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Top 5 Picks for Nightwing Movie

The Original Boy Wonder

By Greg FalconerPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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The last few DC films have not been good! That is the most common reviews I see about films such as Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman and Suicide Squad. Unlike most people I talk to, I actually enjoyed all of those films. I realise they have their flaws, but I think they are good stories with bad writing. However with the recent success of Wonder Woman scoring a 7.5 rating on IMDb and 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to Batman vs Superman and Suicide Squad which scored in the low sixes on IMDb and 27 percent and 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. I believe there is hope for the DCEU with some good writing and directing.

The recent news coming out of DC is very hopeful for the future. In the recent months, they have been looking for the perfect director for the live action Nightwing film, with The Lego Batman Movie director Chris McKay being mentioned for it. The news of Joss Whedon directing a Batgirl solo movie also brings a breath of fresh air for DC fans.

Anyway back to Nightwing, He is one of my favourite superheroes in DC behind Batman and The Flash. This means I need the Nightwing movie to be good, I also need an amazing actor to portray him on the silver screen so here are my top 5 picks for a Nightwing Actor. (Please remember this is only my opinion!)

5. Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Taylor-Johnson, in my opinion, is a very good option for the Nightwing movie. He really took to the superhero genre as he played the lead role in Kick-Ass. This wasn't the most serious superhero movie but I really enjoyed it and, I think along with a lot of fellow nerds, related to it. He also played the brother of Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver. Against popular opinion, I believe his portrayal of Quicksilver was the best live action attempt to date.

Taylor-Johnson has the ideal body type for a live action Nightwing due to his work as Quicksilver. After Kick-Ass, any doubts anyone had about him being capable of being in a high-action film should have been put to rest.

If DC want an actor that is used to the superhero genre then I feel like Taylor-Johnson should be top of the list.

4. Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal is by far the most famous and well-known actor on my list by far. He is extremely experienced — acting in many high budget films over the years, such as The Day After Tomorrow,Southpaw, and Brokeback Mountain. He has been nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Brokeback Mountain and he received a BAFTA for best supporting actor for the same film.

You may think he would suit a Batman-type of role rather than someone like Nightwing. There is an argument to place him in the role but with Ben Affleck’s Batman in his 40s, I don’t think there would be a problem with Gyllenhaal playing the Nightwing character.

If DC wants a nitty gritty Nightwing movie with less comedy and more of a serious tone then Gyllenhaal would need to be the best candidate for the movie.

3. Sam Claflin

Here is a name that you might not know who the hell he is if you are not familiar with The Hunger Games series. Claflin’s acting in The Hunger Games is second to none in the film except Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss. His portrayal of Finnick Odair is the perfect acting you would expect in a Nightwing film, he is cocky and athletic but also sarcastic, then as you begin to get to know his character you see his soft and emotional side. He has also been in other hit movies such as being a part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and co-starring in Me Before You.

Claflin also has the pretty boy looks and the physic to pull off quite a convincing Nightwing. He also has much experience with the action film genre, as I already stated him being in TheHunger Games series.

I think if DC want a younger-looking pretty boy to play their Nightwing then he should 100 percent be in with a shot for the lead role, and he would be amazing.

2. Dylan O'Brien

Dylan O’Brien comes in at a strong second place behind my first pick for the Nightwing lead role. He has vast experience in the action TV genre — co-starring in the hit show Teen Wolf along with Tyler Posey (who by the way would also be an excellent pick for Nightwing or an older version of Robin!). Teen Wolf is one of my favourite TV shows of recent and O’Brien’s portrayal of Stilinski is fantastic. He is the youngest actor on my list which makes him the best candidate linked to age since he is probably the perfect age for Nightwing. O’Brien stars in the movie franchise The Maze Runner which again he is fantastic in, he then has the movie experience needed to play a lead role in a high budget Hollywood movie. He also has the looks and build of a Nightwing character.

If my first choice is not picked for the Nightwing movie then I would happily see Dylan O’Brien pick up the role.

1. Steven Yeun

Finally time for my number one pick for the Nightwing solo movie. I think Yeun would be a very unusual pick for the role of Nightwing but I think he could pull this off beautifully. Yeun has most notably appeared in AMC’s The Walking Dead which has been widely praised by fans and non-fans alike. Yeun is not as recognised as anyone on this list but he is one of the best actors.

I feel like Yeun’s Nightwing would stray away from the norm of superhero films on so many levels. With the success of Black Panther and Wonder Woman, I think an actor with a Korean background grabbing the lead role in a DCEU film would bring a much needed diversity to the DC films. Also Yeun's Nightwing would stray away from the six packed superheroes while also keeping the trim athletic body needed to play Nightwing.

I cannot write all the reasons I would like Yeun to play Nightwing I just feel like he would be the perfect candidate. Bringing not only the action-TV experience to the role but also a comedy aspect similar to that of Spiderman: Homecoming, which to this day is my favourite superhero film. Yeun could make a Nightwing film both family-friendly and appeal to the hardcore DC comic fans that want the completely badass fight scenes. Yeun could also apply some emotional instability seen in The Walking Dead that would be linked to the death of Dick’s parents at a young age.

Out of all my picks I would be annoyed to see Yeun bypassed for the role. I think he has been exceptional in everything he has been in and deserves a chance to make the world remember his name, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t even like The Walking Dead!

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About the Creator

Greg Falconer

I enjoy Films, TV shows, Comic Books and Video Games. Everything I write is my own opinion and just a bit of fun!

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