Nightwing Director Reaffirms DCEU Involvement

Screen Rant

Nightwing Director Won't Leave DC Film Unless He's Fired

By Corey Hutchinson

Published Feb 23, 2018

Chris McKay, director of the upcoming Nightwing solo movie, has confirmed that he won't be leaving the project unless he's fired by the studio.

Chris McKay, director of the upcoming Nightwing solo movie, has confirmed that he won't be leaving the project unless he's fired by the studio. His comment stems from the unusual amount of director turnover that the DCEU has experienced in recent years. Since the shared universe was first announced back in 2014, roughly a dozen filmmakers have agreed to helm a DCEU movie only to leave their respective projects due to creative differences or scheduling conflicts.

Joss Whedon’s decision to leave the Batgirl solo movie makes him the latest big name director to part ways with the DCEU. And while this split appears to be a bit more amicable than the ones that proceeded it, the shared universe is nonetheless left scrambling for a replacement. News that Flashpoint directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley aren’t officially onboard the project just yet isn’t exactly comforting, either.

At the very least, DCEU fans can rest easy knowing that at least one of the shared universe’s upcoming films has managed to hold onto its attached director. Filmmaker Chris McKay’s involvement with DC's Nightwing movie was called into question earlier this week when rumors sprang up that he was in talks to helm Paramount’s upcoming Dungeons & Dragons adaptation. That movie’s planned 2021 release date led to concerns that Dick Grayson’s solo film would be significantly delayed, with some going so far as to wonder if McKay would remain onboard the DCEU project at all. Thankfully, the director has seemingly confirmed that he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. If Warner Bros. wants McKay off Nightwing, it looks like they're going to have to force him out the old fashioned way.

McKay has been hard at work on Dick Grayson’s DCEU debut ever since he first boarded the project in February of last year. Though early development on Nightwing hasn't exactly been speedy -- no official announcements have been made regarding casting or the actual plot, and we don't even have a vague idea of when we can expect the film to hit theaters -- it's a definite comfort to learn that McKay has no intention of leaving the project voluntarily.

That being said, the possibility that Nightwing may be five years away or more from making its theatrical debut remains a valid concern. Here's hoping that McKay provides fans with a scheduling update in the very near future.

Next: The DCEU Nightwing Movie May Be Facing A Significant Delay