I'd like to pose a question to the group for discussion:

Are teenage/child sidekicks a dated concept? Characters such as Robin were originally introduced to comics in order to give younger readers someone to relate with, but characters such as Spider-Man have proven that a young hero doesn't need to be a sidekick in order to succeed. So my question then becomes, if Batman or Captain America were introduced today would Robin/Bucky still exist?

Media such as the MCU Movie Captain America: The First Avenger have displayed an updated take with Bucky being Steve's friend growing up and an ally in war without having to dress in a costume. Likewise on Arrow we've seen two interpretations of Speedy/Arsenal with neither being necessarily a young sidekick but merely younger than Oliver and thus taken under his wing. Both Roy and Thea as presented on Arrow could handle themselves but benefit from Oliver's guidance.

So what are your thoughts?