?s tone. We have a broody, gothic loner the whole film, and then all of a sudden we?ve got Dick on the scene. Batman should face that bell tower, and the man responsible for his parent?s death, alone. And for a youngish take on Batman, it?s too early for Robin. So that?s three things going against it. Tone, narrative structure and overall timeline.

Actually Batman does still face the Joker alone as he tranqs Dick on the cathedral steps in order to stop him killing the Joker. From what I understand he was never Robin in the movie either. He's seen in costume (his circus duds) when his parents are killed, but when he save Batman from the Joker, he's plain old Dick Grayson.

I suppose that could've worked. But I still think no Robin = better movie. Made it more streamlined.

[BatmAngelus]

Alright, I know this is an old thread, but I just found out that the studio was considering Kiefer Sutherland for the role of Robin back then:

And I'd just finished Stand By Me and Young Guns about the time that Warner Brothers were making the first Batman film with Michael Keaton and I got a call which asked me if I would be interested in playing Robin. I was like: 'as in Robin with tights? No!' I didn't realise they were going to make the coolest movie ever! They didn't have a Robin in the end, but I was only 19 so my agent could have helped me out a bit on that one."

http://channelhopping.onthebox.com/2012/03/08/kiefer-sutherland-talks-24-the-movie-turning-down-batman-and-his-new-show-touch/

[riddler]

Odd that Robin was supposed to be Dick Grayson in the first film, NOT dick grayson in the second film and of course was grayson in the 3rd and 4th.

I actually think Robin could have been fit in more in this film than Returns. Returns essentially had 4 big players (Batman, Schreck, Catwoman, and Penguin) this film was basically Batman vs the Joker. Though it would have required rewrites, I liked how Batman and Joker were basically 2 similar people at the end of the coin; both freaks, both made each other both having conflicted images in gotham as either friend or foe, both made each other.

[DarkVengeance]

That info about Kiether is nuts, as cool as that might have been im sure glad Robin was NOT in the film.

[The Joker]

I remember reading in one of the Batmania book volumes written by James Van Hise (I'm thinking it was Volume 2), that Charlie Sheen personally requested to the brass at WB that he be considered for the role of Robin. Though this was following the decision of Robin not being necessary. Supposedly Spider-Man was another that was on the radar over at Orion Pictures around this time.

[DarkVengeance]

Charlie knew someone at orion and actually asked them if he could play Spiderman, it was something he bothered the studio about but of course the project fell through and never happened, thank god.

[Azrael]

^ Couldn't agree more. The stories about how Robin was to be included and who would play the part in B'89 or BR sound interesting, but it would result in inferior films (IMO the Wayans in Returns still sounds like a horror story)