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One of the projects DC Studios currently has in development is a new Batman film titled The Brave and the Bold. What makes it unique from other recent cinematic takes on the Dark Knight is its focus on the Bat Family, which has largely been absent from the live-action movies for decades. While there’s understandably much discussion about who will play Batman in the DC Universe, fans are also theorizing about actors for the likes of other characters, including those famous Bat Family members. A popular pick for the role of Nightwing has been House of the Dragon star Harry Collett, and now he’s thrown his hat into the ring.
In an interview with to promote the release of House of the Dragon Season 3 (premiering June 21st), Collett and co-star Tom Glynn-Carney were asked which comic book heroes or villains they’d be most interested in playing. “People have been DMing me saying … I mean, I’m not familiar with the character yet … with Nightwing in DC,” he said. After host Chris Killian agreed and said Collett had a great Dick Grayson look, the actor made his campaign official. “James Gunn, please,” he said.
When Will We See Nightwing In the DC Universe?
As great as it would be to see Collett take on the role of Nightwing, it’s unknown when the character will make his debut in the DC Universe. When James Gunn provided updates on The Brave and the Bold earlier this year, he mentioned that the screenplay hadn’t been finished yet. This is key because since becoming co-head of DC Studios, Gunn has maintained that no project will move forward until there is a script in place and he is happy with it. Until then, he won’t even consider casting options, which is arguably a smart move. That way, he’ll be able to target actors who best fit what’s on the page.
There’s no telling when The Brave and the Bold will hit theaters, but the film is likely a couple of years away at least. Gunn has said he doesn’t want it releasing in the same calendar year as Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part II, which is due in October 2027. At the same time, he doesn’t want to wait until after Reeves’ The Batman 3 to move forward on The Brave and the Bold, so ideally the DCU’s Batman movie will start to take shape in the relatively near future. It all depends on how the script develops from this point out. As we saw with The Batman Part II, sometimes Batman movie scripts can take a while to come to fruition.
Even if it takes a while to see Dick Grayson fighting crime on screen, audiences should get their first hints of the character later this year. Clayface takes place in the DCU’s Gotham City, and set photos have shown flyers promoting performances from the Flying Graysons. This implies that Dick exists in the DCU. Whether he’s operating as Nightwing at this point is another matter, but the character is part of the DCU canon. While that’s exciting, fans shouldn’t expect to see Dick in Clayface. The film is focused on Matt Hagen’s harrowing journey, and odds are Gunn will save Nightwing’s debut for more of a Batman-centric project.
Gunn has hinted that things have changed on The Brave and the Bold. Last fall, when asked about the proposed storyline revolving around Bruce Wayne and his son Damien, Gunn simply said, “I think you have to wait to see exactly what’s happening.” With that in mind, it’ll be interesting to see if the Bat Family is still part of the DCU’s Batman movie, or if the project has gone in a completely different direction. It would be smart to keep the Bat Family around, helping differentiate the DCU’s franchise from Reeves’ Batman Epic Crime Saga, but Gunn isn’t going to force anything he isn’t confident in. Time will tell if Collett — or anyone — will bring Nightwing to life.
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