An unofficial rule for DC movies appears to be a variation of the slogan you see on so many T-shirts at the mall: always be yourself, unless you can be Batman. Or a Batman spin-off. On the heels of Matt Reeves finally signing on to direct The Batman today, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news moments ago that Chris McKay, director of The LEGO Batman Movie, is in talks to direct a live-action Nightwing film, which Nerdist can confirm.
It’s an unexpected choice for a Batman spin-off, since Nightwing as a character has yet to appear as a character in any Batman movie—though in his previous identity as Robin, Dick Grayson has of course been in many, and Chris O’Donnell’s costume in Batman and Robin was based more on Nightwing’s look than Robin’s. Nightwing was rumored at one time to be in Batman V Superman, with Adam Driver potentially up for the role, but that never wound up happening.
Though Nightwing has been a mainstay in the comics, the general public may not be as aware that Dick Grayson aged out of being the Boy Wonder sidekick, to be replaced by the likes of Jason Todd and Tim Drake. A costume presumed to have been owned by a  murdered Robin has appeared in Ben Affleck’s Batcave, but most comic fans assumed that was Jason Todd’s, as he was infamously murdered by the Joker in the ’80s as a result of a fan vote. (Speculation that Jared Leto’s Joker would turn out to actually be Jason Todd was just talk.)
Could Nightwing be making an appearance in one of the other DC movies that comes out first? That would make sense—he could easily take a significant role in David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens, and if Ben Affleck opts not to renew his Batman deal, Dick Grayson can, in a pinch, play the role of brooding Gotham ninja.
As campy as it was, The LEGO Batman Movie showed a deep knowledge of the Bat-family, possibly more so than any other Batman movie to date, so we’ve little doubt McKay knows his stuff. Can he pull it off in live-action? We’re excited to see him try, but let us know what you think in comments.
Image: Cartoon Network
