Nightwing (CGCU film)

Nightwing is a 2023 American superhero film directed by Jay Oliva and is the fifth installment in the Community Gotham Cinematic Universe. The film focuses on the DC Comics character of the same name, with Brenton Thwaites reprising his role from the television series Titans.

Released theatrically on July 14, 2023, the film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, action scenes, and darker tone, although the plot was criticized. The film was also a box office success, grossing $285 million against a budget of $99 million. A sequel, titled Nightwing Returns, was released in 2026.

Premise
Dick was kicked out of his house by his dad when he was a young boy, and he jumped from house to house before finding refuge in Wayne Manor. It was home to Bruce Wayne, or the Batman. He became the sidekick to Batman, and called himself Robin, but by the time Dick was in his late teens, he and Bruce were not getting along. Bruce fired him, and Dick assumed the role of Nightwing, returning to his hometown to take on crime fighters himself.

Release
The film held its world premiere on July 6, 2023, in Los Angeles, California, and was released to theaters on July 14, 2023. The film was made available on home media and on demand on November 2, and was released on HBO Max on December 17.

Box office
Nightwing grossed $102 million in the United States and Canada and $183 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $285 million against a budget of $99 million. Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $36 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues. Several analysts called the box office performance "disappointing" when comparing it to the performances of other DC films. However, Walter Hamada, the president of DC Films, was pleased with the film's financial success, stating, "It's great that a film like this does so well, especially when the character is not as well known."

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 83% based on 277 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's consensus reads, "Nightwing has no shortage of thrilling action, but it trades normal blockbuster stereotypes for a more dark and thoughtful tone." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A-" on a scale of A+ to F.

Sequel
Nightwing Returns, a sequel to the film, was released in 2026.