If a sequel to Matt Reeves's The Batman ever introduces a Robin, the hero behind the mask should be The Dark Knight Returns' Carrie Kelley. Matt Reeves's The Batman reboots the Caped Crusader, with Robert Pattinson's young, inexperienced, and lonely Bruce Wayne shaping the Batman legend in Gotham City. While it's about time that a live-action Batman franchise brings Robin back to the big screen, it's still too early in Batman's story to introduce an apprentice. However, when the time comes, DC's first official female Robin, Carrie Kelley, is the right choice for the role.
In Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, a veteran Batman recruits Carrie Kelley after she saves him from a gang of thugs. A Robin fan even before Batman made her into a Robin herself, Carrie Kelley uses her gymnastic skills and talent for improvisation to help the Dark Knight in his fights against the dystopian Mutants, the Joker, and even Superman. In The Batman's similarly gritty live-action universe, Carrie Kelley could be a Batman fan despite his infamy in the Gotham City underground, which would demonstrate her fearlessness and eagerness to fight alongside him. And as a regular citizen-turned-vigilante, Carrie can showcase Gotham's deepest flaws while still retaining some degree of the cheerful, "Girl/Boy Wonder" spirit that other Robins could lose if they jump ahead to their Nightwing, Red Hood, or Red Robin phase.
Carrie Kelley Gives Pattinson A Totally Different Robin
Most big-screen Batman adaptations have shied away from Robin, mostly due to the potential tonal clash he could have with Batman. Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, and Zack Snyder all took their time to establish either a gloomy or a gritty Gotham City, where Batman reigned supreme as the dark vigilante who could single-handedly stop all villainous threats. A lighthearted Batman apprentice dressed in red and green tights could have been a distraction, and the precedent of Joel Schumacher's ultra-colorful movies Batman Forever and Batman & Robin didn't help that notion. Still, Marlon Wayans's Robin in Tim Burton's unmade third Batman movie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's last-minute John "Robin" Blake in The Dark Knight Rises, and Robin's damaged suit in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice all suggest that Robin, in some form, did have a place in those franchises despite the ever-present fear of translating a "Boy Wonder" Robin to the screen.
Carrie Kelley breaks down the idea of a corny Robin from the get-go, as Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, which divided Batman's comic book history in two due to its dark and gritty tone, was able to give her an appropriate role that honored the Robin mantle and kept the story's tone consistent. The idea of making Robin a more grounded character had previously been established with Nightwing and Jason Todd's death, but The Dark Knight Returns' Carrie Kelley found the right balance from the start. Besides, bringing any of the male Robins to live-action can divide their fans if they go slightly too serious or slightly too lighthearted, so without a long comic book or movie backstory, Carrie Kelley gives The Batman director Matt Reeves plenty of possibilities to play with.
Carrie Kelley's Dark Comic Origin Suits The Batman's Tone
In typical Robin fashion, Carrie Kelley found hope in following in Batman's footsteps despite an adverse childhood and home life. Unlike the tragic death of Dick Grayson's parents in the middle of a circus performance or the Joker's lifelong influence on Jason Todd's life, Carrie Kelley's tragic backstory is simpler, yet terrifyingly realistic. Carrie is a regular schoolgirl, neglected by her parents and assaulted at night by a group of strangers. Such a dreadful event doesn't need comic book villains or complicated backstories to be scary, or unfortunately, relatable, and it fits The Batman's realistic depiction of a depraved Gotham City where regular humans can be scarier than supervillains.
How The Batman 2 Can Introduce Carrie Kelley's Robin
Carrie Kelly's live-action introduction can perfectly mirror the Dark Knight's introduction in The Batman, with him coming out of the shadows to help her fight off her attackers. Alternatively, Carrie Kelley's first appearance in a sequel to The Batman can mirror her first big feat from The Dark Knight Returns, where she jumped in and rescued Batman just as he was losing the fight. Any variation of Carrie Kelley's accidental first meeting with Batman can form a bond between the two, and Carrie can thus become an important piece of the puzzle in Batman's next big-screen battle, as well as someone close to him who both cares for him and requires protection, just like Alfred and Catwoman. Carrie's lack of a solid DC backstory beyond The Dark Knight Returns allows Matt Reeves to get creative with her introduction, but if there's one aspect that needs to be kept for her live-action adaptation, it's her courage.
Every Other Robin Candidate Teased In The Batman
The only allies Bruce Wayne had in The Batman were Alfred Pennyworth and Selina Kyle, but there were possible hints at characters who may or may not be Robin figures in the future. The Batman's opening sequence presented a little boy whose father gets murdered — a clever subversion of expectations when the audience finds out it's not Bruce, but the son of Gotham's mayor. While the boy is simply a reflection of Bruce's own tragedy, he could also become a Robin, eventually. In the comics, Tim Drake becomes a Robin after he finds out Batman's identity by following and analyzing him, so the boy's curiosity over who solved his father's murder can lead to him becoming The Batman's Red Robin.
At the end of The Batman, Catwoman leaves for Blüdhaven, a fictional DC city where Nightwing operates in the comics. At this point in Batman's journey, it will take a long time for Nightwing to appear, as he must go through the trials of being Robin first. However, Dick Grayson could be living in Blüdhaven already, and witnessing Catwoman's crime-fighting escapades could inspire him. Lastly, Alfred references his "circus" backstory in The Batman. But while this sounds like a clear nod to Dick Grayson and The Flying Graysons, it is actually a reference to his time with the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. Still, that choice of words can still be used by future The Batman sequels to connect Alfred to the first Robin. But, if Matt Reeves's The Batman universe goes ahead with a fresh start for Robin, Carrie Kelley provides a blank slate that makes her the ideal candidate.
