The new update about the DC Universe’s Batman movie changes set up the film to repeat a painful 28-year-long trend for the Caped Crusader’s movie world. While Batman’s movie history has over 80 years of films behind it, the hero’s cinematic endeavors often follow similar lines, since the Caped Crusader’s various movie series often reiterate certain stories.

With the DCU offering our first chance at a new Batman movie series since The Batman, excitement about what this could entail story-wise has been considerable ever since the movie was first announced. However, the upcoming DC Universe movie may be preparing to retread some old and well-worn ground going forward based on recent reports.

James Gunn’s Latest Comments About The DCU Batman Movie Suggest Robin May Not Be In It

Previously, one of the very few details that had been reported about the DCU Batman solo movie The Brave & The Bold was that it would feature Damian Wayne, who is conventionally the fourth Robin in DC’s comic timeline. This made a lot of sense, since the wider Robin roster has been criminally underused in live-action movies.

However, recent comments from James Gunn have suggested this may not be the route The Brave & The Bold actually ends up taking. When asked about the movie recently – specifically in terms of Batman’s age rage, drawing from previous reports the movie would focus on him as a father and on his bond with Damian – Gunn stated:

No, I think you have to wait to see the movie. Some things have changed. Plenty of things are in flux on what his situation is with his parentage and all that stuff, so I wouldn’t take any of it – Yeah, I mean, the actor who wants to… Listen, first of all, I can’t tell you the amount of big actors that have told me they want to be Batman. I think you’d have a harder time finding actors who don’t want to be Batman. He’s the one character everyone wants to play. That’s the truth.

The DC Studios co-CEO followed this up by responding to a more direct question about whether Damian would still be a part of the movie by saying “I think you have to wait to see exactly what’s happening.”

This all combines to suggest said changes may have either removed Damian from the equation, or otherwise have placed focus elsewhere on something other than the bond between Batman and Robin.

This wouldn’t be new for the world of live-action Batman movies, since the majority of films within this category have cut Robin out of their stories in some way, be that by having the Dark Knight never work with a Robin, or otherwise having Robin die off-screen – leaving the last live-action movie with Robin to be 1997’s Batman & Robin.

The DCU’s Current Setup Means It’s Almost Impossible For A Robin To Not Be In

While it currently seems entirely possible The Brave & The Bold will either cut back or cut Robin from its story given the latest updates about the movie, those who may be sad at the prospect at least have the fact it’s far less likely for no Robin to exist in the DCU altogether.

Though the seeming tease of Dick Grayson’s Robin in Clayface may also not reflect the wider DCU plans – since James Gunn has stated the Clayface posters may have contained details that weren’t a part of these plans – the universe’s setting and current timeline suggests that at least one Robin will exist within the DCU.

With Superman establishing that the DCU’s present day is a universe wherein heroes have been operating for some time – and Creature Commandos establishing that Batman has been in operation for a good chunk of this time thanks to its look at Doctor Phosphorus’ backstory – it’d make far more sense for a tenured Batman to already have at least one Robin.

This aligns with what we’ve heard about the DCU slate – namely, that a Teen тιтans script is being worked on. Since this team consistently features a Robin as a core member, it stands to reason this project going forward means there are plans for those who’ve held this mantle, even if The Brave & The Bold gives them a backseat.

Ultimately, the focus on establishing an expansive and three-dimensional world mirrors the decades-long history of the comics does align with having the full Robin roster established in the DCU – especially since each Robin goes on to have different future roles. Hopefully, the DCU Batman movie will at least feature our first glimpse of Robin, even if plans have changed.