Fans have known for quite some time that Ben Affleck's Batman in the upcoming "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" is a more grizzled, battle weary version than Batmen of the past. This iteration of the Caped Crusader has been fighting crime going on two decades and has reached a crossroads in which he questions whether any of it was even worth it by the time we meet him in "Dawn of Justice."
We're not sure how the character has reached this low point, but speculation has run rampant ever since the movie's first trailer that it is directly related to Robin, Batman's sidekick. In the trailer, Robin's costume is seen defaced with Joker graffiti in what resembles a shrine created by Bruce Wayne. This has led many fans to believe that Robin was killed sometime in the past, though it has never been confirmed.
However, Affleck finally opened up about this theory and Robin's role in the DC Extended Universe in a recent interview and confirmed what fans had long been discussing.
"[Batman is] bitterly disappointed in the past that he's lost this guy who fought by his side," he said. "That character's death must have been devastating to him, and he's suffered. We get the sense that he's suffered a lot of devastating losses before this movie even starts."
It's been speculated that Robin's death came at the hands of Jared Leto's Joker, who will be introduced to audiences in August's "Suicide Squad." That is one of the many threads believed to be used to connect the two movies in Warner Bros.' growing shared cinematic universe.
But beyond Robin, this version of Batman is also coming to terms with the emergence of other heroes - namely Superman and Wonder Woman - who challenge his viewpoint of the world.
"It inspires in him the idea that, well, if there's one of these kinds of people out there, then maybe there are more," Affleck said. "If there are more, then maybe that's hopeful and also terrifying to him, because then they could make humans even more powerless - or they could serve on our side. You've got to remember that Batman is the world's greatest detective, and if he suspects that there may be more, and if he suspects in particular that Diana [Wonder Woman] may be somebody special, he gets inspired."
"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" will finally be released on March 25. "Suicide Squad" will follow on Aug. 5.
