There are big players. Then there are major players. DC definitely has its major players. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman not only headline DC but arguably all of comic books. DC is fully aware of the status of the three and use them as major forces in storylines. But DC has put in effort to elevate the status of other characters. Over the last few years, they have done a fine job in doing so. One of the characters they have shown a lot of attention to is Nightwing. Nightwing has definitely been benefiting from DC’s effort to elevate him. This is in conjunction to the love that fans have of him. It has been a mutual job in promoting Nightwing higher up the ranks of DC. Nightwing has been a fan favorite character for some time and with DC’s push for him, he is on the cusp of breaking it out huge.
Some of the latest attempts to get him on a high level is his impact in comic books. Nightwing has been the recipient of some great moments in the books. He has had a few genuine and arguably beautiful father and son moments with Batman which has served as this subliminal way for Batman to give Nightwing a seal of approval, so to speak. Nightwing even had a heart-to-heart conversation with Superman. In their talk, Superman and Nightwing talk about the heroics of people. In this same conversation, Superman reassured Nightwing that ‘we all look up to you’ perhaps alluded to the entire Justice League. Then as their talk winds down, Superman asks Nightwing if he could look after his son because Superman can’t think of anyone better. With Batman and Superman both being vulnerable and being honest with him, both men have the highest of respects for Nightwing. And if Superman himself, speaks on behalf of at least the Justice League by telling Nightwing they all respect him, then Nightwing is ready for the big leagues.
DC has also highlighted him in some other forms. He was the strong leader in Young Justice which was perhaps the first time that many people were introduced to Nightwing and had the most accurate portrayal for the fans. Although, some of his character was stripped down, one of his greatest attributes was displayed which was his leadership skills. He finally had his live action debut in Titans. And among the DCAMU, he had some moments as well. Funny father/son moments with Batman. Even funnier brotherly moments with Damien Wayne. Throughout the DCAMU’s run, Nightwing’s leadership and charm did shine bright. Nightwing has definitely had his moments in a lot of different media. Moments that fans are fully aware of. But despite all this time, Nightwing still feels like he remains in the waiting room primed to breakout. This is a perfect stage in the character’s existence for it to happen.
Right now, this is a nice opportunity for Nightwing to finally breakthrough. There is an animated film in the works that has a younger Nightwing going on missions as Robin with a fellow Robin, Jason Todd. This obviously looks like the first step to introduce Nightwing into the DCU. With a Teen Titans movie also being explored, many speculate that Nightwing will also be in there. Many comic book characters have greatly benefitted from a cinematic portrayal to either claim some fame or to raise their status a bit higher. These characters came out of nowhere to get their fame like Peacemaker. Or were just on the cusp of making it big like Deadpool. After their debuts, they became huge successes and gain recognizability. This is what Nightwing has been waiting for. Projects with him as a lead have been discussed but never been brought to light. Since these projects were never fully committed to, it became an injustice to keep Nightwing waiting. But ever since James Gunn revealed some projects for the DCU’s chapter 1, it does seem like characters with some status and others with no fame are getting their due time. Nightwing falls somewhere in between those areas. His name is obviously bright among the comic book community but does not possess a house hold name reputation. Since James Gunn knows and respects characters, Nightwing could be treated well. Knowing the importance and the passion for Nightwing – with a mixture of Gunn’s trait of elevating unknown characters – the pieces are there to finally, finally, bring Nightwing to the big screen. Plus, Damien Wayne will be the main Robin in the DCU. He is the fourth one to dawn that suit. He puts it on years after Dick Grayson sported those colors. When Damien became Robin, Grayson was already Nightwing for some time. So, the writing is on the wall for Nightwing’s big step.
Nightwing has been waiting in the wings for some time now. Fans want him and DC has been trying to promote his status. Add both of those to the fact that the DCU will allow opportunities for A-Listers and sub-tier characters, Nightwing’s chance to finally make it big has come. So much has been poured into this character. He has the support, fan base, and respect from inside the DC universe that his time just makes perfect sense. A live action film portrayal will pay everything off. Nightwing needs that step because the character has already accomplished what every character has done. With the help from fans and DC, Nightwing has paid his dues. It’s time for everything to pay off for him.
