Titans has delivered a bunch of superheroes to live-action, some of them for the very first time. Although the main group is comprised of Dick Grayson as Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy, the show has already featured other heroes. Now, one more is slated to appear, and he'll be none other than the second Robin. Yes, Jason Todd will make his Titans debut in the not-too-distant future. Check him out in new photos from his first episode!
At first glance, one might actually think this is Dick Grayson as Robin, striking a pose in front of a window. Jason Todd's Robin outfit looks quite similar to Dick's, which may not go over too well with Robin 1.0. It seems that Batman didn't exactly go a subtle route when replacing his original sidekick. Based on the costume alone, it's probably safe to say that Titans did right by Jason Todd in his first live-action appearance!
When you look a bit closer at Jason, it's clear that this Robin isn't Dick. His hair is noticeably different, for one. Robin 2.0 also looks to be shorter than Dick as Robin, although it's difficult to say without seeing the two next to each other on level ground. He certainly looks younger than Dick, even if his face is partially obscured by his mask.
Assuming Titans Jason holds some similarities to the Jason Todd of the comics, we can be confident that his personality will differ from Dick's as well, and not in a way Dick may appreciate, especially if Jason takes after Batman. Dick left Batman for a reason. That said, in another photo from the "Together" episode of Titans, the Robins look like they're getting along reasonably well. At least, neither is trying to attack the other. Take a look!
Do I spy the beginnings of some brotherly love? We do know from early Titans footage that Dick didn't realize that Batman had replaced him (or that the new Robin got some driving privileges that he never had), so it should be interesting to see how the guys interact. Dick isn't Batman's biggest fan at the moment; will he hold that against Jason?
Dick does know what it's like to be a young vigilante working closely with Batman, so perhaps he'll be able to relate to Jason even if they have different ideas about how to fight crime. We can't say what's in store for their relationship based just on a photo or on the early footage that was no more than an entertaining tease. Since the seventh episode of Season 1 is actually called "Jason Todd," we can likely count on the Robins interacting a fair amount.
Could Jason as Robin be what pushes Dick to go full Nightwing? Even if he and Jason aren't based out of the same city, it might be kind of silly (and even embarrassing) for there to be two Robins running around, especially if one is still by Batman's side when Dick has been working to separate himself from the Dark Knight.
It's not clear at this point what brings Jason Todd into the fray on Titans. Another image from the next episode reveals Jason facing off against members of the Nuclear Family, so he'll clearly wind up battling them. Whether the Nuclear Family is what brought Jason to meet Dick or it was something else remains to be seen. At this point, it's really only safe to say that Jason will be ready for a fight (at a motel, by the looks of it) when he crosses paths with the villains:
Although Jason Todd won't have been in the vigilante biz for nearly as long as Dick in Titans, he's clearly a good guy to have in a bad fight. He probably won't single-handedly take down the Nuclear Family before they're able to get their hands on Raven; he still looks quite dangerous with his staff. Titans' Boy Wonders certainly are darker than other adaptations of Robins!
A big question now is how long Jason Todd will have a part to play on Titans. Jason is Batman's sidekick, so he presumably won't be hanging out with his Robin predecessor on a regular basis. He could be little more than a supporting player who drops in from time to time. Titans has already scored an order for Season 2. Why shouldn't he stick around for the long term, even if he's off-screen in Gotham most of the time?
Well, Jason Todd's backstory on the pages of DC Comics is the biggest reason why he might not stick around for the long term. Although he played an important part in Batman's development after Dick left his side and holds the distinction as the second Robin, Jason Todd is probably best known for his brutal death at the hands of the Joker.
Jason was later resurrected into the Red Hood in the comics (and the Batman: Under the Red Hood animated movie), but most versions of his character seem to be killed off. The Robin who was killed prior to the events of Batman v Superman in the DCU was confirmed to be Jason, and even Young Justice kinda sorta killed him off by revealing a Robin who died between Dick Grayson in Season 1 and Tim Drake in Season 2.
If Titans follows the grand tradition of killing Jason, he may not be among the living very long. The Joker hasn't been introduced on Titans yet, however, and Jason's death would presumably have more of an impact on Batman than the Titans en masse, so I'm not sure how Titans would handle it. His death would likely be hard on Dick; would such a twist fit into Titans when Dick is a member (albeit the leader) of an ensemble?
We'll have to wait and see. New episodes of Titans air Fridays on DC Universe. Titans is the only original DC Universe series that has premiered so far, but there are other DC superhero offerings on the small screen thanks to the four shows of the Arrow-verse as well as Black Lightning.
