Photo Credit: WBTV
DC Universe’s Titans will return for a second season and we at ShowSnob have some suggestions for which comic book characters should, or shouldn’t, appear on the show.
DC has been busy this new year. Every other day there is a new announcement about one of their cinematic properties, especially DC Universe’s Titans. Rumors of the season two villains have surfaced and new images of Conor Leslie’s Wonder-Girl in costume have been circulating.
How much of that will make it to the screen remains to be seen, but speculation is rife over which other comic book characters will make their Titans debut next season.
Curiosity has been piqued for fans of the show after the season one finale. Now that Titans is on Netflix international audiences are excited by the prospect of Conner Kent/ Superboy’s appearance, alongside Krypto/ Super-Dog.
But, who else would we want to see fight alongside (or against) Brenton Thwaites’ Dick Grayson, Anna Diop’s Starfire, Teagan Croft’s Raven and Ryan Potter’s Beast Boy? Could the creators be digging deep into the comic books for more peripheral characters like Jason Todd/ Robin 2.0, Hank Hall/ Hawk and Dawn Granger/ Dove?
Titans — Ep. 106 — Photo Credit: Christos Kalohoridis / 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Well, we at ShowSnob have some suggestions for the Titans showrunners. It is tempting to add fan-favorites Kid Flash and Roy Harper to this list, but we know that may be pushing our luck with the Titans showrunners – both Wally West and Roy Harper currently exist in the Arrowverse.
One could argue that it isn’t impossible to have multiple versions of the same characters (we already have multiple Batmans and Jokers across our screens), and we would love for Dick Grayson and Donna Troy to hang out with their best friends from the comics, but expanding the roster of characters is also a great opportunity to feature more diverse characters and dynamics.
Here are five characters we think should join the show next season, as well as five that should really stay away.
Titans Ep. 108 — Photo Credit: John Medland / 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
10. Should Join: Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a part-time Titan in the comics — he has also been Donna Troy’s boyfriend in some arcs. As a Green Lantern, he wields immense power, making him an essential component in any fight. In the current comic’s run, Kyle has joined forces with the team again as a heavy-hitter, and he has brought with him all the charm that is missing with Dick Grayson being out of the picture.
One can imagine him being a direct rival for Dick on the show as he sweet-talks his way into the team’s good books. The biggest challenge with a character like Kyle will be rendering his powers effectively. The last time DC tried to bring a Green Lantern to the screens… didn’t end well.
9. Please Stay Away: Terry Long
If you’re reading this and wondering, ‘Terry who?’, count yourself lucky. Terry Long was Donna Troy’s boyfriend in The New Teen Titans, and there was always something off about him. Terry was 10 years older than Donna when they started dating – she was 19 at the time.
She was also his student, which is legally an issue. While Terry was very supportive of Donna’s superhero life and the two even got married, he eventually left Donna and unfortunately died in a car crash alongside his and Donna’s son, Robert.
There was an air of normalcy that DC tried to maintain with their relationship throughout the 80s, which would not hold up in today’s age.
Young Justice: Outsiders episode 13 (Credit: DC Universe)
8. Should Join: The Brotherhood of Evil
While I am certain no group of villains would actually call themselves ‘evil’, the Brotherhood is crazy enough to embrace that moniker. They have long been the bane of the Titans in the comics, which is precisely what makes them an exciting inclusion for the series.
Over the years, the band of evil has included The Brain (a talking brain), Monsieur Mallah (a genius gorilla), the powerful psychic Psimon, master of disguise Madame Rouge, and portal creator Warp.
The Brotherhood started off as Doom Patrol villains before crossing over to Titans, so that’s another exciting connection for the two DC Universe shows.
7. Please Stay Away: Blood Cult
The Blood Cult has been an integral part of Titans history and is currently wreaking havoc in the comics. But they have already had their day in the second season of Arrow, and unfortunately, they left very little impression on viewers.
Sebastian Blood/ Brother Blood is a powerful figure who leads the Church of Blood. His influence is so great that his cult of fanatics blindly does his bidding. He even has a partner-in-crime, Mother Mayhem, who worships him.
Does all that sound familiar? Introducing the Blood Cult will seem like a rehash of Trigon and the Organisation from the first season of Titans, and no one wants that.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: A Joker costume from the 2008 film The Dark Knight worn by actor Heath Ledger and designed by Lindy Hemming is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
6. Should Join: Bumblebee
Karen Beecher-Duncan is a scientist, introduced in DC Comics as Mal Duncan/ Herald’s girlfriend. She became much more than that when she decided to boost her boyfriend’s superhero creds.
Tired of Mal’s moping about being a loser, Karen donned a bumblebee costume and attacked the Titans, hoping Herald would come and save the day. When the team found out about Karen’s intentions, they gave her a place on the team!
Karen has long been considered one of DC’s first Black female superheroes, which is all the more reason why she should be on Titans. A smart, funny, female scientist who is also a hero? Sign us up.
5. Please Stay Away: Joker’s Daughter
The season one finale of Titans did its best to bring the Joker to life (no pun intended) without actually revealing his face. We know that this character is off-limits, but that makes me worry the showrunners might want to add the cheap knock-off version to the cast instead.
Joker’s Daughter is neither the Joker nor his daughter – in fact, Duela Dent has various origin stories, including being Harvey Dent/ Two-Face’s daughter, an early version of Harlequin, some nut who found Joker’s dead face floating around and decided to wear it as a mask.
She’s been a friend and foe to the Bat-family, but in all honesty, Joker’s Daughter is just a shortcut to showcase ‘crazy’ without actually dealing with mental illness.
American ballet dancer and actress Yvonne Craig, best known for her role as Batgirl from the US TV series ‘Batman’, UK, 23rd September 1967. (Photo by Len Trievnor/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
4. Should Join: Oracle
I know, Batgirl can’t be on Titans, the showrunners have already revealed this. But we don’t need Batgirl, we need Oracle.
My heart melted when Oracle appeared on Young Justice: Outsiders because it is still rare to see superhero characters with a disability. We know that a new series regular with hearing disabilities is being added to the series next season, but it’s time to move beyond tokenism.
Oracle could be a positive role model for viewers watching Titans and could even pave the way for more inclusive casting on other superhero shows. And, if Dick Grayson and Oracle were a couple – that kind of representation would do the show wonders.
3. Please Stay Away: Tara Markov
If Oracle is a character we haven’t seen enough of, Tara Markov is the polar opposite. She is just a child when she becomes involved with Slade Wilson/ Deathstroke, and he leads her down the path of evil.
Markov is currently featured on Young Justice: Outsiders as part of what will likely be a rendition of the Judas Contract arc. Does the Titans show need to re-tell that story?
Admittedly it is the most famous (or infamous) arc from the comics, but unless the writers can really freshen it up, the storyline could appear stale.
And Tara has to have more agency and relevance than she was afforded in the comics where even her death was written mainly to propel Beast Boy’s characterization rather than her own. The Titans writers should only reach for this story if they can avoid diminishing Markov as little more than a plot device.
Photo Credit: The CW
2. Should Join: Bruce Wayne
If season one of Titans proved anything, it’s that it needs Batman, or rather, Bruce Wayne. The finale was especially exciting because we were introduced to a version of Batman.
But the Caped Crusader is not essential to the main storyline — Bruce is. Dick is always complaining about Bruce, but without actually seeing the two interact (in the present, or the past), their relationship has no credibility.
What reason did Dick have for sticking around so long if there wasn’t some glue that bound the two characters to each other? It’s not like he chucked his Robin suit the moment he came of age, so what precisely did Bruce do to make Dick question his entire life?
Maybe the new (and younger) Batman from the DCEU can appear on the show and tell us?
1. Please Stay Away: Deathstroke and the Wilson Family (including Wintergreen)
I am, admittedly, barking up the wrong tree since the Wilsons are appearing on the show next season. But, honestly, I don’t want to see yet another Deathstroke on screen.
Manu Bennett in Arrow really captured the essence of the character while still making him empathetic. It’s a shame he had to be written out so that Warner Brothers could cast their own Slade for the films. Nothing has come off of Joe Manganiello’s cameo appearance, but we also have Deathstroke in Young Justice: Outsiders, so enough of this character, already.
It seems like we are probably getting Joe Wilson/ Jericho on the show as well, but hopefully, the showrunners will update his character design and make him compelling.
So, do you agree with our list? Which Titans comics characters do you want to see on the show next season? Be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!