If things had gone as planned, fans of Justice League would have gotten a glimpse into how the Joker killed Robin, Batman's trusted sidekick. Zack Snyder, during an interview with Variety, revealed that he had plans to explore the death of one of the most important characters in the Batman series, following the release of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Snyder and his team have been heavily promoting the Snyder Cut of Justice League for the past month, with the director himself releasing bits of information every few days. However, this is the first time the filmmaker has spoken of a character whose death still remains a mystery in the DC Extended Universe. Through flashbacks, Snyder wanted to show viewers how Batman's ally loses his life at the hands of Joker while the villain also burns down Wayne Manor.
Snyder didn’t confirm which specific movie would have the Robin flashbacks. However, when he originally joined the DCEU, his plans included a five-movie storyline. With Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League completing the first three chapters, Robin’s story could have potentially been a part of the subsequent Justice League sequels. In Batman v Superman, viewers are offered a glimpse of the burned shell of Bruce Wayne’s former home, along with a look at a Robin suit kept in a sealed case in the Batcave, with the words, “HA HA HA Joke’s On You, Batman” painted across its chest. During the promotional for Batman v Superman, Snyder had said in an interview that in his mind, “Robin had died 10 years earlier during some run-in with a young Joker”.
At the time of Batman v Superman's release, fans were left questioning Robin’s fate. Most assumed that the suit belonged to Jason Todd, the second Robin, forming a connection to the DC Comics’ A Death in the Family arc, where Joker repeatedly hits Todd with a crowbar and leaves him to die in an explosion. But, in the years to follow, Snyder confirmed that it was actually Batman's original Robin, Dick Grayson. Regardless of his true identity, Robin dies before the events of Batman v Superman in the DCEU and the loss seems to haunt the caped crusader.
Whether Snyder’s version of events would have seen a similar progression as the comics is something fans will never know. He has made it clear that there won’t be another movie, following his version of Justice League. While Joker will make an appearance in the four-hour-long Snyder Cut, Robin’s fate will remain unknown.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be available to stream on HBO Max starting March 18, 2021.
Source: Variety