A new piece of DC Universe fan art imagines Timothée Chalamet assuming the mantle of Nightwing in the franchise’s new superhero line-up. Formerly Batman’s first Robin, Dick Grayson first adopted the Nightwing persona in 1984’s Tale of the Teen Titans #44. While Grayson’s new identity would eventually become an important staple in the extended Bat family in both the comics and animated DC outings, Nightwing is still yet to make his first live-action appearance on the big screen. In 2017 this was all set to change when it was reported that The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay was developing a Nightwing movie for the old DCEU slate. Unfortunately, the project was seemingly pushed aside following the poor critical reception to the release of Justice League later that year.
Now a new piece of fan art from horrific.heroics imagines McKay’s movie finally moving forward as part of the new DCU slate, with none other than Dune star Chalamet in the title role.
This is not the first time that Chalamet has been linked with the role, and when McKay’s film was first announced the actor was at the top of many fans’ potential cast lists. The actor was even once quizzed on his interest in the role, and while he remained coy he did not outrule his potential casting as an option.
How Will James Gunn’s DCU Handle Nightwing and the Bat Family?
While Batman has long been an important part of previous attempts at bringing the DC Universe to life, Warner Bros. has repeatedly failed to give the extended Bat Family the big screen treatment they deserve. Despite seeing several actors assume the role of Bruce Wayne over the years, audiences have not seen another cinematic version of Dick Grayson since Chris O’Donnell last played him in 1997’s Batman and Robin. Meanwhile, other members of the Bat Family, such as Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl, have also been conspicuously absent from the big screen in recent years, despite the character almost getting her own movie before its own controversial cancellation.
However, with any luck, DC fans may finally get to see Dick Grayson’s Nightwing and other key members of the extended Bat Family make their way into cinemas. With James Gunn and Peter Safran currently preparing a new, unified vision for the DC Universe spanning film, television, and gaming, there is a great deal of potential in having the new DCU give these previously sidelined characters the attention they deserve. While Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice hinted at Dick Grayson’s death at the hands of Jared Leto’s Joker, Gunn and Safran can finally provide his character with his own time to shine outside the shadow cast by his former mentor.
Of course, the DCU’s approach to the extended Bat Family will hinge entirely on how the franchise chooses to handle Batman himself. While Gunn has previously intimated that the new DCU will introduce a younger version of Superman, the presence of Nightwing and other Bat Family members would necessitate the inclusion of a far more experienced version of Gotham’s Dark Knight. It would not be too much of a stretch to imagine the DCU introducing a more experienced Batman, one who has already mentored a few Robins across the span of his crime-fighting career. However Gunn and Safran decide to proceed with their DC Universe plans, no doubt fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Nightwing will finally make his long-awaited cinematic debut.
Source: horrific.heroics