After Multiple DCU Teases, Horror Movie Star Becomes Nightwing In DC Art (& He Looks Perfect)

A new version of Batman will have had a number of sidekicks when he debuts in the DC Universe, and one of them has now been imagined in fun fan art. Bruce Wayne’s Batman hasn’t yet been cast in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s new DCU, but the Dark Knight is set to appear in The Brave and the Bold alongside a sidekick, Damian Wayne’s Robin, the fifth character to assume the Robin mantle in DC Comics. Damian Wayne’s debut hints at other Robins having come before him, and one would be game-changing for the DCU.

When Robin first appeared in DC Comics back in 1940’s Detective Comics #38, it was eight-year-old acrobat Dick Grayson who held the mantle. In 1984, however, Grayson graduated from the role of Robin and instead became the adult superhero known as Nightwing, separate from Batman as the protector of the city of Blüdhaven. Since Batman will be introduced to the DCU with his fifth Robin, there are hopes that Dick Grayson could appear as Nightwing in the rebooted franchise, too. There have already been 2 mentions of Blüdhaven in both Creature Commandos and Peacemaker, so his arrival feels inevitable, and now, new art shared by @spdrmnkyxxiii on Instagram imagines young actor Mason Thames in the role.

Mason Thames Would Make a Great Nightwing in the DCU

At 18 years old, Mason Thames would be a fantastic fit for the older but still youthful role of Dick Grayson in the DCU. After making brief TV appearances in For All Mankind, Evel, and Walker, Thames made his feature film debut as Finney Blake in the 2021 horror movie, The Black Phone. He reprised this role in 2025, and has continued to establish himself with roles in Monster Summer, Regretting You, and the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon. As a rising star, it would be great to see Thames take on a central role in the DCU.

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As Nightwing, Dick Grayson led DC Comics’ Teen Titans, a team which will soon be joining the DCU in a live-action movie being written by Ana Noguiera. Noguiera penned the script for the upcoming Supergirl movie, starring Millie Alcock, and is billed to write a Wonder Woman project for DC Studios, too, so Gunn and Safran clearly have faith in her to deliver a strong story. This raises hopes for her Teen Titans movie, which could put Thames front-and-center as the titular team’s leader.

Thames’ background in ballet gives him the agility, stamina, and acrobatic skill necessary to portray Dick Grayson, while his youthful energy and growing name recognition could prove an asset to the budding DCU. Thames has even stated his desire to play Dick Grayson in live-action (via @dcuworld), and with The Brave and the Bold and a Teen Titans movie on the way, the stage may be set for him to make his superhero franchise debut. Thames appearing as Nightwing would perfectly flesh out Batman’s history in the DCU.

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