WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Batman, now playing in theaters.
There are plenty of threats for Robert Pattinson’s version of the Dark Knight to take on in The Batman, ranging from the more baseline criminals under Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) to the demented Riddler (Paul Dano) and his followers. But one minor figure he encounters might have a greater potential than anyone realizes. The Batman‘s various criminals include one unnamed teen who seems over-his-head even before Batman arrives. Coincidently, he’s played by an actor who’s appeared as Robin in another DC show, making him a great blueprint for The Batman‘s future version of Robin.
The Batman introduces a number of criminals and villains, including a gang of vandals at the beginning of the film who seem to just want to spread some chaos across Gotham in a brutal manner. Wearing face paint and sharing a similar clothing aesthetic, the gang jumps off a train to corner an innocent man and beat him as part of an initiation for their newest member. The young initiate doesn’t seem excited about the prospect, though, and is reluctant to strike the man. It’s at this point Batman makes his first appearance in the film, where he proceeds to beat the assembled gang into varying stages of unconsciousness. The only one he doesn’t attack is the initiate, who doesn’t go after Batman and even offers a quick warning to the Dark Knight when one of his gang members pulls out a gun.
The teen doesn’t bear an obvious name, but the performer has a history of playing DC characters. In Titans, Jay Lycurgo plays Tim Drake, a future member of the Bat-Family and inheritor of the role of Robin. While The Batman cast Lycurgo long before he took on the role of Drake in the separate continuity, it’s still an interesting connection, especially when one considers the possibility that the unnamed gang member could theoretically be this world’s version of someone like Drake.
A classic element of Drake as a character is that he’s someone eventually inspired by Batman. In his original inception in the Post-Crisis DC Universe, Drake saw how dark the Caped Crusader was becoming in light of Jason Todd’s death and strived to help by becoming a new Robin. Something similar could happen in this new cinematic version of Gotham City, with the unknown criminal seeing the true dangerous potential of Batman first hand. But given the film’s ultimately hopeful message and more heroic Batman, it’s possible the teen will see potential in how Batman handles himself. Already portrayed as wary of being a part of his gang, seeing the fate awaiting criminals like that could lead the teen to find a new path and become a hero.
It wouldn’t be the first time a variant of Drake was given a more street-level origin, either, as the incarnation of the character from The New Batman Adventures was similarly reimagined to come from a criminal background. It would be an interesting way to approach Drake as a character, giving him a direct connection to Batman’s crusade before ever becoming a part of it. While Lycurgo’s casting gives The Batman a fun coincidental connection to another DC property, it also quietly sets the stage for this gritty version of Batman to get a partner.
To see the possible beginning of a new Tim Drake, check out The Batman, now playing in theaters
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