After Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, we now know that Jason Todd exists in the DCEU. Since the second Robin has already died and possibly come back, that means that the first has to exist, and that we will more than likely see him in Ben Affleck’s solo movie The Batman. That begs the question of who could play this former Boy Wonder, and I have some ideas.
1. Dylan O’Brien
Dylan has the perfect look for Dick Grayson, and he has the correct body type for a slimmer superhero. While Nightwing is supposed to be the oldest member of the Bat-Family, O’Brien just brings so much to the table that I can’t overlook him. He is a rising action star that is widely known by the type of audience that would be seeing this film, and could definitely bust some heads alongside the likes of Ben Affleck.
2. Bob Morley
At 30, Morley would be a great grown-up Nightwing. He has the Dick Grayson look, and is already in a fraction of the shape he would have to be in for the role. He’s already picked up some action steam by playing a major role in The 100, and could really make a name for himself by doing a character like this.
3. Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth would be great for a younger and more popular choice for the role. At only 25, it could be a stretch to believe him as the oldest Robin, but he definitely has the look and body for the role.
4. Jared Padalecki
At 32, Jared Padalecki is at the perfect age, build, and height to play Nightwing. Not only is he built like a superhero, but at 6’4″, he can stand face to face with the 6’3″ Ben Affleck, which could help with Nightwing being credited as his own superhero. I know it doesn’t sound like a big problem, but it is. Also, he has a somewhat unconventional Dick Grayson look, but he could still pull it off.
5. Matt Long
Some of you might recognize this guy from the show Helix, or from him playing a young Nicholas Cage in Ghost Rider. While Long is only 5’9″, he does have the look for an older Robin (a.k.a Nightwing), and could put less of a dark tone on the character. While that might not be a good thing, I wouldn’t mind seeing a more lighthearted Dick Grayson.
6. Wes Bentley
On the other hand, Wes Bentley could give us a much darker Nightwing. Bentley is the perfect age for an older Dick Grayson, he’s 5’11”, so he’s not entirely too short, and he looks very much like the character. While he’s not entirely in superhero shape, that can always change with the right trainer.
7. Thomas McDonell
While McDonell keeps his hair too long for my taste, he does have the look and body for Nightwing. At 29, he’s at the right age, and while he mainly does TV, he could always make the transition to movie stardom.
8. Steven Yeun
While I normally don’t use race benders in my fan casts because it’s such a touchy subject, Steven Yeun brings too much to the table to overlook. He has the body of a superhero, he’s at the perfect age, and he honestly looks like an Asian Dick Grayson. If Yeun were to be cast, he could give us both a lighthearted and totally dark Nightwing, because he can play both sides of the scale so well. Almost every episode of The Walking Dead has Steven in a different kind of emotion, and he nails it every time. That’s what I want to see in Nightwing.
9. Matt Bomer
While some people say that Matt Bomer is too old to play Nightwing, I disagree. In most of Batman lore, Dick and Bruce have the age difference of father and some, but in recent works, specifically the TV show Gotham, they have the age difference of brothers. (It was revealed that Dick’s mom will be pregnant with him on the show, so there would only be an 8 or 9 year difference) With that being said, the 37 year old Matt Bomer has the Dick Grayson look, the body to play Superman, let alone Nightwing, and the acting skills to blow the role out of the water.
10. Zac Efron
Say what you will about Efron, but he has the look and the body for Nightwing. Some might argue that he’s too short, he’s not a good actor, blah blah blah, but in my eyes he’s redeemed himself from High School Musical because of the movie Neighbors, and height can be overlooked if the actor is a good fit. I would like a Nightwing taller than 5’8″, but Efron could truly give us a great Nightwing, and that’s what I want from an actor.
What did you think? Do you have an actor that could play Nightwing? Let me know in the comments!