The DCU would be a very different place if Robin hadn't died before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. When Ben Affleck joined the DCU as Batman, he did so without the Caped Crusader’s young ward. Instead of simply omitting the character, the creative decision was made for Robin to have been killed prior to the events of Batman v Superman. The story beat helped establish where precisely Batman was in his life. Robin’s absence has loomed large over the DCU as a result, and his inclusion would have changed the universe's dynamic.
Knowing which Robin the DCU had been dealing with helps clarify exactly how the character would have impacted things, up to and including the formation of the DCU's Justice League. Zack Snyder confirming which Robin owned the suit that audiences saw in Batman v Superman is useful in that context. In fact, Batman v Superman would have been an entirely different movie with Robin’s involvement, quite possibly avoiding a handful of the film’s problems.
Which Robin Was The One In The DCU
The movies never officially made it clear which Robin was in the DCU. On its face, it would seem likely that the dead Robin was the Jason Todd iteration of the character, given that his death was inarguably the most defining thing about his time as Robin. Due to the depiction of the costume and weapon, one could think it was also Tim Drake, especially as that version of Robin was best known for wielding a staff.
Eventually, Snyder confirmed the DCU's Robin as Dick Grayson. Perhaps this might have been alienating for Teen Titans fans, but it matched up with the lack of any mentions of Nightwing or anyone outside of Alfred appearing in Batman’s immediate support structure. No other Robin costumes were shown, so the Robin slain by the Joker in the DCU was the very first and, thus far, the very last. Knowing this makes it easier to determine the kind of impact Robin would have had, skewing a more optimistic personality than either Jason Todd or Damian Wayne, lining up more with Tim Drake.
Batman Wouldn't Be As Brutal In Batman v Superman
With Dick Grayson around, Batman would have been far less merciless in his takedowns of criminals. It was all but explicitly stated that Affleck's darker Batman was largely the product of his grief over losing Robin. If Robin didn't die in the DCU, Batman wouldn't have just escaped his grief; he’d also have a mentorship role to assume. In such a role, Batman wouldn’t have wanted to teach his young ward that dangerous extremism is the appropriate path. Even Matt Reeves's The Batman seemed to acknowledge the slippery slope of Batman’s vengeful tendencies and need to be something more.
Dick Grayson was also a more lighthearted character than Batman in nearly every respect. The capacity for that darkness was there, but he typically kept it in check. This was even noted during his own time as the Dark Knight after the original Batman's theoretical death in the comics. He wasn't one to condone cruelty and was quick to talk Bruce down whenever it looked like the Caped Crusader was going over the deep end. So if and when Batman started to go overboard in the events leading up to Batman v Superman, Robin would have helped to keep him from going farther than he felt was necessary.
Batman Would Decide Against Killing Superman
With the removal of Batman’s brutality from the equation, he definitely wouldn’t have settled on the decision to outright kill the Man of Steel in Batman v Superman. He may have briefly entertained the idea upon seeing the kind of damage Superman could do. However, with Robin there to talk him down, as well as Alfred, it’s more likely that Batman would have avoided letting things escalate to such a level, even with Batman v Superman's Lex Luthor manipulating things behind the scenes. This isn’t to say Batman and Superman wouldn’t have fought, however, as they’d still have clashed over their respective approaches to dispensing justice.
The two would still have had plenty of cause to come to blows by the end of the film. Lex Luthor could have used Robin as leverage against Batman, similarly to how he used Martha against Superman. With Batman potentially having been tricked into believing that Superman had done something to get Robin hurt or killed, the Dark Knight might have fought Superman to get Robin to safety or avenge him until he learned the truth. This would have ultimately fixed that silly Martha moment in Batman v Superman and absolved the film of one of its biggest problems.
Batman And Robin Would Help Stop Lex Sooner
In this imagined scenario, Robin being a much lighter and more cooperative character than Batman would have worked in the good guys' favor. Were Lex to have somehow manipulated Superman into capturing Robin to use as leverage, Robin would have had no problem arranging a way to work with Superman. He was, after all, the protégé of the world’s greatest detective. Robin would have been able to figure out what was causing Superman’s behavior and find a way to take Lex down.
With Robin involved, Superman and Batman’s fight wouldn’t have gone nearly as far. Superman would have eventually been able to convey to Batman that Robin was fine and working with him, eventually convincing Batman to trust him. Robin would then have been able to stop Lex from ever unleashing Doomsday in Batman v Superman, freeing up Superman and Batman to save Martha and Lois together.
The Justice League Would Form Much Earlier
Robin's presence would have potentially eliminated the threat of Doomsday from Batman v Superman, so there wouldn’t have been as much cause for Wonder Woman to have a significant role in the film. That doesn’t mean the Justice League would have been put off, however. In fact, after the experience of working together with Superman on something, Batman would have been free to end the movie on the suggestion of the Justice League, starting with the heroes in Luthor’s files. With Batman working alongside Superman, the Justice League would have been able to form much faster, which would have had some major implications for the burgeoning DCU.
With the likes of Wonder Woman and Cyborg active in the Justice League sooner, they would have had time to get used to working alongside one another, removed from the immediate crisis of the Justice League film. Superman being alive would have also delayed Steppenwolf’s attack on Earth. As a result, the Apokoliptian invasion wouldn’t have come to pass until the Justice League had already been together for some time, all but ensuring that it wouldn’t have even been a real threat. They would have been able to detect its coming and put a stop to it quickly.
Robin's death in the DCU had major ripples without ever being directly shown. It made Batman more extreme and brutal and contributed heavily to his antagonistic approach toward Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. That decision led to Superman’s sacrifice against Doomsday. Robin's survival would have had a massive impact not just on Batman but on the DCU as a whole.
