'Nightwing' director asks fans for input on casting

Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Nightwing director Chris McKay released a poll on Twitter for fans to vote on what quality they would want in an actor to portray the DC Comics superhero.

"If YOU were to cast NIGHTWING, what is the most important quality you would you look for in actor," the filmmaker asked Thursday, alongside four options: "recognizable movie star," "a badass martial artist," "Romani" and "vulnerable, emotional."

As of noon Friday, "badass martial artist" leads the way with 47 percent of the vote. The second-place option, "vulnerable, emotional," has 22 percent.

The casting poll came after McKay responded to a fan on Twitter asking for an update on the live-action film based on the popular Batman character.

"Some early VDay news: Nightwing script expected very soon. Working on rip-o-matic to show studio. This is going to be a LONG process. So don't expect casting news any time soon. We are taking our time. Expect big things from DC, Geoff Johns and WB team! Exciting year ahead!!" he said, referencing DC Entertainment president and chief creative officer Geoff Johns.

A film centered on the crimefighter was announced following the release of Lego Batman, which McKay directed.

A prominent figure in the Batman mythology, Nightwing is the superhero alter ego of Dick Grayson, better known as Robin, after he comes of age. Since making his debut in the 1980s, Nightwing has gone on to headline his own comics and has starred in a number of DC animated films and video games.

Grayson will be portrayed by actor Brenton Thwaites in DC's upcoming live-action television series Titans, based on the Teen Titans. The series will help launch the comic book giant's branded streaming service in 2018 alongside Season 3 of animated series Young Justice.