Earlier today we learned that the upcoming Batman solo movie has finally found a new director in Matt Reeves, replacing Ben Affleck behind the camera, but it turns out that's not the only Bat Family directing news that we're hearing today. It appears that Warner Bros. and DC Comics are deciding to move forward with a movie centered around Nightwing a.k.a. Dick Grayson a.k.a. the first Robin, and the studios have tapped LEGO Batman Movie filmmaker Chris McKay to take the gig.
The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop on this developing story, noting that McKay is now in negotiations for the directing gig. The trade also has the news that the script is being written by Bill Dubuque, who actually has some past Warner Bros. and Ben Affleck connections, having written the script for the 2016 action movie The Accountant. At this time it is unclear exactly what the Nightwing movie will be about, or when it is being targeting for theatrical release.
Add this to the ever-growing pile of DC movies that exist in concept -- and even have a filmmaker attached -- that have more questions than answers surrounding them! Not counting the movies that we know are coming to theaters, the DCEU currently is workshopping a sequel to Suicide Squad, a Shazam film and a Black Adam movie (two separate projects), a Flash film that is in need of a director, a Green Lantern Corps movie, a Gotham City Sirens movie, and a Cyborg project that has a release date of 2020. Is that really going to happen?
Adding a Nightwing feature film to the slate makes sense, as many of the upcoming DC movies are rooted in the Batman mythos, from Gotham City Sirens to that planned Suicide Squad 2. If Matt Reeves is to develop the Batman solo movie, it an only expand on the Bat Family, which was hinted at in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice when we saw the above tribute to a fallen Robin (which has to be Jason Todd now, as David Ayer had confirmed).
Chris McKay is a fantastic choice to helm a live-action Nightwing movie. He proved with The LEGO Batman Movie that he has an iron-clad understanding of the Batman mythos, tough he filtered it through a comedic lens. Does this mean that a Nightwing movie will be funny? What would a Nightwing movie mean for the potential development of a Teen Titans movie, as was rumored? Does it push it to the back burner?
We'll continue to track the developments of the DCEU, which changes daily! For now, what do you think of this news?
