DC Universe's Titans brought some beloved superheroes (and supervillains) to live-action for gritty adventures throughout its first two seasons, and the upcoming third will introduce a popular character from the Batman branch of DC Comics: Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. the first Batgirl who went on to become the computer expert extraordinaire Oracle after being attacked by the Joker in The Killing Joke. Babs is coming to Titans!
While the various reboots and revivals over the years have changed Barbara's story, she is an established character in the realm of DC Comics and has already made her way into various DC TV shows and movies. Most versions of Barbara on screen are of her in her Batgirl days, although Young Justice: Outsiders (another DC Universe original) features Barbara as Oracle. So, which will she be on Titans?
Well, confirmation that Barbara is coming to Titans in some form or other in Season 3 comes courtesy of director and cinematographer Boris Mojsovski via a Facebook Q&A, and his words suggest one over the other:
Our first episode will have a new character, and it will be Barbara Gordon. We’re very excited, and there’s a new set.
The first episode of Season 3 will introduce Titans' version of Barbara Gordon, although she was mentioned in passing on the show before. Given that there's a new set for Babs, I'm inclined to think that she'll be on board as Oracle rather than Batgirl, which could honestly be ideal for any fans hoping that she'll have an ongoing presence on the show without any expectation that the team will add a Batgirl.
Oracle could help on a regular basis in a unique way. It would also arguably make more sense for Dick, Jason, and/or Bruce to have never mentioned Oracle vs. a Batgirl. Jason at the very least would have mentioned if there was a Batgirl swinging around Gotham City, right? Oracle would be an easier superhero to hide.
In the pages of DC Comics, Barbara was notable for several reasons, one of which was becoming the first Batgirl. As Oracle, she also founded the Birds of Prey with Dinah Lance/Black Canary, helped heroes large and small, and became one of Dick Grayson's two most notable love interests. She was never particularly connected with the Teen Titans that inspired Titans, so it should be interesting to see how Titans incorporates its version of Barbara Gordon.
While Season 3 of Titans may be a long way off and there are not even any casting details to fuel speculation, I'm already guessing that her introduction will lead to some serious relationship debate among viewers. The other of Dick Grayson's famous love interests in the comics was Starfire. In fact, Starfire was the great love of his Robin days, while Babs was arguably the great love of his Nightwing days.
However Titans handles Barbara Gordon and her connections to the Gotham heroes, I'm looking forward to seeing how she compares to existing adaptations of Babs. It's probably safe to say that she'll be a far cry from the Batgirl played by Yvonne Craig for the 1966 Batman series as well as the Alicia Silverstone version from Batman & Robin in 1997.
If she's in her Oracle form, she may be most similar to the Babs from the short-lived 2002 WB series Bird of Prey. (She was not included in the 2020 Birds of Prey film.) There are always the Young Justice and Batman: The Animated Series incarnations. Personally, I'm still trying to forget what the animated Killing Joke did to Barbara Gordon before the Joker even attacked her, so hopefully the Titans version won't have a thing for Bruce.
Unfortunately, Titans doesn't yet have a premiere date for Season 3, and a great deal of the entertainment industry is currently shut down, so production might not kick off in earnest for a while. You can always rewatch the first two seasons of Titans, streaming on DC Universe now.
