The upcoming The Flash movie should make room for Nightwing, revisiting the original idea posed by Joel Schumacher. As if losing his family in a circus accident wasn't bad enough, Dick Grayson has endured a tough time in live-action. After first being portrayed by Burt Ward in the 1960s Batman series routinely described as "campy," Tim Burton's plans to bring the Boy Wonder to the big screen were scrapped when the director was replaced by Joel Schumacher. Chris O'Donnell played Grayson in 1995's Batman Forever and 1997's Batman & Robin, but arrived during a critically sour patch for the franchise. Christian Bale was famously reluctant to hire a sidekick, Ben Affleck's Robin is already dead when the DCEU begins, and a Nightwing movie from Chris McKay has been shelved indefinitely.
Fortunately, the DCEU's future offers a prime opportunity to finally do Robin justice in the cinematic realm. 2022's The Flash has been on and off the DC movie slate for some time, but was finally nailed down in early 2020. Excitement was muted until shocking reports emerged claiming that Michael Keaton's Batman (from the 1980s/1990s Tim Burton era) would be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne in a multiverse-twisting tale. Adding to the buzz, Ben Affleck later signed on as DCEU Batman, having previous handed the cowl over to Robert Pattinson. The Flash looks set to bring every DC movie franchise under a single inter-dimensional umbrella, and Nightwing should be a part of that - played by Chris O'Donnell.
Joel Schumacher's third Batman movie was originally going to be Batman Unchained, but the downright terrible reaction to Batman & Robin put further sequels *Arnold Schwarzenegger voice* "on ice." However, Batman Unchained wasn't the only casualty; Chris O'Donnell confirmed in 2012 that he was to star in a spin-off movie, during which Dick Grayson would evolve from his childhood Robin persona into the solo vigilante known as Nightwing, escaping the shadow of Bruce Wayne. After Joel Schumacher and Batman parted ways, Grayson's story was left unresolved, but if the DC movie multiverse is now in effect, somewhere out there is an older Chris O'Donnell Nightwing prowling the streets of Gotham.
The Flash has already cast representatives from the Burton and DCEU eras. Any involvement from Christian Bale is highly unlikely and bringing back George Clooney or Val Kilmer feels unwise. But Chris O'Donnell served the Robin character well during his time, and was mostly let down by other aspects of the Schumacher era such as tone and writing. Now 50 years old (but looking younger, to be fair), an O'Donnell Nightwing would be a fantastic way of representing the Joel Schumacher Batman movies in The Flash, adding a superhero that fans have never before glimpsed on the big screen. In the more grounded world of the DCEU, Robin might just find a slither of redemption after all these years in the cinematic wilderness.
Introducing Dick Grayson into the DCEU's Flashpoint storyline would be a defining moment for Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne too. As confirmed in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, the DCEU Robin was murdered by The Joker, causing Bruce to enter a downward spiral of depression and isolation. Forming the Justice League seemed to lift Bruce's spirits somewhat, but there are undoubtedly ghosts still haunting the Caped Crusader. Coming face-to-face with another version of Dick from a different universe - one who actually survived into his adult life - could bring closure for Affleck's character. Maybe Chris O'Donnell's Nightwing can assure Ben Affleck's Batman that no matter the risks, he wouldn't change anything about his time as Robin.
Given the relative youth of Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne, the Matt Reeves franchise is unlikely to introduce a sidekick any time soon. The Flash presents a perfect opportunity for Nightwing to appear in the DC movie universe, and enhance the already considerable anticipation surrounding the DCEU's future.
