Robin’s Death By Jared Leto’s Joker Revealed

Jared Leto is back as the Joker in Zack Snyder's Justice League, and it looks like we will learn how he killed Robin.

By Drew Dietsch | Published 3 years ago

This article is more than 2 years old

Jared Leto is back as the Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. This has led to a lot of speculation as to what role he will be playing in the new cut of the DC superhero team-up film. Well, a new piece of crucial information has not only given us a clue as to what the Clown Prince of Crime might be doing in the film, but it also reveals a huge part of the DC Extended Universe’s backstory: the death of Robin.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice costume designer Douglas J. Stewart posted this look at the dead Robin’s costume to his Instagram, and it confirmed a significant part regarding Robin’s death at the hands of Jared Leto’s Joker:

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A bit of detail on Robin’s gauntlet. He was brutally murdered and then set ablaze by the Joker. The story had to be told in the salvaged costume on display inside the Batcave. Aging and specialty distressing needs to tell these unscripted tales that support the main framework of the film. Here we had to create a Robin Suit in a matter of days. Using what we had and then figure out how to modify it all as well as building the support interior. It was a lot of fun. #batman #robin #joker #batmanvsuperman #mpc705 #motionpicturecostumers #specialtycostumes #superhero We, @agentbrown1 @ivorypix @robotclouds, worked together to make this and a whole lot of this movie, happen. Oops! Photo @jackrupert133 thanks!

A post shared by AGENT BROWN (@agentbrown1) on Nov 6, 2017 at 5:40pm PST

Stewart reveals that Robin was “set ablaze” by Jared Leto’s Joker after being murdered. This seems like just a little bit of flavor, but it turns out that it provided a key puzzle piece in figuring out the kind of relationship between this version of Batman and the Joker. Recently, a fan theory has been circulating that the Joker burned down Wayne Manor in the DC Extended Universe canon. We see the ruined estate in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as well as the deceased Robin suit.

ben affleck jared leto batman joker feature

Now, with confirmation that Robin’s body was burned, the theory is that it took place in Wayne Manor and that Jared Leto’s Joker knows Batman’s secret identity. This sounds like nothing more than decent sleuthing on the part of fans, but lending credence to the theory is the fact that Zack Snyder himself showed some support for the idea. With reshoots underway for Zack Snyder’s Justice League, there is now a lot of fervor around the idea that we could see the death of Robin and the burning of Wayne Manor in Zack Snyder’s Justice League.

In all honesty, these reshoots are the perfect opportunity to build a better sense of character dynamic between Ben Affleck’s Batman and Jared Leto’s Joker. The two characters only met for a brief action scene in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, and we have never gotten a scene with them exchanging dialogue. Could Zack Snyder’s Justice League fill in this necessary gap in their characters’ stories? And will we actually see someone cast as Robin for this potentially pivotal death scene?

We know that Jared Leto’s Joker killed the original Robin, Dick Grayson, in the DC Extended Universe. That is a game-changing moment for this iteration of the DC canon. Having that be on the periphery of the story seems like a waste. Since Zack Snyder’s Justice League is reportedly going to reach upwards of four hours in running time, there is no reason not to explore and showcase this important development between Batman and the Joker.

If we don’t see Jared Leto’s Joker killing Robin, at least it is good we have some confirmation on how the Boy Wonder met his end in the DC Extended Universe. Still, we are really hoping we get to see such a monumental death on the screen instead of having to piece it together ourselves.