The long-awaited Titans TV show is finally in the works to deliver live-action versions of some legendary DC Comics characters, not the least of which is Dick Grayson himself. Dick has been adapted into live-action a few times with varying degrees of success, but the Dick Grayson who will appear in Titans looks to be unlike any other previous live-action version. We have a first look at him in Robin costume, and it's everything we could have wanted from the first-ever Boy Wonder. Check him out!
We've known from the very beginning of Titans development that Dick Grayson would be the central figure of the new show, but it had not been announced whether he would be on board in his Robin or Nightwing persona. In DC Comics canon, Dick left the Robin identity behind when he grew up and apart from Batman. With the 28-year-old Brenton Thwaites cast in the role and the descriptions of some of the other characters, Dick at least sounded like he would be an adult, which might have meant Nightwing. Nevertheless, Dick Grayson is traditionally Robin when he begins the Titans group, and Titans is evidently going the Robin direction as well.
All things considered, this version of the Robin costume is pretty perfect for a modern adaptation. Dick Grayson's Robin originally debuted back in 1940 with short sleeves and not much in the way of pants; the same obviously couldn't work for a show to be released in 2018, especially not with an actor who's only a couple years shy of 30. Instead, his Robin costume looks thick enough to provide some armor against assault, but light enough that he can still show off his acrobatic moves. He also has the traditional Robin colors of red, green, and yellow, which should be encouraging for diehard fans of the comics.
The new twist on the iconic Robin costume was designed by Laura Jean Shannon, who also worked on high-profile projects like Iron Man, The Jungle Book, and the upcoming Black Lightning on The CW. Titans will debut on DC's direct-to-consumer digital streaming service at some point in 2018. We already know of a number of other heroes who will appear in the show, as well as a notable character from Nightwing comics history. Hopefully we'll learn more about the series in the not-too-distant future.
Interestingly, the Titans Robin apparently will wield a staff rather than the Escrima sticks traditionally associated with Dick Grayson. We'll have to wait and see if Dick continues with the staff or moves toward the sticks as the show progresses. As somebody who was crossing my fingers for a live-action Nightwing in Titans, I was a little bummed at first to see we were getting Robin, but starting out as Robin means that we could very well see him make the transition to Nightwing. Given the role that Batman played in Dick giving up Robin in many versions of their backstory, we have reason to wonder if the Caped Crusader himself could appear in Titans.
You can currently get your fixes of live-action DC TV on The CW, which is the home of Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. The recent mega-crossover between the four series is worth a watch for any superhero fans. For what you can watch while we wait for Titans, be sure to take a look at our fall TV guide and our 2018 midseason TV premiere schedule.
