Warner Bros. has been moving forward with a number of upcoming DC movies, both within and outside of the main timeline of the extended universe. There’s also some streaming movies currently in the works, including Leslie Grace’s Batgirl. But is Dylan O’Brien playing Nightwing in the DC flick? Here’s what he says.
The Batgirl movie marks the first DCEU movie produced specifically for HBO Max, and anticipation for the project has been steadily building since it was announced. Fans can’t wait to see J.K. Simmons as James Gordon and Michael Keaton as Batman, but there are also some rumors that another protegee of the Dark Knight is going to appear: Nightwing, played by Maze Runner star Dylan O’Brien. He was recently asked about these reports, saying:
I'm aware of it, I've seen a lot of it. I've not heard anything about it on the professional side, but it's cool that it made its way to me, to the point where I asked my manager 'Is this even an actual thing?'
Well, there you have it. It sounds like we shouldn’t expect to see Dylan O’Brien pop up throughout the course of Batgirl’s mysterious runtime on HBO Max. Leslie Grace’s title character will likely be the only Bat-family member featured in the upcoming blockbuster, but perhaps this could change if a sequel is ordered. Because who doesn’t want to see Nightwing and Batgirl together on the screen?
Dylan O’Brien’s honest comments about Batgirl come from a recent appearance on the Post Cred podcast. Eventually the conversation turned to the rumors about him possibly playing another beloved Batman sidekick: Dick Grayson aka Nightwing. He’s heard the theories that have been swirling around the internet, but hasn’t heard anything from the studio about actually joining the DC Extended Universe in this way. Fingers crossed this might change sometime in the future.
It’s almost hard to believe that the Batgirl movie will mark the first time that a Batman protegee has been able to appear in the DCEU. While we were shown the costume of a Robin who died prior to the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Boy Wonder never actually showed up in live-action. We’ll just have to see if/when this fallen Robin is addressed throughout Batgirl. Although Michael Keaton being Batman instead of Ben Affleck definitely complicated things a bit.
Previously, it seemed like Nightwing would be getting his own movie within the DC Extended Universe. The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay has been attached to a movie for Dick Grayson for years, but it’s been stuck in development hell. This is partly why the rumors about Batgirl seemed to resonate with fans; they’ve been waiting for the fan favorite hero to join the shared universe. Although there’s still no telling when this might occur.
Regardless of Nightwing’s inclusion (or lack thereof), the Batgirl movie seemingly has a lot going for it. The blockbuster is currently filming, and will mark the first time J.K. Simmons has played James Gordon since Justice League. The movie will also feature Brendan Fraser as the villainous Firefly, which is great timing considering the current Fraser-ssance that’s happening. Add in Michael Keaton as Batman, and smart money says the project is going to get some serious streaming numbers.
Batgirl doesn’t currently have a release date, but is expected to arrive on HBO Max sometime in 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
