Warning: SPOILERS for Titans Season 3 are ahead!
Just like in DC Comics lore, more than one person has gone by Robin on Earth-9, a.k.a. the world of HBO Max’s Titans. Brenton Thwaites’ Dick Grayson was the first to hold that mantle, and he was succeeded by Curran Walters’ Jason Todd. Those two now go by Nightwing and Red Hood, respectively, but following the conclusion of Titans Season 3, the stage is now set for Jay Lycurgo’s Tim Drake to become the new Robin. In fact, going into Titans Season 4 (which was announced at DC FanDome last weekend), Thwaites wants the other Robins to shine more.
When I recently interviewed Brenton Thwaites about his work on Titans Season 3, I mentioned how I loved the moment in the season premiere, “Barbara Gordon,” when Dick Grayson tells Bruce Wayne he doesn’t want to “fucking be Robin again” when his former mentor inquired about resuming their official partnership after Jason Todd’s death. Thwaites noted how this somewhat reflected his view, namely with putting on the Robin costume again for flashback scenes. When I asked him to elaborate, he responded:
I don’t mind the flashbacks because they’re exciting and they’re fun to shoot, but I just think that we’ve used that mode of storytelling to really support the movement of the present-day storyline. It’s really given us a great idea of [Dick’s] pain without having to say it in the present. So there was a really good use for the flashbacks, but I think that now we’ve sifted through two Robins, we’re on our third, so I want to see some storytelling, and I think the fans would maybe agree with me, that incorporates those Robins and commits to giving people an idea of what these current Robins are like. Now that being said, I don’t mind shooting the flashbacks. I think they’re kind of fun and they delve into that more comic book-style approach to the tone of the show. Yeah, I think we’re in a place now where Season 4 could be a good opportunity to focus on the Robins we have and really dive into, like you said, teaching Tim Drake how to be the best Robin he can be.
In the present-day Titans narrative, Dick Grayson officially retired as Robin when he burned his costume at end of the Season 1 episode “Asylum.” Brenton Thwaites, however, has since donned the Robin costume a few more times since then for flashback scenes set before Season 1, namely when he was part of the original Titans team. While Thwaites is ok with doing more flashbacks for the HBO Max series, he also thinks that his fellow Robins, Jason Todd and Tim Drake, deserve some time to be fleshed out more in the next season. That could easily be done exploring their pasts too, or maybe it just means giving them more screen time to explore their current arcs further.
Given that the Titans Season 3 finale, “Purple Rain,” saw Jason Todd leaving Gotham City on his own after making peace with Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, it’s unclear if he’ll actually be back for Season 4. Tim Drake, on the other hand, is practically guaranteed to show up next season since Dick invited him to join the Titans. Tim repeatedly expressed interest in becoming the next Robin, so it stands to reason we’ll see him suit up in Season 4, though whether that will be right off the bat or later down the line remains to be seen. Either way, while we learned a fair amount about Tim during Season 3, particularly how smart he is, there’s always room for the series to reveal more about what he was like before Scarecrow and Red Hood starting causing trouble together in Gotham City as we watch him train in the present.
Titans Season 3 is now available in its entirety on HBO Max, and we’ll keep you apprised on how Season 4 is coming along when updates start coming in. Regarding what’s currently airing or will be soon, that information can be found in our fall 2021 TV premiere schedule.
