This Look At Marlon Wayans As DC's Nightwing Is Startling
Marlon Wayans is the youngest of 10 siblings (via Good Housekeeping). Out of the 10, the five brothers are the most well known due to their numerous film and TV projects over the last 40 years. Marlon is best known for his roles in "Requiem for a Dream," the "Scary Movie" series, and "White Chicks." But he was almost known for another role that would have changed his career trajectory.
In the late '80s and early '90s, Tim Burton was the man responsible for resurrecting Batman for a new generation of fans. His dark, gritty take brought the character back to his comic origins and kicked off a film journey still going strong today. Marlon Wayans initially landed the role of Robin and was even paid $100,000 to portray the Boy Wonder in deleted scenes (via "Fatman Beyond").
While the franchise ultimately went in a different direction, and Chris O'Donnell eventually took over the role of Robin in "Batman Forever," it hasn't stopped fans from wondering what might have been.
In another life, Wayans could have played a Batman character
Daniel Savage is a digital artist who specializes in giving fans sneak peeks at what certain actors could look like if they landed the roles they are rumored for. The artist's Instagram is full of stellar looks and unique character mock-ups that fans can drool over for hours.
Savage's take on Marlon Wayans is as both Robin and Nightwing, the superhero identity Dick Grayson moves on to after he outgrows Robin. In the Instagram post, Wayans is sporting a version of the character's costume heavily inspired by the 1997 film "Batman & Robin" but tweaked to be more in line with Tim Burton's darker style.
Whatever your feelings on Chris O'Donnell as Robin are, one look at this image from Savage, and you can see right away how different Tim Burton and Marlon Wayan's take on the character could have been. Maybe we'll get to see Wayan play Robin on-screen in the future. For more work from Savage, check out this excellent depiction of Henry Cavill as Captain Britain.