Nightwing is getting his own movie! It’s about time, in my opinion, that Nightwing will be on the big screen and not as Robin. We don’t any details yet, because we don’t know much about the DCEU’s Batman. Ben Affleck’s Batman is older than Batman is usually depicted, so Nightwing could reasonably older.
Or maybe the Nightwing won’t be Dick Grayson, but one of Bruce’s other adopted kids—most reasonably Damian Wayne, who is Nightwing in the Injustice video games and comics. Who knows what they’ll do? But until we learn more, we can speculate on who will get to play the hero known as Nightwing. (I’m going to be under the assumption that Nightwing’s alter ego is Dick Grayson, just at varying stages of his career).
7. Liam Hemsworth
I know he doesn’t have the classic black hair and blue eye look of Dick Grayson, but he is a big name. His older brother Chris Hemsworth is the Asgardian Thunder God, Thor, in the MCU. Liam Hemsworth played Gale in the Hunger Games movies and Jake Morrison in Independence Day: Resurgence.
I think given the chance to have a real break-out role might be in the superhero genre for him. He’s proven to be action-hero worthy and romance it up in The Last Song (because what’s a Nightwing movie without Batgirl/Oracle Barbara Gordon, Dick’s long time love interest, sometime girlfriend and good friend?). It’s probably a stretch because some people might not be okay with him not looking exactly like his comic book counterpart, but it would be an interesting choice.
6. Ian Somerhalder
Ian Somerhalder is best known for playing Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries and Boone Carlyle in Lost. He’s the one whose looks are closest to Dick Grayson in the comics. He is a TV-actor, but I think he could play Dick Grayson as Nightwing relatively well. Nightwing, as most of us fans know, usually is on the outs with Batman, due to one reason or another. Somerhalder can play broody well, as members of the Batman, no matter what fandom thinks, are brooders. His intensity would prove an asset in playing Dick Grayson/Nightwing. But as for action scenes, it’s up in the air if he could pull it off.
5. Matt Bomer
Matt Bomer is a fan-favourite in fan-casts of Nightwing/Dick Grayson. His best known role is con-artist Neal Caffrey on White Collar. Why is he so far down on the list? Because he’s more a drama actor than anything. I’d think that he’d do well though as Nightwing, grabbing his personality and characteristics well, but like Somerhalder, I doubt that with Dick Grayson’s canon aerobatics and training, Bomer could handle the intense action scenes. Honestly, if they were doing something like The True Lives of the Wayne Adopted Brood, he’d be the best choice.
4. Dylan O’Brien
He’s younger than the others on the list, I know. However, in the event that DC decides to make Nightwing on the younger side, depending on when in Batman’s career he took in Dick Grayson, Dylan O’Brien would be a good choice. Teenage and young adults mostly know who he is because of his role on the MTV series Teen Wolf and in the Maze Runner movies. He can do action scenes and have all the intensity needed to play Nightwing. He’s also looks like Dick Grayson with his boyish charms and whatnot. (If not Dick Gayson, reasonably, he could also play Tim Drake/Red Robin).
3. Taylor Lautner
Taylor Lautner is young, but he’s famous and well-known, which would be good for drawing in his fans to the Nightwing movie. (It might be a good thing for the DCEU, which has been floundering at best against the might of the MCU). His best known role is Jacob Black in Twilight movies. Also, he can do action movies, he’s a martial artist and has a really good physique. He definitely can play a broody hero. Would the studio executives go for him? Probably not, because I’m sure some group of people would have a problem with him because he was in the Twilight movies.
2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of my two favorites to play Dick Grayson/Nightwing. He played police officer (and orphan) Robin John Blake was essentially the successor to Batman in the Dark Knight trilogy. Since DC and the studios never had plans for a follow-up movie where he was Batman, I think we were all disappointed. He’d be the most obvious and most likely candidate to play Nightwing. He’s a big name in Hollywood, his acting was in a variety of genres and he looks like Dick Grayson. Other than Matt Bomer, he’s another fan-favorite to play Nightwing.
1. Steven Yeun
Last but not the least, Steven Yeun is best known for his role in The Walking Dead as Glenn Rhee. Reasonably, Dick Grayson doesn’t have to be played by a white person. He would bring some much needed diversity to the superhero movie world. Yeun can obviously handle intense action scenes and play the serious Nightwing. He would be able to provide a more interesting backstory to Dick Grayson and more diversity to the DCEU. Comic book fans and fans of The Walking Dead would know him well. He’s my favourite for some reason. I just really think that he could pull it off very well.
Nightwing is a fan-favourite character in the Bat-mythos. His casting will be tough because they will and should want to get it right. This movie might be just what the DCEU needs or they could just screw it up majorly. These seven actors are the best choices I think to play Dick Grayson/Nightwing.
What do you think? Does anyone else fit? Did some of my choices not fit what you think? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!
