Fans of Hudson Williams, best known as Shane Hollander in Heated Rivalry, have a new role in mind for the actor, Nightwing, and yes, there's a story behind the casting idea.
Hudson Williams’ post kicked off the debate
Back on Dec 8, actor Hudson Williams, known for his breakout leading role in Heated Rivalry, posted a photo to his Instagram Story that got fans talking. He shared a photo of himself in profile, holding Nightwing: Year One and wrote, "@jamesgunn let’s grab a coffee."
While he didn't specifically pitch himself for the role of Nightwing, it was clear that was what the 25-year-old Canadian actor was suggesting.
According to ComicBookMovie.com, DC fans have been hoping that DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn would introduce Dick Grayson into the new film universe. Back in 2017, Warner Bros. announced that Chris McKay would be directing a Nightwing movie. It seems, however, that project has been relegated to the cutting room floor, as nothing has been announced since then, and Zack Snyder killed Dick Grayson off in his movie adaptations.
Williams is best known for playing Shane Hollander on the Canadian Crave series Heated Rivalry, which later found a wider audience on HBO Max. As the show gained traction globally, he and co-star Connor Storrie drew more attention online. (Storrie is slated to host Saturday Night Live on Feb 28.)
Still, the reaction online stayed split, as some longtime DC fans objected to the idea of the half-Korean Canadian actor playing Dick Grayson. However, many others on social media leaned into the possibility. That enthusiasm regained traction after Nightwing: Year One co-writer Scott Beatty addressed the idea directly.
"James, I think you should give Hudson your active consideration when casting the new DC film universe’s Dick Grayson," Beatty wrote in a recent blog post. "And I would be more than okay if you adapted Nightwing: Year One as the former Boy Wonder’s feature film debut."
Beatty’s comments mattered because the comic explored Dick Grayson after his split from Batman. In the story, Grayson sought guidance from figures like Superman, Batgirl, and Deadman, taking on a new suit and identity to continue fighting crime on his own terms.
Social media reactions ranged from hype to side-eye
After Beatty’s post circulated, social media was filled with reactions. Some fans celebrated openly, while others floated alternate casting ideas.
"Well yesssssssssss manifesting 🧿🧿🧿," @gianicri_beau tweeted alongside a Photoshopped edit of Williams as Nightwing.
Others focused on Williams’ skill set. "He is a newish actor. He is very, very good from what I have seen from him," @NerdWithTheTech wrote. "He is athletic and has practiced MMA fighting. He has the assets, and he would take it seriously!"
Meanwhile, optimism centered on Gunn noticing the buzz. "Hopefully James Gunn takes notice of Hudson's enthusiasm 🤞💙🖤" @Brian_Benito97 posted.
Not everyone locked onto Nightwing alone. "There was this one girl on TikTok that suggested Red Hood instead... either way, yes," @rcoveyp wrote, adding that they wanted to see Williams in more projects.
Some fans pointed to cross-fandom jokes as a sign of momentum. "Also, Batman's official account on TikTok is posting Batman Joker x heated rivalry jokes…" @letixcxie noted.
"He'd eat that [expletive] up please let us have this," @lovebrainrott posted, "I'm staying so calm and normal about this over here, promise."
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