DC Declined Zack Snyder's Pitch For Batman v Superman Prequel Comic

By Richard Nebens Updated:
Joker, Batman v Superman

For as many stories as the DC Extended Universe has brought to life on the big screen, the franchise seems to have an entire vault’s worth of adventures that never saw the light of day. This is proven time after time by releases like the Ultimate Edition of Batman v Superman , the rumored Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, and even the upcoming Zack Snyder’s Justice League .

Before the franchise works to get back on track for the future, fans will get a look into the past with the long-awaited Snyder Cut. Director Zack Snyder has spent most of the last year teasing how much his vision is set to change what happened in the 2017 theatrical cut.

In his latest chat, Snyder spoke on a potential spin-off from his director’s cut which never came to be.

SNYDER TALKS THE DEATH OF ROBIN

In an interview on the SnyderCutBR YouTube channel , director Zack Snyder was asked which character he would enjoy focusing on for a potential spin-off to Zack Snyder’s Justice League .

Snyder revealed that he would have loved to do “a sort of mini-kind of comic book run on the death of Robin,” which was originally set to be told in a prequel comic that would have taken place likely before Batman v Superman .

“You know, we talked about doing a…I guess…it would be….DC, they decided not to do it. But we did talk about doing possibly, I wanted to do a sort of mini-kind of comic book run on the death of Robin, right? And what happened? How Joker killed Robin and what it did to Batman and started him down this dark, darker road that ended, kind of culminated, with the arrival of Superman.”

Joker Batman suit
Batman v Superman

EXPANDING ON THE SNYDER LORE

This response is quite interesting from Zack Snyder, especially since the death of Robin is a comic book story that fans have wanted to be told on-screen for years.

During Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , Snyder gave a quick glimpse at an old Batman suit spray-painted with the phrase “Hahaha, joke’s on you, Batman.” This moment is one of the most analyzed moments of the movie, especially since there still has been no sign of Robin in the DCEU to date.

It seems as though this comic that Snyder teased would have shared that story, even if only on the pages rather than in the movies. Zack Snyder has been open about his passion bringing Batman to life within the DCEU, so it makes some sense that he would have enjoyed bringing the Caped Crusader’s sidekick to the big screen as well.

Whether Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, or any other versions of Robin arrive in the DCEU is anybody’s guess at this point. Ben Affleck will be returning in an unknown role for The Flash while Robert Pattinson takes the lead role in 2022’s The Batman , but everything is up in the air for the Dark Knight — and his Boy Wonder — within the franchise.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.