The Dark Knight Rises revealed that the middle name of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character was Robin, but that wasn’t the only reference to Batman’s sidekick in the film: there’s one Easter egg that’s pretty easy to miss, but it’s a clear nod to the character. Batman and many characters from Gotham City have been adapted to TV and film many times, but Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy stands as one, if not the best adaptation of all, as it offered a darker and more realistic version of the Caped Crusader.
The trilogy began in 2005 with Batman Begins, introducing Christian Bale as the new Bruce Wayne/Batman, and with Liam Neeson as the film’s main villain, Ra’s al Ghul. The film was a critical and commercial success and made way for two sequels, starting in 2008 with The Dark Knight. The second film in the trilogy introduced a new version of the Joker, played by Heath Ledger, and is now regarded as one of the best superhero films ever made. The final entry, The Dark Knight Rises, arrived in 2012, with Bane (Tom Hardy) and Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul (Marion Cotillard) as main villains.
The Dark Knight Rises also introduced John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young police officer and orphan who knew Wayne’s secret identity. The reveal of John’s middle name being Robin was a nod to Batman’s famous sidekick, but that wasn’t the only reference to the character in the film.
When Bane destroys a football stadium during a game of the Gotham Rogues, there’s a sign among the crowd of supporters of the Rogues. The “R” in it has a very peculiar style: that of Tim Drake’s suit. Tim Drake is the third incarnation of Robin, and made his debut in 1989 in Batman #436, though his first appearance as Robin was in Batman #442. The sign is a “blink and you miss it” moment in The Dark Knight Rises, but it caught the attention of fans very early on as it was included in the film's first trailer.
An explanation for it was quickly released, claiming it wasn’t a reference to The Boy Wonder. Instead, it was explained that most extras at Heinz Field brought their own props and costumes, and so that very specific “R” was the idea of a (very smart and creative) fan. This detail obviously didn’t bother Nolan and crew as they decided to keep it, and sources at the time insisted that it had nothing to do with Robin nor with him possibly appearing in the film. Of course, fans now look at this explanation from a different perspective, given the other more obvious nod to Batman’s legendary sidekick. Neither Nolan nor anyone else involved in The Dark Knight Rises has commented on it since the film was released, so it’s up to each viewer to decide which story to believe: if it was a sneaky idea from a fan, or if it was another hidden homage.
