As the Batman mythology is getting adapted in James Gunn’s DC Universe, several famous characters from Bruce Wayne’s mythology will be making their way into the franchise. The DCU’s Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters” is still early into its run, but the world of Gotham City will eventually be further explored in depth.
In an interview with ComicBook, Lewis Tan, who has been one of the many popular fancastings for Nightwing, was asked if he had seen how audience members have supported the idea of him as the big-screen Dick Grayson. The Mortal Kombat star stated, “I love that project. I saw some of the fancast. I’m very appreciative of it.”
Tan went on to say, “I love that character. That would be one of the characters I would want to play. Nightwing is an incredible character, that I could bring something unique to.” However, he would also be down to play another famous member of the Bat-Family.
Tan, who has appeared in Marvel projects like Iron Fist and Deadpool 2, is also a huge fan of Jason Todd. The actor explained how he “also like Red Hood. I think I could make a darker, more violent version of that one day. I love those characters.”
While the casting for Nightwing in the DCU hasn’t started, there are already a number of projects where the character could potentially be showing up in the near future. A new Batman reboot is currently in the works at DC Studios, titled The Brave and The Bold.
When the film was initially revealed in January 2023, Gunn and Peter Safran teased that members of the Bat-Family could be popping up. With The Dark Knight meant to be far into his journey as a crime fighter, Dick would most likely be Nightwing at this point.
As the casting for Batman hasn’t happened yet, there is also the Teen Titans movie that is being written by Supergirl‘s Ana Nogueira, but the project hasn’t been formally greenlit. The team-up film could, if set in the past, explore Dick as Robin before his transition to Nightwing.
Brenton Thwaites portrayed the iconic DC hero in the live-action Titans TV show for four seasons, with the series exploring how he leaves the Robin mantle and properly becomes Nightwing. The Australian star became the first actor to ever bring Nightwing to life in live-action.
With the big popularity of the original Boy Wonder, having Nightwing in the DCU would finally allow Batman’s first sidekick to shine on the big screen. The upcoming Clayface movie, which arrives on September 11, 2026, has also already teased the existence of Dick Grayson in Gunn’s franchise.
-
- Created by
-
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- First Film
-
Man of Steel
- First TV Show
-
Peacemaker
- Cast
-
Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
- Movie(s)
-
Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
- Character(s)
-
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
-
- Alias
-
Dick Grayson
- Created By
-
Edmond Hamilton, Curt Swan, Marv Wolfman, George Perez
- Franchise
-
D.C.
- Race
-
Human
- Alliance
-
Teen Titans, Titans, Outsiders, Justice League, Batman Inc., Birds of Prey, Young Justice
Nightwing is the superhero moniker taken up by Dick Grayson, upon his aging out of the Robin role and becoming a superhero of his own. Inspired by the original Kryptonian hero of the same name, Grayson has risen to comic book immortality with the identity, earning respect as one of the greatest leaders in the DC Universe.
