A storyboard panel from the 1989 Batman movie, showing Tim Burton’s vision of Robin, has been sold at auction. Originally, the studio wanted to include Batman’s sidekick in the film, and early versions of the script featured Robin—with Michael J. Fox and Eddie Murphy even considered for the part. Although Tim Burton didn’t want to include the character, the studio pushed for it, and artists created storyboards as a result.
I was really fascinated to see some storyboards from Tim Burton’s Batman hit the auction block at Heritage Auctions recently! These weren’t scenes that made the final cut – they were created by the David Russell Group and depict a different take on a pivotal moment. The storyboard shows Robin actually fighting the Joker while Batman is stuck, which is wild to think about. It gives you a glimpse into how things could have gone if the studio had favored this alternate direction.
Why Didn’t Robin Appear in The Batman?
Original plans for The Batman included a significant role for Robin, with the Joker causing the tragedy that orphaned Dick Grayson. However, director Tim Burton and writer Sam Hamm couldn’t agree on this direction. Ultimately, the movie had too many characters and storylines, so the Robin plot was cut. A similar disagreement occurred during the making of Batman Returns. The studio pushed for Robin, hoping to boost sales of action figures. Marlon Wayans was even cast, which would have made him the first Black superhero in a DC film. However, his role was limited to a brief appearance – he was only meant to play Batman’s mechanic.
The early plan for the movie Batman included a more prominent role for Robin (Dick Grayson). However, removing him ultimately improved the film because it kept the story focused on Batman and the Joker. A key part of what made Batman work so well was connecting the Joker to Bruce Wayne’s past – specifically, making him responsible for his parents’ death. That connection wouldn’t have been as powerful if Robin had also been involved in that tragedy; it would have complicated things too much. By keeping the narrative streamlined, the movie became stronger, proving director Tim Burton made the right decision.
It’s interesting how Warner Bros. initially underestimated Robin. While a significant part of Batman’s story, he doesn’t become truly essential until Batman is well-established as a hero. Christopher Nolan showed this with his Dark Knight trilogy, and Matt Reeves is doing the same in The Batman universe. Even Zack Snyder left Robin out of his DC films, though he hinted at Robin’s death being what drove Batman to use lethal force.
This storyboard offers a really interesting look at what could have been. Apparently, there’s an alternate reality where Robin first appeared in Tim Burton’s classic Batman movie back in 1989. In that version of events, Batman might never have been seen as fully capable on his own, and Robin could have become just as famous a character for adaptations as Batman himself.
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2026-06-13 00:16