Tim Drake, the third Robin, has come out as bisexual, and the DCEU would do well to honor the character by including him in Michael Keaton's The Flash. It is unknown which Robin, if any, will follow Batman in the DCEU projects with Michael Keaton. But, with Tim Drake coming out as bisexual in the comics, it's time for the DCEU to catch up with LGBTQ+ representation in their films. And Tim Drake is the perfect character to start with.
The DC Pride 2022 comic revealed Tim Drake's crush on his friend Bernard Dowd after he came out as bisexual in 2021. These stories have been huge for representation at DC Comics, giving their LGBTQ+ characters complexity and depth that is not in the stories DC tells in their films. While comic book representation is important, having an LGBTQ+ character in a film will reach a much wider audience and bring a bisexual Tim Drake into the DCEU film cannon. Tim Drake's appearance onscreen will be an essential stride in the DCEU's telling of LGBTQ+ stories.
Despite having many LGBTQ+ characters to include in their universe, the DCEU is lacking, but Keaton's Batman should have Tim Drake's bisexual Robin fighting at his side. Comparing their films, the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel is pulling ahead. DC's animated shows and the Arrowverse, however, are rich with LGBTQ+ stories. Unfortunately, it seems the Arrowverse Tim Drake is separate from the comic version; though he could come out later in Titans season 4, nothing has been announced or teased. With the DCEU's lack of LGBTQ+ characters in their films, Tim Drake could prove the DCEU's Pride comics aren't just for show, but a commitment.
Will Keaton's Batman Even Have A Robin?
It's tough to say whether Michael Keaton's Batman will have a Robin, but set photos from Batgirl seem promising. An added mural seemed at first to only include Keaton's Batman. The full artwork revealed the brick wall in Gotham included Batman's Boy Wonder himself, Robin. This seems to be the first iteration of Robin with his solid yellow cape, which may mean Keaton's Robin in Batgirl is Dick Grayson. If it is Dick Grayson in Batgirl, that doesn't mean Tim Drake couldn't appear in a different project, such as The Flash or a later Keaton film.
There is still hope. Michael Keaton will be portraying an older Batman and Dick Grayson is canonically his first Robin. Stephanie Brown is out of the running due to Robin's appearance in the mural, and there's a chance Keaton's Robin in Batgirl won't be Grayson, but a later Robin like Tim Drake. With the weight the DC comics team is putting behind Tim Drake, it would be a waste to not include him in a future Batman movie or other DCEU films.
