Out of all of Justice League as DC’s premiere superhero team. However, there is still one Nightwing story arc that DC has yet to deliver, and fans are more than a little desperate to see it.
People love a good romance, so it’s no surprise there has been decades of ongoing debate over who Nightwing should ultimately end up with, with Barbara Gordon and Starfire being the two main contenders.
However, in recent years, the tone of the fandom has started to shift, with many fans agreeing that at this point in Dick’s comic discography, DC should let the hero settle down and start a family whether it be with Batgirl or Starfire, opening the door to an unexplored arc for the character. While some may be skeptical about this next step, Marvel’s Ultimate continuity has shown through Spider-Man that a change in the status quo like this can be more than welcome.
Why It's Time for Nightwing to Settle Down for Good
Dick Grayson's Next Chapter Should Be Love, Commitment, and Legacy
Some may assume that the idea of Nightwing settling down and having kids signals the end of his hero days. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Letting Dick settle down with one partner and start a family would mark a long-overdue evolution in his heroics, offering fans a fresh and unexplored dynamic of him balancing both roles. That said, some may question why Nightwing needs to settle down at all. While he doesn’t need to, having him tie the knot with one of his longtime love interests and take a meaningful step forward in his relationships feels well overdue.
For decades, Nightwing has shifted between Batgirl and Starfire, with his relationships rarely advancing beyond dating or doomed engagements. As a result, there’s been surprisingly little romantic development for a character with over 80 years of comic history. The on-and-off dating arcs have reached their peak and have been losing momentum for some time now. It feels only natural that the next step for Nightwing is full commitment to one partner and possibly even fatherhood, ushering in DC’s next generation. And there’s truly no better time than now.
Now Is the Perfect Time for Nightwing to Settle Down
DC Has Laid the Groundwork for Dick Grayson to Start a Family
Nightwing is truly at the perfect point in his current storyline for DC to commit to evolving his relationship status. Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing run spent several years letting Barbara and Dick’s romance flourish, giving them an exceptionally strong foundation and allowing their relationship to feel fully developed and stable. Recently, writer Dan Watters and artist Dexter Soy have taken over the title, and thus far, they have continued to portray the strong bond between Dick and Barbara. With Nightwing and Oracle’s relationship having been in such a solid place for years now, it feels as though things have become stagnant.
Fans have seen Barbara and Dick in a strong, healthy dating relationship many times over the decades. So, it’s well past time for them to get engaged and for that engagement to finally come to fruition, especially since past attempts have always fallen apart. In addition to Dick being in the perfect position to settle down romantically, Watters’ run has also set him up to start his own family. Readers will recall that Nightwing #124 ended on the cliffhanger of the orphan Bryce, whom Nightwing has been helping throughout the run, essentially declaring himself Dick’s crime-fighting partner after jumping into a battle and helping save his life.
Bryce is even wearing a homemade outfit featuring the Nightwing logo. This may give fans some déjà vu when it comes to Batman and his own Robins, and they’d be right to make that connection. It genuinely feels like DC is setting up Dick to take on his first sidekick as Nightwing, rather than just filling in as Batman and inheriting a Robin. The fact that this child is also an orphan only strengthens the sense that history is repeating itself, with the possibility of Dick adopting Bryce becoming increasingly likely. There couldn’t be a better time for DC to transition Dick into fatherhood through adoption.
Nightwing Becoming a Dad Isn’t a Risk, It’s Growth
Ultimate Spider-Man Proves Fans Will Embrace a Hero Who Grows Up and Settles Down
With the very real possibility that Nightwing could soon become both a mentor and a dad through adoption, some fans may feel that what follows would mark a major shift in the character’s status quo, and they would be right. The idea of such a significant change understandably makes some fans nervous, as no one wants to see Nightwing’s long-established characterization and narrative put at risk just for the sake of evolution. However, Marvel has already proven that this kind of shift is viable and something fans can genuinely enjoy.
Jonathan Hickman’s introduced an established Peter Parker, who is not just a superhero but also a husband to Mary Jane and a father of two. This transition from single hero to married father was extremely well-received, with fans embracing this new chapter in the web-slinger’s life. Given that Spider-Man has historically carried more popularity and fan expectations than Nightwing, the success of this bold direction shows that a similar move for Dick Grayson, letting him settle down and evolve, would likely be just as positively received.
Nightwing’s Next Chapter Belongs in Main Continuity
Why Earth-Prime Is the Right Place for Dick Grayson’s Family Arc
When it comes to the viability of Nightwing’s potential shift into becoming a husband and father, the question of continuity naturally arises. Peter Parker’s evolution into a family man occurred not in Marvel’s main universe, but in the Ultimate line, which may explain why the change was so well received. However, as mentioned, Nightwing is at a point in DC’s mainstream continuity where settling down would feel like a natural progression. So, while it's always an option to explore this Nightwing evolution and arc in an alternate universe, the bolder and more fitting choice would be for DC to fully commit to letting this happen on Earth-Prime.
