What’s Happening With The Nightwing Movie In James Gunn’s DCU? Here’s The Latest

The superhero genre continues to be a powerful force in entertainment, including both TV and film. A number of cinematic universes are currently competing for box office supremacy, including the DCU. But that franchise is going through sweeping changes after James Gunn and Peter Safran were named co-CEOs of the studio. There are countless questions about DC's future, including what’s happening with the Nightwing movie. Here’s the latest.

Chris McKay’s Nightwing movie was announced a whopping five years ago, so DC fans have been not-so-patiently waiting for updates about that fan favorite character’s live-action debut. With James Gunn planning the next decade of projects, those questions have gotten louder. But according to a tweet by film reporter Umberto Gonzalez, Nightwing is dead in the water. When responding to someone’s question about the movie, he bluntly tweeted:

Well, there you have it. It looks like Dick Grayson’s solo movie might never actually come to fruition. Perhaps this shouldn’t be surprising given how long ago the project was announced, and how little updates have come to the public. Still, Kingsman director Chris McKay seems like the perfect person to bring that action-heavy project to life. Cue the FOMO.

Nightwing is the adult person of OG Robin Dick Grayson. In the comics and other media Dick eventually grows out of his sidekick role, and forms a new superhero identity while moving to the fictional city of Blüdhaven. While we’ve seen Nightwing in projects like Titans and more recently the Harley Quinn animated show, it would have been thrilling to see him on the big screen.

Of course, the leadership change at DC makes it all the more logical if Nightwing is dead in the water. After all, it’s unclear how Gunn and Safran are handling Batman lore as a whole in the new version of the shared universe. Fans have been wondering which version of Batman might get in on the fun, especially after the twist ending of The Flash. Will we be seeing any former Bruce Waynes, or will Gunn put a new actor under the cowl for an upcoming DC movie? Since Henry Cavill will not be playing the title role of Superman: Legacy, it seems like just about anything could happen.

I’m personally bummed that Nightwing is reportedly not happening. He’s a character that I love, and would love to see get the big screen treatment. And ever since the DCU was formed, I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for the larger Bat-family to get their time. We’ll finally be getting a Robin-focused story with the developing Brave and the Bold movie. Hopefully Nightwing comes next.

The next DC movie hitting theaters is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release date to plan your next movie experience.