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Would You Want Daniel Radcliffe to Play Batman's Sidekick Robin?
by Ethan Anderton
June 23, 2014
Source: BuzzFeed
With director Zack Snyder currently shooting Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, comic book fans are anxious to see what kind of DC Comics universe this leads to on the big screen. A potential leak of Warner Bros. timeline plans for franchises hitting the big screen following the 2016 sequel just showed up, and along with that came another rumor that a standalone film following Ben Affleck as The Caped Crusader might pop up in 2019. And while Batman is expected to be part of Justice League, there's obviously no indication of what a standalone Batman film would be like outside of the superhero ensemble. But one element hasn't been discussed much when it comes to all these plans: Batman's trusty sidekick Robin.
You might remember a rumor from last fall that "Girls" and now Star Wars: Episode VII actor Adam Driver was the frontrunner to play Dick Grayson, the orphan who becomes Batman's sidekick. However, the report indicated that Driver's version of Grayson wouldn't be Robin, but rather the superhero Nightwing. It was said that Batman v. Superman took place at a time after Bruce Wayne and Grayson had a falling out, where the two hadn't spoken to each other in years. We're not sure if this rumor holds any credibility, but considering all the cameos from the likes of Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and more that are supposed to happen, the inclusion of Grayson wouldn't be outside of the realm of possibility.
But who could play the character? BuzzFeed (via Collider) recently conducted a rapid fire Q&A with Harry Potter franchise star Daniel Radcliffe, and when asked what franchise he'd like to join next, the British actor said, "Batman. If they reboot that again I’ll do that too. It’s happening, isn’t it? With Ben Affleck. I could be Robin, I’m perfect.” If you listen to the interview, he's not necessarily genuinely pitching himself for the role of The Boy Wonder, but it does make us wonder what that might be like. Radcliffe has international recognition, and just might be the right age to bring Robin (or Nightwing) to life. At the same time, Radcliffe isn't exactly in superhero shape, so he'd have to pump some iron to bulk up at least a little.
Robin hasn't been brought to the big screen since the Joel Schumacher directed films Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, and considering the films themselves, it wasn't exactly a success with Chris O'Donnell as the sidekick. One might argue that Christopher Nolan brought Robin to the big screen in the form of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but the mention of that name was more of just some clever fan service. We're still a long way from seeing what's in store for Batman and the DC Comics cinematic universe, but we'll keep you posted. Would you like to see Daniel Radcliffe as Robin? Who would you cast as Batman's sidekick?
22 Comments
1
No. But to be fair I do not want to see a big screen Robin again.
Brian Sleider on Jun 23, 2014
2
I could see it
Jon Odishaw on Jun 23, 2014
3
no, Batman is fine all by himself plus Radcliffe is too short
Quynh Truong on Jun 23, 2014
4
Too short? Robert Downey Jr is only 5'9" yet in The Avengers he's quite a few inches taller than Chris Evans who is 6 feet tall... Also his height is kind of perfect for a gymnastic, acrobatic wonder kid. He's also the right age to play Nightwing when he's had enough. And Dick Grayson is only supposed to be 5'10 in the comics.
Kento on Jun 23, 2014
5
Radcliffe is only 5'5 and Affleck is 6'3. the differences are too big
Quynh Truong on Jun 23, 2014
6
You're not understanding my point. Lifts can easily make him 5'8" or 5'9" Also Tim Drake was never taller than 5'5"... Even as an adult, as Red Robin, he was never taller than 5'5" which means he could ABSOLUTELY be A robin... doesn't matter which Robin.
Kento on Jun 23, 2014
7
And Elijah Wood is not 3 foot short yet he sure looked it in the Lord of the Rings. If only SFX could fool us..............
Brian Sleider on Jun 23, 2014
8
This would be really great casting. Besides I'd rather see Adam Driver play Jason Todd and become The Red Hood...
Kento on Jun 23, 2014
9
As much as I want to like him, Daniel Radcliffe just isn't a good actor. I haven't been impressed by any of his performances so far (and yes i've seen more than just harry potter)
Danimal on Jun 23, 2014
10
Me neither. Kill Your Darlings, Woman in Black, the show with Jon Hamm. He's just not good.
renshaw on Jun 23, 2014
11
He is good. You do you like Channing Tatum??
Sir Charles Johnson on Jun 24, 2014
12
Nice bit of non-news. I could get into him playing Robin, but I just don't see why this is a story on here.
Charles Oosterhouse on Jun 23, 2014
13
No that would be a tragic accident waiting to happen. "Robin, look! Mr. E. Nygma... Mystery!" "And enygma! Avada Kedavra, Batman! Voldemort is the Tom Riddler! Batman?"
The Walking Cuban on Jun 23, 2014
14
I like Radcliffe quite a bit, but the clear choice for Robin is Kurt Russell.
Astroboy3000 on Jun 23, 2014
15
I thought we had an unwritten rule that Robin wouldn't be in the movies anymore...but Kurt Russell as Robin? Brilliant! He practically already played the part in Big Trouble In Little China. I'm in for that.
Jonathan on Jun 23, 2014
17
Hmm... I can see that if they do the whole Robin history. Russell as Dick Grayson. Glover as Jason Todd. And Peter Dinklage as Tim Drake. Or Jonathan Ke Quan? HE'S a good sidekick. The Stephanie, Damian and Carrie Robins are probably not necessary... *sigh* Knowing this much about Robin won't get me anywhere in life.
Jonathan on Jun 25, 2014
18
Robin is not needed. Please dont add him in there.
Rock n Rollllll on Jun 23, 2014
19
I would actually not want this at all. I find his acting to be insipid and one note. Robin needs to be smart mouthed and cool.
DAVIDPD on Jun 23, 2014
20
With the casting choices they've already made, it doesn't matter at this point.
Sir Charles Johnson on Jun 24, 2014
21
What is with all this hate towards robin?? Chris nolan has already shown us that characters i thought could only be cheesy and oldfashioned like the joker and catwoman could still be cool and relevant. Robin could be a very cool, even complex character if handled well. Im not sure if radcliffe could pull off a more complex incarnation, but im sure he would do it fine. Im not sure how you feel about this being a true, fully envisioned justice league/batman movie without robin (nolan handled it by just implying it at the end), but I really couldnt call a batman movie a true batman movie that captures the essense without some form of a robin.
jay on Jun 24, 2014
22
I can see it... There needs to be a fresh outlook on Robin. We're all tainted by Schumacher's version through the acting of Chris O'Donnell. I think fans would feel different it a new Robin, darker, menacing, and out for revenge was presented.
Quanah on Jun 24, 2014
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