Nightwing Director Shoots Down THAT Casting Rumour
And the whole world breathes a sigh of relief...
Rumours about who'll take on the mantle of Nightwing in Chris McKay's upcoming DCEU adaptation have run rampant pretty much since the movie was announced. It seems like just about everyone's name has been thrown into the mix either by fans or the actors themselves, including Steven Yeun, Dave Franco, Jared Padalecki and Dylan O'Brien, but now the director has confirmed one actor who definitely won't be suiting up for the Batman spinoff.
When asked on Twitter whether or not the long-rumoured Zac Efron would be up for the lead role, McKay bluntly revealed that it's not happening:
Although Efron is a far more charismatic and engaging actor than he's often given credit for, it's easy to see why many fans will be breathing a sigh of relief after reading this news. The names that have gained the most traction so far haven't been the major draws that you'd usually associate with tentpole blockbusters, with fans instead looking towards TV for their Dick Grayson.
Similarly, McKay actually tweeted out a poll asking what fans are looking for in their big-screen version of Batman's former protege, with the overwhelming majority preferring an actor with martial arts experience, rather than a movie star.
The director has been unconventionally open about the pre-production of the project, constantly interacting with fans and asking for their input, but how much weight the likes of that poll will have on the actual casting is yet to be seen. Obviously, McKay still needs to answer to Warner Bros., and they could very easily demand a big name for the role in the hopes of getting a wider audience into theatres.
Whatever happens though, now we know for sure that Dirty Grandpa and Baywatch star Zac Efron won't be making the jump to fighting crime on the streets of Blüdhaven.