HBO Max’s Batgirl is currently shooting in Glasgow, and pictures from the set are raising eyebrows. We’ve seen graffiti of the Burtonverse Batman, a masked version of Robin, Hugo Strange, and what may be a veiled reference to Nightwing. Also, a newsstand contains magazine props referencing Vicki Vale, the Court of Owls, and Lex Luthor’s DCEU fate.
Now it seems that some of them are getting a quiet tweak. The image of the Burtonverse Batman has been updated to bring it in line with the character’s Batman Returns look, specifically the scene in which he first meets Catwoman. In addition, it seems that Robin has been painted over completely.
I suspect that press attention over the leaked images may have caused this. Though it’s just set detail, the original image confirms that Keaton’s Batman had a Robin, which would be a major part of his character arc and something likely referenced when he’s interacting with younger heroes like Flash and Batgirl.
The fact that Robin has been removed from the image probably means that isn’t the case and they don’t want a potential plothole turning up in the background of a scene. Even so, replacing it with a crystal clear rendition of Batman from a screengrab of a movie raises its own set of questions, so they may have to paint it over once more.
Exactly what’s going on with Keaton’s Batman in the thirty years since we’ve seen him remains to be seen, but I’m hyped to find out.
Batgirl will release on HBO Max in late 2022.
