Mortal Kombat Star Wants to Suit Up as DCU’s Nightwing

DC Studios has spent the past couple of years methodically rebuilding its cinematic universe from the ground up, and fans have wasted no time speculating about which actors might land some of the franchise’s most beloved roles. Few characters generate quite as much fan-casting buzz as Dick Grayson’s grown-up alter ego, a role that demands both genuine charisma and serious physical ability.

That combination has made one particular action star an increasingly popular pick among fans online, and now the actor himself is weighing in on the idea directly.

‘Mortal Kombat’ star Lewis Tan says playing a live-action Nightwing in the DC Universe would be “a dream,” though he’s careful not to get ahead of himself about the possibility. Speaking at a convention appearance, Tan addressed the growing online speculation about him taking on the role, saying it would be a dream role but that he doesn’t “want to jinx it,” adding, “we’ll see.”

Tan went on to explain what he’d actually want out of a potential take on the character, emphasizing that any version would need to feature “legit martial arts” and violence, with the production needing to “take it to another level” compared to previous depictions of the character. Given Tan’s extensive martial arts background, that vision tracks closely with his overall approach to action filmmaking throughout his career.

Tan’s martial arts pedigree runs deep, having trained under his father Philip Tan, a national champion martial artist and veteran fight choreographer whose credits include working on films like “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and Tim Burton’s “Batman.” That family connection to the DC universe specifically gives Tan’s interest in Nightwing an added layer of personal significance, since his father’s work on “Batman” played a foundational role in launching his own career in the industry.

Beyond his breakout leading role as Cole Young in 2021’s “Mortal Kombat,” Tan has built a reputation for performing his own stunts across projects like “Into the Badlands,” “Wu Assassins,” and “Deadpool 2,” where he played Shatterstar. That commitment to authentic, hands-on action work is precisely the kind of skill set fans have pointed to when floating him as a potential Nightwing, a character whose comic book identity is built around acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat rather than superpowers.

Tan isn’t the only actor who’s publicly expressed interest in the role either, with fellow performer Asher Angel recently naming Nightwing as his own dream role within the DCU. That growing chorus of actors publicly campaigning for the part suggests just how much cultural cachet the character currently holds among Hollywood’s rising action talent, even without any official casting news from DC Studios itself.

James Gunn’s rebuilt DC Universe has already confirmed a wide array of heroes across its expanding slate, though Nightwing’s live-action debut within this new continuity remains unannounced. Given how carefully Gunn and his team have been rolling out casting reveals for the franchise’s biggest characters, any official Nightwing news likely won’t arrive until the studio is ready to make it a genuine event.

For now, fans will have to settle for enthusiastic hints from actors like Tan rather than any concrete confirmation. Still, given his genuine martial arts credentials and clear passion for the character, it’s easy to see why so much fan-casting energy keeps circling back to him.

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