Though we have details on some of the lesser-known newcomers in The Dark Knight Rises, such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s John Blake and Marion Cotillard’s Miranda Tate, fan speculation is still strong in saying that both characters are not who they appear. With the final installment in the Nolan trilogy a month away, many still stay strong in the rumors that Blake could in fact be Robin while Tate could be Talia al Ghul. While nothing has been rumored just yet, all will be answered in due time. Now, a new theory has popped up on the internet concerning Gordon-Levitt’s character, and it seems interesting to believe that Blake could in fact be someone very much tied down to the comics.

Forbes writer Mark Hughes released a theory that is sure to make some speculative fans happy in concerning for John Blake: could he actually be Nightwing? Hughes tackles this from a certain standpoint as he talks about the bat chalk symbol we’ve seen in viral marketing and the first few trailers:

Now, we’ve only seen a very little bit about the film character John Blake, but what we’ve seen is that he’s a young cop whom the trailers depict assisting Batman in the fight against Bane, and Blake is shown having some sort of involvement with an orphanage/boys home. Blake also goes around drawing a little chalk bat-like symbol as a sign calling for Batman to return to Gotham as well as apparently some kind of sign of solidarity among the resistance to Bane.

For those of you unclear as to what chalk symbol he’s talking about, here’s the image:

It’s here where Hughes believes the symbol easily resembles Nightwing’s own symbol, along with the belief that when you flip the symbol upside down it actually appears to be that of a bird:

Now, two other strong indications in the theory that Hughes presents is that within DC Comics, Nightwing has two strong changes in his adulthood that could link him to John Blake. First off, Nightwing’s alter ego of Dick Grayson has a father by the name of John Grayson, with the hero’s full name being Richard John Grayson. While the “John” similarities are a bit of a stretch, Blake could easily be Grayson’s adoptive name after being taken out of the orphanage. What helps support it is the fact that as Grayson becomes Nightwing in the comics, his secret identity is actually that of a street cop…which is the same position that Blake holds in The Dark Knight Rises.

At this point, anything is possible but this is strictly a theory at best. Personally, I think its too far of a stretch to actually happen even with the eight year time gap between The Dark Knight and TDKR. Nolan has said in the past that Grayson was likely in a crib in the time of Batman Begins, meaning the time gap isn’t sufficient enough to bring a Robin or Nightwing into the picture just yet. Plus, with Catwoman brought into the mix, it seems as if Nolan doesn’t want too many characters from the comics to overwhelm the film. With word that various others from the trilogy will show up (come on, a Scarecrow scene is almost guaranteed), it’s likely that explaining an origin story for a boy wonder all grown up would distract away from the central plot. Having Gordon-Levitt at least as an ally works within the context of the film, and seems to really be more of a substitute for Gordon laid up in a hospital bed.

Then again, stranger things have happened.

What do you think of the possible Nightwing appearance? Too complex to be true or will Nolan work his narrative magic?