Gotham Knights: CW’s Batman Spin-off Actors Confirm Joker & Robin Connections

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Posted:
Joker, Robin, DC logo

Although The CW's future as a network is unknown, its superhero slate is still growing. One of the new shows that will premiere in its 2022-2023 lineup is Gotham Knights. The upcoming series will not be part of the Arrowverse, the universe where The Flash, Batwoman, Supergirl, and Legend of Tomorrow reside. After Batwoman was canceled by the network, fans expected that Gotham Knights would take its place. However, that wasn't the case since the Batman spinoff is a standalone project. 

Gotham Knights revolves around the aftermath of Batman's death, with it putting the focus on Bruce Wayne's adopted son, Turner Hayes. Along with Hayes, other characters, namely Duela Dent, Carrie Kelley, and Stephanie Brown, are framed for the Dark Knight's murder, thus leading to an adventure to prove their innocence. 

Now, ahead of its upcoming premiere, new details about multiple characters from the show have been revealed.

Gotham Knights' Joker & Robin References Explained

Gotham Knights stars Olivia Rose Keegan and Navia Robinson sat down with TV Line to talk about the upcoming CW series and their respective characters. 

Keegan revealed interesting details about her character, Duela Dent, confirming that she is the "Joker's daughter" in this universe. The High School Musical: The Series actress also described Duela as the "fireball" and the "wildcard" in the team: 

“Duela is sort of like the full embodiment of like every wild instinct you’ve ever had, which I think we all have that part of ourselves. But it’s so crazy to see and to think like, ‘Oh, what if you let that take over your whole entire self?’ So she’s fireball, she’s wildcard, she’s the Joker’s daughter.”

Duela Dent
DC

Robinson, who plays Carrie Kelly (the new Robin) in the show, also confirmed that the previous version of Batman's sidekick died. However, the actress didn't specify if it was Dick Grayson or Jason Todd. 

Robinson also described her character as "everybody’s like inclination to help and be positive:"

"Yeah, bit it. That’s a polite way to put that. I can’t beat Olivia’s description so i’m going to join her. In the way that Duela is everybody’s wildest instinct culminated, I think Carrie is everybody’s like inclination to help and be positive and be kind of resilient so, yeah…. Carrie was Batman’s sidekick.”

Carrie Kelly
DC

When asked if Carrie was a Robin, Robinson said yes while pointing out that her character has a "very practical" and "more tactical suit:"

Robinson: “Yeah, it’s a very practical, more tactical suit which I’m really into.”
Keegan: “It’s so freaking cool.”
Robinson: “It’s pretty cool. But you can like actually believe that she fights crime in it, which is great because very often we see the classic Robin which is its own beauty within itself. But it’s also like nobody’s fighting crime in tights.”

What is Gotham Knights' Endgame?

Duela Dent being Joker's daughter and Carrie Kelley being a former Robin mean that Gotham Knights is still staying true to the comics. This is a positive development for the series, especially after the lackluster response of fans toward its trailer made the video game of the same name distance itself from the project. 

Including someone like Duela Dent in your team poses problems, mainly because she has ties to Joker and Two-Face. However, it also serves as an advantage since the team has someone who thinks like a criminal, which could prove to be beneficial if one is trying to run away from the law. 

Olivia Rose Keegan already teased that Duela is the "wildcard" of the team, meaning that she could betray them at some point. Still, the fact that Carrie Kelley is present in the group may hint that she could be the key to keeping the group together. After all, she is a former Robin who was trained by Batman. 

The CW's Gotham Knights is set to premiere in 2023. 

- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.