There hasn’t been much news lately regarding TNT’s progress with their live-action DC Comics series Titans outside of the pilot that’s scheduled to be shot sometime later this year. The biggest mystery is who will be part of the team’s roster. Dick Grayson, better known as Nightwing, was officially announced in the earliest articles, along with longtime teammates Starfire and Raven, but no other names have been mentioned since. However, we now know which DC heroes will be headlining the live-action adaptation.
Recently, casting for the series kicked off, revealing the lineup of heroes that we’ll see in the Titans pilot being written by Winter’s Tale director Akiva Goldsman. As expected, most are past members of the Teen Titans in the comics, whether it’s the New Teen Titans team that the show will be inspired by or a later iteration, although there are still a few surprises from this announcement. Below is who you can expect to see in the Titans’ return to television.
As previously announced, Dick Grayson will be the main character of Titans. However, he will still be Robin at the beginning, though the switch to Nightwing could happen later on. After quitting as Batman’s sidekick, this version of Dick is now working as a detective in Boston. The article points out the similarity in career path with Chuck Dixon’s 1990s run of Nightwing, where he became a police officer in Bludhaven. Given that Titans will be featuring the heroes in their twenties as opposed to being teens, it’s likely that Dick will exchange the green tights for the black and (ideally) blue Nightwing costume.
Barbara Gordon is most well-known as Batgirl, but from 1988-2011, she was known as Oracle. Confined to a wheelchair after The Joker crippled her, she turned to computer hacking to help the DC heroes as their information broker, and in the series she will serve as the team’s resident computer hacker. Barabra’s inclusion is odd considering that she’s never been a member of the Teen Titans in the comics, but given her relationship with Dick and her unique skill set, she’ll certainly be a welcome addition to the team. Besides, with Barbara back to being Batgirl in the New 52, Oracle fans are probably ecstatic that the character is being seen again in some capacity.
Although there have been several Hawk and Dove duos over the decades, Titans will feature the one with Hank Hall as Hawk and Dawn Granger as Dove. In the comics, Hawk and Dove are obtained their powers from the Lords of Chaos and Order, with Hawk tending to take violent action to resolve conflict and Dove more likely to take the peaceful approach. These two will be the show’s “romantic pairing,” and their looks are expected to be changed dramatically.
In the comics, Raven rebuilt the Teen Titans to get assistance with defeating her father, the inter-dimensional demon Trigon. Raven’s is a powerful empath, and her other abilities include shadow manipulation, telekinesis and teleportation. However, she also has to keep her emotions in check so as not to unleash her demonic side. Raven’s civilian identity in the series will be Rachel Roth, the name that Geoff Johns gave her during his run on Teen Titans.
Finally, we have Starfire, a.k.a the alien princess Koriander from Tamaran. Her abilities range from energy manipulation to supersonic flight. Since the New 52, she has been a leading character alongside Jason Todd and Roy Harper in Red Hood and the Outlaws. Both Starfire and Raven will only appear the very end of the pilot, though if it is picked up for a series, I'm guessing there will be a love triangle between Starfire, Dick and Barbara.
The Nerdist revealed that two notable omissions are Beast Boy (a.k.a Changeling) and Cyborg, both of whom are longtime Teen Titans members and starred alongside Robin, Starfire and Raven in the 2003 animated series. It’s possible that they could be added later in the series, although Cyborg’s chances are less likely due to his status as a Justice League founding member in the New 52 and his upcoming appearances in the DC Cinematic Universe.
What do you think of this lineup? Do you approve of these young heroes, or would you rather see some other established Teen Titans as main characters? Let us know in the comments below!
