Another character from the Batman universe will be getting their own film, and this time it’s Dick Grayson’s Nightwing.
Dick Grayson might be best known as the Robin to Bruce Wayne’s Batman, but when he’s relieved of the sidekick role, he takes up the mantle of Nightwing, a vigilante who uses his suit and his acrobatic skills in equal measure.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Chris McKay, who directed the box office hit Lego Batman Movie, will be taking up the challenge of translating this comic book character to the big screen for a live-action film.
Fittingly, Dick Grayson was recently seen in Lego Batman, voiced by Michael Cera, but took on the role of Robin instead of Nightwing. This movie from DC and Warner Bros. will be the first time Nightwing will have been in a live-action film.
There’s been some major successes and major failures on the DC front in the last decade or so, specifically with Batman in mind. The character is a difficult one to get right, and recent news regarding the solo film The Batman shows how tumultuous the property continues to be.
However, there’s a lot of expectation when it comes to Batman, and although Nightwing certainly has his devoted fans, he’s less well-known to the general public. Perhaps McKay can find a way to do the character justice, and if he’s successful, he might be able to lend some pointers to anyone who attempts to don the batsuit or sit in the director’s chair.
This could also be exciting for the current DC cinematic universe, as Robin has yet to appear onscreen, though there have been hints he does exist in this world. Unlike Marvel, which tends to start with origin stories that culminate in team-up movies, DC jumps around from character to character with less of a linear overarching story in mind.
If Nightwing gets a solo movie and it goes over well, there’s a huge chance we could be seeing him in a solo Batman movie or making an appearance in any of the other DC movies where he might be needed.
Bill Dubuque (The Accountant) will write the script.