The first episode of Titans has made its debut on DC Universe! Among the characters taking center stage is Dick Grayson aka Batman's first Robin -- relationship that in and of itself offers a lot of backstory to sift through. With one episode down, it stands to reason you may be curious how much Titans will explore Robin's past. Well, executive producer Geoff Johns has revealed the answer. Speaking to CinemaBlend's Mike Reyes at the red carpet of New York Comic Con, Johns said:
You'll see flashbacks. I wouldn't want to number them, exactly, but more than people would probably expect. We do establish that there was a bunch of young heroes with Dick Grayson and Donna Troy and Hawk and Dove that acted as a group.
Geoff Johns' answer is especially exciting when you consider one especially tantalizing tidbit. There will be flashbacks to Robin's past in Titans. Why does that matter? It means that instead of solely relying on monologues to reveal the history, viewers will get to watch it unfold. There is something to be said for using that technique. Johns also hints there will be more flashbacks than people expect. So, it sounds like it will not be a sparsely-utilized thing.
Titans executive producer John Fawcett also weighed in with insight on how the series will handle Robin's past. What Fawcett teases builds on what those have seen the trailer may be anticipating. That would be the strained relationship between Dick/Robin and Batman. Suffice it to say; the two of them are not in a great place when Titans picks. As part of Dick's story, Titans will explore that. Fawcett said:
I think that the focus really begins with Dick Grayson, and it's a story of Dick Grayson, who obviously has some daddy issues, and is kind of angry and resentful of Batman turning him into a weapon, and kind of trying to distance himself from that when he meets Rachel. He becomes sort of Rachel's protector, and sort of gathers this group of people together. Gathering that group of titans is a slow process, and a very sort of satisfying process. And that's really the focus of Season 1.
As previously teased, assembling the group known as Titans will be at the fore of Season 1. So, John Fawcett's reveal follows suit, with previous hints of what the freshman installment will entail. As for Batman and Robin, Titans has a lot of ground to cover. In a promo clip from Season 1, Robin is shown meeting his replacement. This means Batman has at least moved on in the sense of finding another Robin.
As seen in the clip, that is something that clearly stings Robin 1.0. Well, that and Robin 2.0 seems to have been vested with more to do than Batman gave Dick, all of which hints at a sibling rivalry of sorts. Whatever the history that made Robin want to part ways with Batman, it is more than a "child-parent" rebellion. Actor Brenton Thwaites previously teased that fans would learn that Batman has gone a bit far when Titans picks up.
Add to that their crime-fighting past and the duo share a complicated relationship, to say the least. With Dick Grayson stepping away from Batman, there will be a lot for Titans to investigate emotionally. Fans are used to exploring Batman without Robin. How Robin is without a Batman has been a lesser explored theme.
Find out how Titans will handle it when new episodes of Season 1 premiere, Fridays on DC Universe. As of October 12, there are eleven more episodes set to debut on the new streaming platform. The superhero drama is among a vast amount of new television offerings available to stream this fall.
