Despite his reputation for being a brooding loner who doesn't play well with others, Batman actually has one of the largest supporting casts in the DC Universe, affectionately dubbed the "Bat-Family". Consisting of numerous sidekicks, teammates and allies, both superhero and civillian, Batman's family has been constantly growing over his eighty-plus year history.
Related:7 Essential Batman Stories To Read Before Seeing 'The Batman'
Despite this though, and despite the sheer number of live-action movies to feature The Dark Knight, very few members of the Bat-Family have made the jump to the big screen. However, with a Batgirl movie finally on its way, maybe that's starting to change. If that's the case, then which other family members deserve the Hollywood treatment?
Leslie Thompkins - The Bat-Family Doctor
Ever since her introduction in the '70s, Dr. Leslie Thompkins has stood as one of the most important people in Bruce Wayne's life. A doctor and friend of Bruce's father, in many versions of the story she was there to comfort Bruce on the night of his parents' murder. This positioned her as something of a parental figure to young Bruce, alongside Alfred.
Additionally, she's dedicated her life to helping the less fortunate with her free clinic, while also tending to the medical needs of the Bat-Family. It's a shame then that the good doctor has yet to find a place in a feature film.
The Signal/Duke Thomas - Gotham's Daytime Protector
One of the more recent additions to the family, Duke Thomas was first introduced in 2013. He became involved in the movement known as "We Are Robin", a group of young people fighting crime under the Robin insignia. After being caught up in the Robin War storyline, Duke was eventually taken in by Bruce Wayne, who gave him proper training and helped him establish himself as The Signal.
Unlike most of Gotham's vigilantes, Duke offered to protect Gotham during the day eventually joined The Outsiders - a team put together by Batman years ago. With Batman movies being synonymous with nighttime, it would make an interesting change to see The Signal brighten things up.
Haold Allnut - Batman's Forgotten Mute Engineer
Throughout the '90s, Harold was a regular member of the Bat-Family, living in Wayne Manor where he designed and built weapons and vehicles for Batman. Born mute and with a kyphosis that gave him a hunched back, Harold was abused by his family and strangers alike. Eventually though, he crossed paths with The Dark Knight, who noted Harold's propensity for mechanics and engineering, so offered him the chance to work for him.
Related:'Gotham City Sirens': 4 Actresses Who Could Play Poison Ivy, and 4 Who Could Play Catwoman
Sadly though, he was killed in the famous Hush storyline and has since been largely forgotten, despite taking part in many fan-favourite stories. A movie appearance might be just what he needs to regain his rightful spot in the Bat-Family.
Bluebird/Harper Row - The Street-Smart Electrical Genius
Another fairly recent addition to the family, Harper Row made her debut in 2012 as a street-wise young woman with a talent for electrical engineering. Coming from a broken home, she was dedicated to looking after her younger brother, Cullen. After Batman saved her and her brother from an assault, she became determined to try and repay the vigilante.
At first he warned her off, but he eventually warmed to her, and she began operating as the vigilante known as Bluebird. Outside of comics, Harper hasn't appeared very much, besides an appearance in Young Justice, so it's high time for her to get some more recognition.
Ghost-Maker - Batman's Best Frenemy
Although he was only introduced in 2020, Ghost-Maker's history with Bruce Wayne is a long one. Hailing from Singapore, Minhkhoa "Khoa" Khan frequently crossed paths with Wayne when they were young, as they both traveled the world, studying under many of the same masters. The two men developed a friendship and rivalry, which gradually soured due to their differing ideologies and Khan's more lethal methods.
Khan would eventually establish himself as Ghost-Maker in South-East Asia, where he waged war against the underworld, establishing a colourful rogues' gallery along the way. With his high-tech equipment, striking appearance and sense of humour, he seems tailor-made for a cinematic outing.
Batwoman/Kate Kane - An Underutilised Icon
The cousin of Bruce Wayne, Kate Kane is one of the few Bat-Family members to actually be part of Bruce's biological family. A socialite with military training, Kate is an extremely capable hero and one of Batman's most trusted allies.
Related:'Gotham Knights' Pilot From 'Batwoman' Writers Ordred at The CW
It's a shame then that she has yet to appear in a live-action movie, even in her civilian guise. Even the CW's Batwoman TV show didn't do her justice, with behind-the-scenes drama leading to Kate being written out of the series and replaced with a new, original character. Here's hoping Kate will finally get a chance to shine one day.
Stephanie Brown - Spoiler Alert: She's Awesome
Introduced in 1992, Stephanie Brown was the daughter of the C-List villain, Cluemaster. Seeking to "spoil" her father's crimes, she fashioned herself a costume and took on the vigilante identity of Spoiler. She would then go on to become the on-again, off-again girlfriend to third Robin, Tim Drake.
She herself would become the fourth Robin for a brief time and later, the fourth (or third, depending on continuity) Batgirl. It's a crying shame that someone who has taken on so many roles in the family, has yet to have much representation outside of comics. She's one movie spoiler fans actually want to see.
Tim Drake - The Overlooked Robin
Tim was introduced in 1989 as the third Robin, and the first to headline a solo Robin comic-book series. He was extremely intelligent and was able to deduce Batman's secret identity, as well as that of the original Robin, Dick Grayson. Tim spent around a decade and a half as Robin, before being supplanted by Damian Wayne. He then took on the mantles of Red Robin and Drake, before settling back into being Robin again.
Outside of the comics, the character has been featured in The New Batman Adventures cartoon, and recently joined the live-action Titans show. However, as with most Robins, he's yet to be seen on the big screen.
Damian Wayne - The Son of the Bat
As evidenced by his name, Damian isn't just another Robin, he's the son of Bruce Wayne and his enemy/occasional lover, Talia al Ghul. Raised and trained by his mother and the League of Assassins, his father wasn't aware of his existence until he was a pre-teen. A violent and cocky young boy, Damian believes that being Robin (and Batman for that matter) is his birth-right, causing him to initially be hostile to Tim Drake, whom he usurped to become the fifth Robin.
Being Batman's son, Damian is one of the most significant characters in the Batman mythos. The fact that he's hardly appeared in other media then, is bewildering.
Jason Todd - The Born-Again Bad Boy Wonder
Jason Todd was introduced in 1983 as the second Robin, replacing Dick Grayson. Notoriously unpopular with fans, he was killed by The Joker in the landmark A Death in the Family story, only to return nearly twenty years later as the villainous Red Hood. While he still operates under that name today, he's softened into more of an anti-hero and has slowly reintegrated into the Bat-Family.
While the Titans TV series has told its own version of Todd's story, it really does deserve a big budget movie treatment. After all, it's one of the greatest character journeys in comics, so it deserves all the grandeur that a movie can offer.
