Sorry fanboys, but director Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” will not be about how a young Bruce Wayne deals with the death of Jason Todd, aka Robin.
The rumor surfaced online like a distorted Bat Signal on Wednesday. But an insider with knowledge of the project set the record straight.
Asked about the Jason Todd rumor, the insider shut things down with a simple: “False.”
If you aren’t a comic book fan, you may be thinking at this point: Wasn’t Robin’s real name Dick Grayson? Yes.
Jason Todd became the second Robin after Grayson, the first Robin, left Batman to join the Teen Titans. Jason Todd was killed by The Joker in the infamous “Death in the Family” comic book storyline.
The DC films universe has suggested a similar fate befell Robin: In 2016’s “Batman v Superman,” one scene features Bruce Wayne in the Batcave looking at a display case containing a Robin suit. Someone — you can probably guess who — has written “HA HA HA Joke’s On You, Batman” across the chest.
“The Batman” has been the subject of endless speculation — Reeves recently had to clarify that his “Batman” story will be part of the DC Extended Universe that includes Superman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League.
Reeves tweeted back in February that he is currently writing “The Batman.”
Thank you! And: yes! And: um, no, I can’t, sorry…
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) February 14, 2018
The filmmaker has previously said he set aside an original script written by Ben Affleck and DC entertainment president Geoff Johns, and is “starting again” on a completely new take. “No. It’s a new story. It’s just starting again. I’m excited about it. I think it’s going to be really cool,” Reeves told MTV’s Happy Sad Confused podcast last year.
Affleck and Johns wrote their script while the “Argo” Oscar-winner was still set to direct as well as star in “The Batman.”
The concept envisioned by Affleck and Johns featured Deathstroke the Terminator as the main villain, and Joe Manganiello was hired to play the supervillain. Given the changes around the project, Manganiello has said he isn’t sure if he’s still in “The Batman.”