From the moment we saw the first trailer for Titans and heard Brenton Thwaites’s Dick Grayson (aka Nightwing) swear off Batman, we knew that this wasn’t going to be another Arrowverse-style DC TV series. And it wasn’t. It was a darker, more violent Snyder-inspired superhero story than everything else on TV at the time. And for that, the show gained a strong following and, for many, it solidified Thwaites as thebest live-action Nightwing. So, is it really surprising that the actor is keen on returning to the role in James Gunn’s DCU?
Thwaites clearly hasn’t handed back the escrima sticks just yet. But at 36, can he still play Dick Grayson, who is usually depicted as late 20s (around 27–29 years old) in the comics? Some fans believe he can, especially since he still looks really young for his age.
At a panel during Calgary Expo, moderated by Collider‘s Maggie Lovitt, Thwaites was asked about whether or not he would like to return to the DCU as another character. But the Titans actor seems fixed on playing only one character: Dick Grayson. “I’ve played characters where I still believe I’m not that guy, you know, and I’ve done movies where I am that guy, and you feel like it doesn’t go away. I definitely feel like Dick Grayson, I was that guy,” he told the audience.
But it wasn’t the first time he’s shared this either. In an interview with ComicBook earlier this year, he also said, “I haven’t been keeping up with the DCU, but I do love that character. I think he’s really special and the fans are just obsessed with Dick Grayson. I would love to play him again. I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s a good question.”
That’s two times in 2026 that he has expressed his interest in playing Nightwing again.
And fans are all in too. On Reddit, they were quick to show support for the actor. “He was actually a good actor. I enjoy watching him as Nightwing. I also like how his character was very serious,” wrote one user. “Honestly, this guy was very good as Nightwing, if only He had some better moments to shine,” wrote another. One user even wanted to see him alongside Jensen Ackles as Batman. “I thought he did a great job in Titans so I’d be all for it. Pair him with Jensen Ackles as Batman and boom! A winning combo!” he wrote.
Thwaites has also praised James Gunn as “a great filmmaker”, which is probably the correct way to go about getting an audition for a part in the DCU.
The character, who was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani back in The Brave and the Bold #54, has a long journey in the comic books. He started off as Batman’s sidekick, but eventually grew to become a leader and even at times has stepped out as Batman too.
So, yes, there’s plenty of space for Nightwing in the DCU. And considering that Gunn kept actors from the DCEU around, like John Cena’s Peacemaker and Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle, it doesn’t seem so impossible.
