Da da da da da da da da da da…Nightwing!
As if their plate wasn’t already full, Warner Brothers are developing Nightwing, adding it to the list of DCEU movies to be put into production if fanboys and critics don’t extremely dislike Wonder Woman or Justice League.
Having just helmed LEGO Batman the best film to feature the Caped Crusader since The Dark Knight, Chris McKay is attached to direct his first live-action superhero movie from a script by Bill Dubuque.
Nightwing isn’t the only in-development project based on one of Batman’s supporting characters. David Ayer is set to direct Gotham City Sirens, featuring Harley Quinn and other bad gurlzzz.
Debuting in ‘Detective Comics #38’ (1940), Dick Grayson became the first Robin, in the wake of his parents murder by thugs of mob boss Tony Zucco. From then on, he was the cheery sidekick in tiny green trunks to Batman’s brooding dark knight, merrily punching the Joker and Penguin in the face between Happy Meals. When he wasn’t taking down gangland bosses after school, Robin led the Teen Titans into battle against: Mr Twister, homework assignments, and awkward love triangles.
Eventually, Dick grew out of the Robin identity and took on a new superhero moniker: Nightwing, and relocated from Gotham to the equally crime-riddled Bludhaven. Whilst there, he worked a day job as a cop to weed out police corruption, and by night took to the streets to combat the city’s crime lord, Blockbuster.
In an interview with the Shanlian on Batman podcast, McKay explained his approach to the character: “He’s self-made as far as his becoming all of these cool things we like him for… Dick Grayson came from a circus family. Essentially people who aren’t rich and they are self-made. They’re entertainers. They’re gymnasts. They’re people who live hand-to-mouth and that’s something that informs him and his attitude … he’s a fascinating guy to me, because he had all the same things happen to him. He’s got some of the same negatives as Bruce Wayne and then from a society standpoint — obviously he was adopted into Bruce Wayne’s life … but he didn’t start that way.”
His background isn’t the only aspect of Nightwing that makes him a different kind of hero to Batman. Unlike his mentor, Nightwing’s a social butterfly, having formed long lasting friendships with almost every super person and vigilante. So, he always has an audience on social media ready for: gym selfies, acrobatic videos, and #prettyboyproblems in 140 characters.
A release date is to be announced.
