Nightwing Needs A Big Villain
It’s a big movie for the DCEU, and they simply cannot sit back and take it easy with this one. Nightwing needs to be a critical and financial hit to prove that DC is much more than just Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman (we’re not even mentioning Suicide Squad here). In order to show that they mean business, Geoff Johns and company will need to pull out all the stops and ensure that Dick Grayson does the ass-kicking tango with a massive supervillain rather than a no-name lame-O.
Apart from Two-Face, Slade is the big-time villain who has the most history with the original Robin. Already from Dick’s time in the Teen Titans, these two have done the dance on more than one occasion and been the constant thorns in each other’s sides. You only need to watch Teen Titans: The Judas Contract to see how much drama they have between them.
Deathstroke is the perfect foil for Nightwing. He’ll push our hero to the limit – perhaps even breaking point – and give him a real uphill battle (with lots of action, naturally) to overcome. Now, this is the sort of film we’d all like to see.
Establishes Nightwing’s Credibility
We’ve all heard how it’s possible that Affleck won’t be sticking around as the Caped Crusader for too long, or the possibility of a Batman Beyond spinoff, or pretty much whatever news story gets published on any given day. At the moment, nothing is certain and we doubt it will be until a few months after Justice League‘s release. Heck, we’ll only believe Batfleck is truly set to stay when they actually start filming The Batman and he’s physically on set.
This is why it’s important to establish Dick as the natural heir to the cape and cowl. We need to know that he’s able to step up and take on the mantle if Bruce Wayne decides to go bye-bye. The best way to do this is to show us that he’s capable of defeating one of the best fighters in the DC Comics: Deathstroke. Doing so will establish the fact that Dick isn’t a second-grade superhero, but a primetime player.
It’s now legend how Slade has bested the Batman in hand-to-hand combat. So, by having Nightwing defeat him, it would send out a message to everyone else about the new sheriff in town. It’s a strong statement and also a legitimate backup plan for the DCEU. Would you rather see Dick become the Dark Knight or someone else recast in the role as Batman? We know our choice.
