Steven R. McQueen Still Teasing Nightwing
In spite of repeated backtracks and denials by both himself and those involved in The CW's DC [...]
In spite of repeated backtracks and denials by both himself and those involved in The CW's DC Universe, The Vampire Diaries' Steven R. McQueen is once again playing the Nightwing card on social media.
Of course, nowadays it's assumed that anyone courting a turn as Batman's first sidekick might actually be doing so for TNT's Titans, which seems frozen in development limbo at the moment, rather than on The CW...so maybe there's something new there.
In this case, though, it's just a matter of sharing items that fans have sent him recently. The Nightwing hoodie, shown at left, appears to be a gift from Instagram users imm1025 and @brinnuh87, who discuss among themselves in the comments that McQueen is showing off their gift on social media.
Also present are a number of Nightwing issues from the '90s run by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel, a pair of Superman comics from Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding, and What If...? #25, which features pretty much the entire Marvel Universe.
Given the number of times he's teased playing or wanting to play Nightwing, it's easy to focus on those issues in McQueen's image, but the Superman issues (#61 and #80) feature a number of characters who either will, or may very well, end up on TV this season. Superman #61 features Rip Hunter (of DC's Legends of Tomorrow fame) alongside the other Linear Men -- Waverider, Matthew Ryder and Liri Lee. None of them are confirmed to be in Legends of Tomorrow yet, but at a Comic-Con roundtable with reporters, showrunner Phil Klemmer confirmed to ComicBook.com that he was, indeed, planning on using other Time Masters. The Linear Men, due to their connections to Rip Hunter, would be solid candidates.
Superman #80 features The Eradicator, a Kryptonian weapon given humanoid form following a battle with Superman, and the pre-Flashpoint Cyborg Superman, better known as Hank Henshaw. Henshaw was an astronaut who lost his wife in a shuttle accident in the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DC Universe, only to gain powers and become a longtime Superman and Green Lantern villain. His most notorious act was destroying Coast City -- a locale in which Arrow will be taking place this year -- in Superman #80. Henshaw will appear on Supergirl, although the character has already been cast and seems to be on a different trajectory. He heads up the DEO (Department of Extranormal Operations) and is suspicious of aliens for reasons not yet known.
As far as we know, McQueen hasn't yet landed any superhero role...but he sure seems to be keen on one. If it happens, we'll be sure to let you know.