Batman: All 5 Dick Grayson actors ranked from worst to best

5. Douglas Croft

Appeared in: Batman (1943)

The very first live-action appearance of Robin the Boy Wonder came in the 15-chapter Batman movie serial that premiered in theaters in 1943. 16-year old actor Douglas Croft played the role and to this day he still holds the record for being the youngest to portray the character - which is pretty ironic given that Robin is actually a teenager in the comics.

The movie serial is renowned for its low production values, particularly the poor suits that the Dynamic Duo wore, but Croft did a solid job nonetheless. As Dick Grayson should have during his early years, he added a youthful charm to the adventure, which would have certainly made it more accessible to younger viewers.

Dick didn't have an awful lot to do when he wasn't wearing the mask, but Croft was successful in actually making the character feel like a 16-year old - something more Batman adaptations could do with recreating.

4. Johnny Duncan

Appeared in: Batman and Robin (1949)

The popularity of the Batman movie serial led to a sequel making its presence felt on moviegoers six years later. Batman and Robin brought back the Dynamic Duo for another adventure in 1949, but both were recast. John Duncan stepped in as the new Robin and as he was older than Croft, it was probably a bit jarring for audiences to see him play the role of a teenager, but he made it work nonetheless.

Duncan channelled Croft's performance to ensure that it felt like the same character but he also did his own thing with it. His scenes as Dick Grayson were believable in spite of him being older than the character and he ended up setting a trend there. While there wasn't much substance in the way he was written, he did a solid job, presenting an enjoyable performance as Bruce Wayne's young ward.