Marlon Wayans as Robin? (as in Batman's Robin)

The crazy Wayans as Robin?

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Marlon Wayans as Robin (as in Batman's Robin)

Yes, you heard that right. Even during Tim Burton’s first Batman movie, Batman’s partner Robin was supposed to make an appearance. It was actually written and storyboarded. It was scripted that the Joker killed Robin’s parents. It was dropped during production.

Then, by the second Batman film, Batman Returns, they actually brought in Marlon Wayans to play the Robin role. From the IMDB trivia page,

((Marlon Wayans was signed on to play Robin in this movie and Batman Forever (1995) - he even went through costuming for the five minutes that he appeared in the script. But when the script was re-written and Joel Schumacher took over as director, the role went to Chris O'Donnell. Wayans was paid for both movies. ))

That's right, goofy man Marlon Wayans was going to be the boy wonder in the Batman films. One hand, having Robin in Batman Returns would have crowded an already character full movie. However, I would have loved to have seen the production photos with Marlon in the Robin costume. I'm sure they're around somewhere.

Heck, it was even rumored that Marlon also filmed a scene with Batman. I've heard that the scene does exist, but I can't confirm that.

In an io9 interview, Marlon even talks about his non-role in the Batman franchise.

((Wayans: I was actually supposed to play Robin, in Batman Returns, about 15 years ago. But there was too many characters. I was cast, I was paid and everything. I still get residual checks. Tim Burton didn't wind up doing three, Joel Schumacher did it and he had a different vision for who Robin was. So he hired Chris O' Donnell. ))

That's funny that he still receives money for a movie he was never in.

Schumacher took over the Batman Franchise and replaced Marlon with Chris O’Donnell. O’Donnell was a more ‘safer’ choice for the studio.

If you want to find out more about what Burton had in store for a Batman 3, read the full details here.

From an early version of the script from Batman Returns,

THE KID

Guess I won't be needing to borrow the descrambler anymore. At least not for a while...We save the city or what?

BATMAN

Getting there. I owe you two.

Got a name?

THE KID

Yeah.....but I like to be

called...Robin...

BATMAN

Nice name...Oh Robin...

Here's is even more information on what Burton's Batman 3 would have been like.

Side note:

Other changes from Batman 3 to Batman Forever.

-Renee Russo was in fact cast to play the love interest. She was to play against Michael Keaton, but was dropped when Keaton left the project.

- Billy Dee Williams took the role as Harvey Dent, because he knew the role would turn into Two Face. Once again, Schumacher and WB wanted to play it ‘safe’ and cast Tommy Lee Jones. I would have loved to have seen a Billy Dee Williams version of Two-Face. Jones’s Two-Face was too over the top.