Just one mention of “Nightwing,” the upcoming solo Robin film, immediately gets its writer and director Chris McKay riled up. “’Nightwing’ is going to be different from a lot of the other DC movies,” he promises me, before then launching into a pulsating description that makes it sound, frankly, thrilling.
“This is going to be an action packed story. Imagine something like ‘John Wick’ or ‘The Raid’ or old Walter Hill or Clint Eastwood, because I like that kind of raw, primal filmmaking. That’s the kind of thing that I want the movie to be. But also emotional. I can’t say too much. Let me put it this way, the emotional and also physical commitment of not just the actor that plays Nightwing but also of all the actors, and the relationships between the bad guys we’re going to cast, it’s going to be a visceral ride for the audience and a physical ride for the cast and crew. Everything else that you’ve seen is going to feel safe compared to this movie.”
McKay even went into detail about why the story of Dick Grayson and Nightwing was so appealing to him, admitting that he’s long been a devout Batman fan, before then teasing the story that he wants to tell.
“I’m a big fan of Batman. I’m a big fan of Nightwing. I’m a big fan of Robin and Dick Grayson’s journey from being this kid in shorts and a cape and pixie elf boots who becomes the savior of another more corrupt city, and learns from his adopted father Batman both what to do and what not to do as a crime fighter, and branches out on his own. That’s really exciting to me.”
McKay hasn’t got as far as actually casting his Nightwing yet, though, and he’s already well aware that trying to find someone for the titular role will be a “long process, because it’s going to be fun but a lot of hard work.”
With all the rumors swirling that a standalone Joker film directed by Todd Phillips, produced by Martin Scorsese, but not connected to the DC Extended Universe, in which the villain is played by Jared Leto, is currently in development, I asked McKay whether or not his Robin film is currently scheduled to be a part of the DCEU. However, he wouldn’t bite, and instead responded, “Those answers I can’t answer right now, because if I do I’m going to f*** somebody over.”
By this point, though, McKay’s words had already done more than enough to increase excitement for his “Nightwing” film. It’s just a pity that we still don’t have a clue when it will actually be released.
