What’s the single most important thing superhero movies must get right? Believable super-powers? A sympathetic super-villain? Easter eggs? It’s a long list, depending on who you are, but near the top of most any list are the costumes — and in particular: the masks.
Characters like Batman, Spider-Man, Flash, Black Panther, and Green Arrow are defined by their iconic masks — although, their various TV and film iterations have been hit or miss (to put it mildly). One major bone of contention with fans is the depiction of eyes within these masks; in comic books many characters — such as Batman and Nightwing — have expressive white eyes. And few films even attempted to replicate this… until Deadpool.
Related – Nightwing Director Gives Update, How Far Along Are They?
Deadpool’s eyes were achieved by creating multiple, hand-sculpted and 3D-printed masks — including modular eye pieces — to convey the character’s specific moods and emotions, according to io9. The video below explains the process. Clearly, Deadpool’s costume and mask(s) were a huge point-of-emphasis for that film, and they nailed it.
So, what can we expect out of DC Films’ upcoming Nightwing film? A character whose eyes must be a similar point-of-emphasis, if authenticity is a goal (it is). And based on director Chris McKay’s Twitter post today, he agrees:
Agreed
— Budd Boetticher (@buddboetticher) February 18, 2018
Regardless of how Nightwing’s eyes are achieved, whether by a series of pre-created masks or CG, it’s a crucial element for fans — who certainly want a viable and respectful representation of the character’s appearance. Technology exists to make it so, which should appease the character’s rabid base (for the moment).
We still don’t know a helluva lot about the Nightwing movie, including actors, villains, storylines, or release dates… in other words, we know next to nothing. But McKay’s commitment to building a visually authentic Nightwing costume and mask are important, and imply that this is a sincere effort to get this character right.
How much does Nightwing‘s mask and costume matter to you? Let us know in the comments down below!