If the Nightwing solo film takes a while, it’s probably because Chris McKay wants to get it right

According to new reports, the Nightwing solo film isn’t a top priority for Warner Bros., which is probably a good thing for the director and fans.

Nightwing is a very special character to many DC fans, if only because he has a rich and yet often neglected history. Usually, when people pick a favorite Robin, they immediately shoot for Dick Grayson, whose more adult persona of Nightwing is slowly becoming just as prevalent in DC lore as Batman himself.

Unfortunately, Warner Bros. may not be in a rush to bring his solo film to the big screen. With the studio currently experiencing a shuffle in leadership, the only films with guaranteed releases are Shazam!, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman 2. Otherwise, most of them appear to be still up in the air. DC films seem to be in disarray still, with unwanted origin films for characters like the Joker and Joss Whedon’s Batgirl still on the table for whatever reason.

Although people certainly do want a Nightwing solo film, The Batman can barely get off the ground. (They won’t prioritize Nightwing over Batman.) So, it’s only fair that Chris McKay wants to look elsewhere.

 Here’s Heroic Hollywood’s take:

"With Nightwing less of a priority for Warner Bros., McKay found himself with an open slot, and Paramount made a play for him to direct Dungeons & Dragons — an idea that the director has sparked to, according to sources."

What strikes me most about this development is that McKay seems really committed to doing this Nightwing film right as opposed to turning a quick buck. Recently, he held a Twitter poll to let people weigh in on their vision for the character:

Moreover, he promised an update on the film around Valentine’s Day, then tweeted this. So, maybe Warner Bros. gave him too much of a hard time, and he chose to step back from the project.

Plus, the studio plans to throw a lot into the small screen interpretations of these iconic characters, too. Though their intent remains super unclear — why does Brainiac look so good for Krypton when he should be in the DCEU? — Dick Grayson fans can still catch a version of him on the digital streaming service.

Related Story: DC movies: Why not just recast the Joker every time?

Even though this happens to be my current interpretation of the situation and I respect McKay’s decision here, it’s also worth noting that I didn’t like his take on Batman in the LEGO Batman Movie, so this could be for the best anyway. We could be dodging bullets like a Romani circus acrobat without even knowing it.