DC Universe’s Titans: Joshua Orpin cast as Superboy for season 2

After being teased during the season one finale, DC Universe’s Titans has cast its Superboy. Australian actor Joshua Orpin will be filling the role of the ‘angsty teenager’.

Superboy is here! Almost. DC Universe show Titans has cast its Conner Kent/ Kon-El for the highly-anticipated second season. Australian actor Joshua Orpin will be taking on the mantle of the beloved character, and here’s hoping he gets to don the iconic black t-shirt with the red House of El symbol. As per The Wrap, Conner is described as:

"the angsty Teenager of Steel searching for purpose and the truth about his past. While looking for answers, he crashes into the world of the Titans and finds an unlikely home and surrogate family as well as revelations that carry more complications than he ever bargained for."

Superboy was teased at the end of the first season of Titans. In a post-credits scene, the silhouette of the character was seen breaking out of a Cadmus laboratory alongside Super-Dog/ Krypto. The Conner Kent version of Superboy was first introduced in ‘The Death of Superman’ arc of Superman in the 1990s. DC Comics debuted the character as ‘The Kid’ Superman during the ‘Reign of Supermen’. Conner is historically a clone of Clark Kent/Superman, with additional DNA from one other character in the comics. Whether Titans will pursue this backstory is still up for conjecture.

While the Justice League and the wider DC Comics universe has been hinted at, viewers are unlikely to see Superman, or his extended cast of characters, on Titans, but how that will hinder Superboy’s story arc remains to be seen. Dick Grayson’s character arc in the first season was able to stand on its own despite the absence of Bruce Wayne/ Batman, but there were several memorable comic book moments that were missing on the show, making that central relationship less credible. Superman could appear in silhouette, like he did during the first season of Supergirl, and for now, fans will have to be content with that.

Orpin joins fellow Australian actor Brenton Thwaites (Dick Grayson), as well as Anna Diop (Koriand’r/ Starfire), Teagan Croft (Rachel Roth/ Raven), Ryan Potter (Garfield Logan/ Beast Boy), Minka Kelly (Dawn Granger/ Dove), and Alan Ritchson (Hank Hall/ Hawk). Titans season two is scheduled to begin filming in March.