15 Actors Perfect for the Role of Nightwing in the DCU
Nightwing brings a mix of acrobatics, detective work, and field leadership that has anchored many of the most popular Batman family stories. The character began as Dick Grayson, a circus acrobat who trained under Batman and later led teams like the Titans while protecting Blüdhaven on his own. Any screen version needs an actor comfortable with intricate fight choreography, dual escrima sticks, surveillance work, and grounded drama about legacy and independence.
The names below highlight performers with proven action credentials, experience handling serialized storytelling, and familiarity with franchise scale. Their resumes include projects with intensive stunt programs, combat training, or physically demanding roles, along with work that shows command of quiet character moments and ensemble dynamics.
Brenton Thwaites
Brenton Thwaites portrayed Dick Grayson and Nightwing across multiple seasons of ‘Titans’ and worked through extensive fight choreography built around escrima sticks and close quarters combat. His time on the series included scenes that combined tactical movement with vertical environments and stealth setups, along with detective beats tied to Gotham and Blüdhaven cases.
Beyond ‘Titans’, his film credits include ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ and ‘Maleficent’, projects that required coordination with large stunt teams and effects heavy units. He has also carried network and streaming dramas, which demonstrates the scheduling stamina that a DCU production often demands.
Lewis Tan
Lewis Tan headlined ‘Mortal Kombat’ as a cage fighter turned champion and appeared in action driven series like ‘Wu Assassins’. His work features long takes with striking, grappling, and weapon flows that rely on clean timing and safe distance control.
His background includes years of on camera fight training and work with stunt coordinators across projects that blend practical choreography with visual effects. He also appeared in ‘Deadpool 2’, which adds experience inside comic book production pipelines and their second unit action workflows.
Andrew Koji
Andrew Koji leads ‘Warrior’ and performs demanding sequences that combine traditional martial arts, boxing beats, and environment based improvisation. The show’s choreography uses tight interiors, multi opponent setups, and period props, all of which require sharp spatial awareness and precision.
He brought the same discipline to ‘Snake Eyes’, collaborating on weapons work and tactical movement. His training history includes stage combat and screen fighting that prioritizes safety while maintaining speed, which translates directly to the acrobatic and stick focused vocabulary associated with Nightwing.
Dacre Montgomery
Dacre Montgomery played the Red Ranger in ‘Power Rangers’, training through a program that emphasized coordination with suits, wire assisted beats, and ensemble based action. He gained global recognition in ‘Stranger Things’ with a performance that balanced intensity and vulnerability inside a large ensemble.
He has worked across studio films and prestige television, navigating press duties and franchise engagement alongside principal photography. That experience supports the logistical side of a DCU role that spans multiple projects and crossovers.
Tanner Buchanan
Tanner Buchanan is a core cast member of ‘Cobra Kai’, where he trains and performs screen fighting built around karate inspired choreography. The series regularly features tournament sequences, hallway brawls, and short wide shots that showcase full body control without heavy cutting.
He has also carried teen and young adult leads in projects like ‘He’s All That’ while maintaining ongoing combat rehearsals during production windows. That combination of acting workload and physical rehearsal is directly relevant to a superhero role that alternates between dialogue heavy scenes and action units.
Dylan O’Brien
Dylan O’Brien fronted ‘The Maze Runner’ series and completed extensive stunt preparation across multiple installments that featured chase sequences, falls, and rig work. He also headlined ‘Teen Wolf’, which relied on frequent night shoots, location work, and ensemble coordination over long seasons.
His film ‘American Assassin’ added weapons handling and close quarters training to his toolkit. He has experience recovering from and returning to stunt intensive sets, which shows a strong understanding of set safety protocols and collaboration with stunt coordinators.
Logan Lerman
Logan Lerman led the ‘Percy Jackson’ films, which required sword training and wire assisted sequences across large scale sets. He delivered dramatic work in ‘Fury’ with military tactics and vehicle work inside an armored environment.
He later starred in ‘Hunters’, a series that alternates between investigative scenes and bursts of violence, which aligns with the mix of detective material and action that Nightwing stories often carry. His resume spans studio franchise production and mature dramatic ensembles.
Taron Egerton
Taron Egerton broke out with ‘Kingsman’, where he worked through highly stylized fight choreography that stitched together continuous movement and prop interaction. He also led ‘Robin Hood’, adding archery and period weapons to his action experience.
Outside action, he earned wide acclaim for ‘Rocketman’, which required vocal performance, choreography, and sustained emotional beats. That range supports the balance between kinetic sequences and grounded character work that DCU leads carry across multiple entries.
Richard Madden
Richard Madden became widely known through ‘Game of Thrones’, where he trained in sword work and battlefield movement within large ensemble scenes. He then starred in ‘Bodyguard’, which featured firearms handling, protection drills, and tense urban set pieces.
He joined the comic book space with ‘Eternals’, gaining familiarity with green screen environments and second unit schedules. This combination of prestige drama and effects heavy production gives him a practical understanding of both acting and technical marks on large stages.
Avan Jogia
Avan Jogia appeared in ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’, spending significant time with firearms safety and tactical movement on closed set urban locations. He also carried serialized leads in shows like ‘Now Apocalypse’, which required precise timing and tone control across evolving arcs.
Earlier work on ‘Victorious’ added performance training that included choreography and musical staging, which translates into rhythm and timing for screen action. He has worked across network, cable, and streaming formats, offering experience with different production cadences.
Ludi Lin
Ludi Lin played Liu Kang in ‘Mortal Kombat’ and Zack in ‘Power Rangers’, both of which involved intensive martial arts preparation and fight design. His screen fighting emphasizes kicks, sweeps, and combinations that read cleanly in wide angles.
He trains consistently with stunt teams to maintain flexibility, conditioning, and weapons familiarity. That baseline makes rapid preproduction boot camps and on set adjustments more efficient during action heavy schedules.
Booboo Stewart
Booboo Stewart appeared in ‘The Twilight Saga’ and joined ‘X Men: Days of Future Past’, gaining set time inside major franchises and effects driven scenes. He is also a key performer in the ‘Descendants’ films, which integrate dance and stunt adjacent choreography.
His background includes live performance and movement training that support agility and spatial control. He has collaborated with musical departments and stunt coordinators on projects that require quick transitions between dialogue, movement, and camera resets.
KJ Apa
KJ Apa led ‘Riverdale’ across many seasons, managing demanding television schedules that included night shoots, location moves, and recurring athletic sequences on the field and in the gym. He also recorded music for projects tied to his roles, which demonstrates comfort with multidisciplinary production tasks.
His film work includes leads in projects like ‘I Still Believe’ and ‘The Last Summer’, giving him experience balancing on set responsibilities with promotional cycles. He has maintained long term character continuity, which is central to a shared universe plan.
Daniel Sharman
Daniel Sharman appeared in ‘Immortals’, training in sword and shield work and hitting marks for stylized action shots. He also joined ‘Teen Wolf’ and ‘The Originals’, which required coordination across stunt teams and fast paced television blocks.
His career spans genre television and fantasy cinema, building familiarity with green screen marks, prosthetics time, and effects plate pickups. That experience helps when moving between detective scenes and action beats that rely on later visual effects.
Nicholas Galitzine
Nicholas Galitzine gained international attention through ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ and ‘The Idea of You’, both of which placed him at the center of high profile promotional tours and media coverage. He has also worked in music forward projects like ‘Cinderella’, which required vocal performance and choreography.
He has maintained a steady slate across streaming films and limited series with varied tones. That schedule shows reliability with quick turn productions while staying present for rehearsals and movement work, which supports the preparation needed for a superhero role.
Share your top Nightwing pick in the comments and tell us which past role convinced you.
