Although it’s based on the scantest of sources, a rumour has arisen that Robin may show up in some form in The Dark Knight Rises. If it turns out to be true, it would certainly be a surprise, as Christopher Nolan has previously said Batman’s sidekick didn’t fit into his trilogy, while Christian Bale said he would refuse to go to work is Robin was set to appear in a Bat flick.
However they both said that before the script for Dark Knight Rises was actually in the works, so there is an outside possibility things have changed – and with the Caped Crusader’s influence on others seemingly a large part of the theme of the film, having Robin might be possible.
Before we get too carried away, it should be noted that the rumour doesn’t come from an official source, but instead comes through an NBC affiliate in Michigan (spotted by AICN), who report that, ‘According to Eaton County and Grand Ledge officials who didn’t want to be identified due to confidentiality agreements, production crews from “The Dark Knight Rises” scouted locations in Grand Ledge’s Fitzgerald Park last week. They looked at the Ledges as well as a water treatment plant located inside the park. Sources say the area is being considered as a hideout for Batman sidekick Robin.’
Now there are various possibilities, but it does appear the location scouts are referring to the place they’re looking for as ‘Robin’s Cave’, but that could purely be a codename, designed to mislead. At the moment it’s all speculation, although personally I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out to be true.
When Nolan and Bale dismissed Robin, it was at a time when the Chris O’Donnell disaster was fresher in people’s minds, so the idea of bringing him in may not have the sense of jumping the shark like it did back then. Also, as the theme of Batman being both cause and effect of good and bad happening in Gothma has become ever bigger in the film series’ mythology, it might be time to bring Robin in. Villains Bane and Dr. Hugo Strange (who many still say will appear in the movie) are both bad guys whose actions are directly influenced by Batman, so having Robin coming up, inspired by the Caped Crusader is a positive way, may be a good way to balance that.