‘House of the Dragon’ Star Harry Collett Is Openly Campaigning to Play Nightwing in James Gunn’s DCU
With James Gunn’s DC Universe continuing to expand its roster of heroes, few characters have generated as much fan speculation around casting as Nightwing. Dick Grayson, the original Robin who carved out his own legacy as a solo vigilante, is widely expected to play a meaningful role in the DCU’s developing Bat Family mythology, and audiences have been vocal for some time about who they want to see suit up.
The upcoming DCU Batman film, ‘The Brave and the Bold’, is one of the projects where Nightwing could realistically make his debut, with early development indicating the movie will lean into the broader Bat Family dynamic. Set photos from the upcoming ‘Clayface’ film have reportedly shown flyers referencing the Flying Graysons, suggesting that Dick Grayson is already part of the DCU’s Gotham City canon. Since ‘The Brave and the Bold’ has been positioned around Damian Wayne as the current Robin, the timeline would logically place Dick firmly in his Nightwing identity by the time the story unfolds.
It is against that backdrop of growing anticipation that one actor has now made his pitch very public. In an exclusive interview with ComicBook, conducted to promote ‘House of the Dragon‘ Season 3, Harry Collett and co-star Tom Glynn-Carney were asked which comic book heroes or villains they would be most interested in playing. Collett acknowledged that fans had been sliding into his DMs about the Nightwing comparison, though he admitted he was not yet fully familiar with the character. Once ComicBook host Chris Killian weighed in and noted that Collett had a natural Dick Grayson look, the actor’s response became impossible to ignore.
“James Gunn, please,” he said, a two-word campaign that spread rapidly across social media and transformed what had been an internet fancasting conversation into something officially on the record. The moment landed with real weight, given how clearly it was directed at the one person who holds the keys to the role.
Collett currently plays Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, the eldest son and heir of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, in the HBO fantasy epic ‘House of the Dragon’. He stepped into the role during the later episodes of Season 1 following a time jump and has since grown into one of the show’s most consistently compelling figures. Season 3 of the series is set to premiere on June 21, 2026.
On the DCU side of things, ‘The Brave and the Bold’ remains in early development with its script not yet complete. Director Andy Muschietti is currently attached to the project, though his ultimate involvement may depend on factors including timing and availability. No casting decisions for Batman or any Bat Family member have been announced.
Collett is far from the only actor who has publicly expressed interest in the Nightwing role, with the online fancasting debate around Dick Grayson being one of the more active conversations in the DC community. Shazam! actor Asher Angel has also previously voiced his enthusiasm for the part.
With Collett now throwing his name in directly and ‘House of the Dragon’ about to remind the world exactly what he is capable of, the question fans are now asking is a simple one, so what do you think: does Harry Collett have what it takes to bring Dick Grayson to life, and would you want to see him get the call from James Gunn?
