Storyboard Art For Tim Burton's BATMAN Reveals Original Concept With Robin

An original storyboard created forBatman(1989) has gone up for auction, offering fans a rare look at a version of the film that included Batman’s longtime sidekick Robin.

The artwork, which is currently being sold through Heritage Auctions, reveals an alternate sequence from an early stage of development when Warner Bros. was still pushing for the Boy Wonder to appear alongside the Dark Knight.

Before Tim Burton transformed Batman into the gothic blockbuster that changed superhero movies forever, Robin was considered an essential piece of the puzzle. Early versions of the script featured Dick Grayson in a major role, and the studio was actively exploring casting options.

At various points, both Michael J. Fox and Eddie Murphy were reportedly considered for the character. Burton, however, wasn’t sold on the idea.

Even though the director pushed back against including Robin, the studio initially continued developing the concept. Storyboards were commissioned, and now one of those pieces has surfaced for fans to see.

Created by the David Russell Group, the storyboard depicts a scene in which Robin battles the Joker while Batman is trapped. It presents an entirely different dynamic for the movie and offers a glimpse into a version of Batman that leaned much more heavily into the broader comic book mythology.

The early drafts gave Dick Grayson a substantial role in the story. In those versions, the Joker was responsible for the accident that killed the Flying Graysons, setting Dick on the path toward becoming Robin.

While that setup may sound familiar to comic readers, Burton and screenwriter Sam Hamm ultimately felt the film was carrying too many storylines and characters.

As development continued, Robin was removed completely. Looking back, that decision was probably the right call.

One of the strengths of Batman was its tight focus on the relationship between Batman and the Joker. The film already made the inspired choice of connecting the Joker to Bruce Wayne’s tragic past.

Adding another revenge-driven origin story involving Dick Grayson could have diluted the emotional core of the movie and pulled attention away from the central conflict.

The battle over Robin didn’t end there, though. When Burton moved on to Batman Returns, Warner Bros. once again pushed for Robin’s inclusion, hoping the character would help drive toy sales.

The studio even cast Marlon Wayans in the role, a decision that would have made him the first Black superhero to appear in a DC feature film.

Interestingly, the role was never intended to be a full-fledged Robin introduction. Wayans was reportedly only set to appear in a small cameo as Batman’s mechanic.

History eventually sided with Burton’s instincts. While Robin remains one of the most important characters in Batman lore, modern filmmakers have repeatedly shown that Batman can thrive on screen without him, at least during the earlier stages of his crime-fighting career.

Christopher Nolan left Robin out of most of his Dark Knight trilogy, while Matt Reeves has built an expanding The Batman universe without introducing the character. Even Zack Snyder avoided using Robin as an active hero in the DCEU, instead making the character’s death part of Batman’s darker backstory.

That’s what makes this newly surfaced storyboard so interesting. It captures a version of Batman that almost existed, one where Robin entered the cinematic spotlight years before audiences met versions of the character in later films.