Why Nightwing Is The Next DC Superhero Who Deserves A Movie
During my years working at the comic shop I endured quite a bit of good-natured teasing over my Nightwing crush. I've got a wall in my office completely devoted to sketches of the character. My former boss still pulls Nightwing comics for me and knows that if there's a sexy variant cover, I'm probably buying it. When Dick rescues a puppy in the current "Nightwing" run from Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo I felt like I was reading erotica created just for me — if you've not read it, do so immediately! I know I'm not alone. Nightwing fans are legion.
One of the most interesting revelations from James Gunn and Peter Safran's reveal of their slate for DC Studios is the way they are approaching the Dark Knight. We already knew Matt Reeves was getting a sequel to "The Batman," but there's another project in the works that will feature a different version of the Caped Crusader altogether. Titled "The Brave and the Bold," this will not only introduce Batman to the new DCU, but will also be the first time we've seen Robin onscreen in a live-action movie since the much maligned "Batman and Robin" in 1997. Even more thrilling is that the sidekick in question will be Damian Wayne. Gunn explained that this would be a "father and son story," and that other members of the Bat Family will be showing up as well.
I cherish the entire Bat Family, but Dick Grayson has long been my favorite. The fact that Gunn plans on including more of Batman's support system is awesome. They are a crucial piece of the Dark Knight's mythology. Not every member is going to make the cut, but I'm certainly hoping the original Robin does. So, without further ado, let's talk about why Nightwing deserves his own movie!
The first Robin
From the minds of Batman creators Bill Finger and Bob Kane, as well as Jerry Robinson, Robin was introduced in "Detective Comics" #38 in 1940. He was created in an effort to attract younger readers and perhaps to soften the Dark Knight's rough edges. Dick Grayson's family was an acrobatic circus act, the Flying Graysons, and he was orphaned as a young boy just like Bruce Wayne. Also like Bruce, Dick watched his parents die in gruesome fashion (falling to their deaths) during a performance. This is comics, so their demise was no accident, orchestrated by the villainous Tony Zucco. Bruce saw in Dick a kindred spirit and took the boy under his wing, not only adopting him as his ward, but training him in his image as well. It turned out Bruce needed him just as much as he needed Bruce.
Batman and Robin were the Dynamic Duo for quite some time, but no partnership lasts forever and everyone has to grow up eventually. Dick Grayson has been known as many things in the years since his time as the Boy Wonder: a super spy, an amnesiac, and even Batman, but his most well known and beloved identity is definitely Nightwing.
The Boy Wonder grows up
Bruce and Dick may both initially be driven by vengeance, but despite their similar traumas, they are two very different people. Dick always thought that one day he would take on the mantle of Batman, but leading the Teen Titans took him down another path. The former Robin found a new home with the group of young heroes, gaining independence from Batman along the way. If there's one thing the Dark Knight prizes, it's loyalty — and Dick may be a spectacular hero, but he can't be in two places at once. There were several things that led to Dick striking out on his own (including being shot), but resentment towards his mentor had been brewing for a while before he left.
Dick officially debuted his unforgettable first crack at a Nightwing costume in "Tales of the Teen Titans" #44 in 1984, part of the legendary run from Marv Wolfman and the late, great George Pérez — say what you will about Dick's disco look, but that outfit was later revealed to be a gift from Alfred. He made the transition into being his own hero, picking up his new moniker from a Kryptonian legend told to him by Superman. Who better to help one come up with a superhero name than the Man of Steel?
Nightwing moved his operation to Blüdhaven, sister city to Gotham, and even worse in terms of police corruption and criminal activity. If you want to read Nightwing comics, a good place to start is the excellent Chuck Dixon/Scott McDaniel run from the '90s, which shaped Dick into the hero we know and love today — though we can thank artist Nicola Scott for the above rendering of Dick's, um, assets.
What happened to the Nightwing movie?
Nightwing fans will probably remember that a movie centering on the character was announced in 2017, with "The LEGO Batman Movie" director Chris McKay attached and plans for a script from "Ozark" creator Bill Dubuque. McKay seemed quite passionate about the project, but as of 2021, he said that it was sort of in limbo, not in development, but not canceled either.
Gunn and Safran may not have included Dick in their plans by name, but that doesn't mean he's not a part of them. The DCU is being steered by people who love the source material and there's no way Nightwing gets left behind. It may be a bit soon for Reeves to introduce Dick Grayson's Robin in "The Batman" sequel, but he seems to have at least considered it.
In a wild turn of events, Zack Snyder had previously revealed that it was Dick Grayson and not Jason Todd who was the dead Robin in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," but with all vestiges of the Snyderverse seemingly left out of this new plan for DC, that doesn't really matter anymore. Also, "The Flash," which is somehow still being released this year, is set to crack the multiverse wide open, meaning pretty much anything is possible.
The importance of the Bat Family
James Gunn mentioned that the Bat Family had "been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long" and I couldn't agree more. As much as I love a broody Dark Knight — and I really do — Bruce's found family showcase an entirely different side of him. Dick and his fellow Robins, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian (who, by the way, aren't even all the Robins) barely scratch the surface. Batgirl, Batwoman, Oracle, Huntress, Batwing, Ace the Bat-Hound, and the Signal doesn't even cover them all!
These days, in the incredible aforementioned "Nightwing" run from Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo, Dick has his own little family comprised of himself, Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), and Haley, aka Bitewing! It's adorable and I love it. This is not to say I've never shipped Nightwing and Starfire, but honestly, Dick and Babs for life!
Batman's network of fellow heroes that he's trained and mentored throughout his career are vital to who he is. There's more to him than the emotionally stunted Dark Knight and his Bruce Wayne persona. There's also the patriarch of this close-knit family unit. Is Bat-dad kind of screwed up? Absolutely, but he has also helped his charges overcome their traumas and become a part of something bigger, and all things considered, the majority of them turned out remarkably well adjusted! I get it. This stuff isn't necessarily easy to portray in live-action and could come across as silly, but it's long past time this largely unexplored corner of the Caped Crusader's life in comics was brought into the films.
Why Nightwing deserves a movie
For the record, it's not just that Dick Grayson is a dreamboat with the greatest butt in comics. I mean, sure, that's in there, but more than anything, I love who Dick is as a character. He could've turned out just like his mentor, but he didn't. His trauma certainly informed the man he grew into, but it never came to define him, not in the way Bruce's did. There is a warmth to Nightwing, something intrinsic to who he is. Batman needs to put on an act to be Bruce Wayne, but Dick's sparkling personality shines through even when he's in costume.
Nightwing may have taken up the mantle of Batman, but he's no Bruce Wayne — and I mean that as a compliment. For one thing, the cape only gets in the way of his acrobatics. For another, there is a lightness to Dick that has never taken root in Bruce. Dick has been through so much in his life, but he never forgets where he came from. He never stops trying to help people in need. In the current Taylor/Redondo run, Dick is doing his best to make Blüdhaven a better place. He had recently come into quite a bit of money and used it to create Haven, a place meant to provide sanctuary for those who need it. This run is also a fantastic place to start if you've never read a Nightwing comic. It's the best the title has been in a long, long time. If you don't believe, just pick up #87 in which Redondo drew the entire book as one continuous image. It's absolutely amazing!
Do we have to build to a Nightwing movie?
I used to think DC needed to build towards a Nightwing movie, in way similar to how Marvel would do it in the MCU. You know, introduce his Robin and have him in a few Batman movies before spinning him off into a "Teen Titans" film and then the eventual "Nightwing" movie. Aside from the fact that this means we'd be waiting until like 2040 to see Dick in the spotlight, the DCU is distinct from the MCU and Gunn has confirmed this will continue to be the case.
Both "Teen Titans" and "Young Justice" have proven that these young heroes can escape from the shadows of their mentors. There's so much story to tell, and we already know Gunn and Safran plan on introducing a new Batman and members of the Bat Family. If we're skipping straight to Damian, there's no reason why Dick's story couldn't still be told. I adore comics, but it's exciting to see the material headed in these new directions.
This is meant as no disrespect to "Titans" or its fans, but those aren't my Titans. Nightwing, in particular, bears little resemblance to his comic counterpart. Where are the acrobatics? That wit? That charm? Dick has gone to some dark places, but that's not who he is. We all love Batman, but I'm sure Nightwing is way more fun to hang out with, and I'd love to see that version of him on the big screen. The greatest Nightwing comics don't include the Caped Crusader anyway. They are at their best when Dick is his own man. Come on DC, give this guy a movie!