Hello Internet - what’s going on - and welcome back to your favourite forecourt of fictitious
fanfare - Top 10 Nerd, the place where we pinpoint plotlines and ponder pensively.
Tongue twisters.
As always, I’ll be your host Jack Finch - and I sincerely hope that you’re all doing
grand, so today, take a seat - as we take a look at the Top 10 Titans Shocking Facts.
Roll the clip.
Now - as you all know by now, Titans is DC’s newest foray into the world of direct-to-consumer
digital streaming broadcasting - and will be the flagship title for DC Universe.
It’s full release is set for September 15th of this year - with the twelve-part Titans
following shortly after on October 12th.
It’s safe to say that the whole thing is pretty hype - despite a controversially melodramatic
trailer, most of the released information on the series is looking like we’re set
for some screen justice for Dick Grayson, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy.
Well, I mean, we can only hope.
So - without further delay, let’s take a look at what we know.
Kicking off at Number 10 - Acolyte Will Be The Main Villain.
We’re kind of split down the middle on this one.
Although Deathstroke or Brother Blood would have been the clear choice in most people's
pick of the villain, at least they haven’t jumped straight in with a Trigon storyline,
right?
In this case, it seems like the show’s creators are possibly irking on the air of caution
and playing things safe with the purple suited demonic con-man AKA Acolyte.
First debuted in Young Justice Number 9 in 1999, Acolyte was initially a pretty horrifically
powerful villain that took to brainwashing hordes of young children in the United States
with the intention of forcing them to assassinate their own parents.
Young Justice soon called his bluff though - and they Scooby-Doo’d him out of town.
According to sources released by the Titan’s casting call - Acolyte’s story arc involves
murdering Raven’s mother and then further attempts to drain Raven’s power.
She can’t catch a break.
Next up at Number 9 - Arsenal Will Make A Cameo.
Maybe.
Damn straight.
Good old Roy Harper is strongly rumoured to be firing into the Titans reprisal, and we
really hope it’s true.
According to a casting sheet reveal, the possibility of Roy Harper AKA Arsenal appearing on the
show is strongly in the running.
Codenamed Daniel Cross - the character breakdown calls for a Male, 17-19 - Caucasian, athletic,
street smart - cocky yet charming.
His life is changed forever when he crosses a crime fighter and is given a new outlet
for his rebellious ways.
Hmmm - definitely sounds like someone we know.
Yeah - we understand, this could be quite a number of possible characters - but Arsenal
just *fits* - and in terms of street smart business moves, DC would be pretty foolish
to miss out on even a slight crossover with the Arrowverse.
What do you guys think?
Next up at Number 8 - The Flying Graysons.
Yeah - we even see it in big bright lights in the trailer - the synonymous Flying Graysons,
everyone’s favourite all American acrobatic family.
That died tragically at the hands of the scheming Tony Zucco and awkward lack of safety netting.
Titans is set to be incredibly Dick Grayson-centric - and rumours are sketchy as to whether John
and Mary’s murders will follow the same canon as the comic books, but their story
arc will definitely be appearing on the show.
Additionally, an audition tape was recovered of Canadian actor Tim Campbell reading for
the presumed role of John Grayson.
In this script - the acrobatic family are pitched as singers instead of circus performers
- let’s hope that’s not the case.
Coming in at Number 7 - Hawk and Dove.
Hank Hall and Dawn Granger.
Chaos and Order.
Hawk and Dove.
In the comics, this crime-fighting couple in arms have very different views on the art
of pummeling the bad guys - and make for a dynamic narrative injection.
In the show - they’ll be played by Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly - and are pitched
to be recurring supporting characters for the series.
Reportedly, they also have a clause in their contract to make them regulars by season 2
- if the show gets that far - and there's even rumours of a spin-off series, indicating
a lot of effort in making the duo a fan favourite.
Reportedly in the show, Hawk and Dove will be tweaked slightly to avoid complications
with their comic-book origins.
They’ll both be wearing super-suits instead of having avatar powers - and both be heavily
trained in martial arts.
They’re even trying to step up Dove’s peace-loving persona, taking her in a much
more violent direction.
Who knows, maybe Hawk will be the voice of reason this time?
Next up at Number 6 - The Doom Patrol.
Yep - just like Hawk and Dove, the Titans won’t be the only superheroes in town.
According to episode 5 of the series - conveniently titled The Doom Patrol - it’s pretty safe
to say that the original line up of Robotman, Negative Man, Elastigirl and The Chief will
be making a well deserved appearance on the show.
According to the show's production listing, April Bowby will be playing Elasti-Woman.
Yeah, not girl.
Jake Michaels will play Robotman and Dwain Murphy will play Negative man.
The trio will be guest starring throughout the series, with Bruno Bichir picking up the
mainstay role of Niles Caulder AKA The Chief and leader of the Doom Patrol.
DC have also announced that Doom Patrol will be getting their own titular series on their
new streaming service, so it makes sense that they’ll be slowly introduced through the
Titans show.
Coming in at Number 5 - Akiva Goldsman’s Bad Track Record.
Yeah - let’s get it out of the way, the guy behind the series - Akiva Goldsman - is
also the man who wrote Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
And while you might enjoy some peak-90’s cheese-fest extravaganza, they’re generally
considered to be the worst superhero films ever made.
Also - most recently, he was behind The Dark Tower - Stephen King’s spellbindingly epic
series that spans 9 incredible novels - that Goldsman somehow managed to sum up in a single
hour and thirty five minute film.
Yeah, it wasn’t great, and I’m not bitter at all.
His track record isn’t the most hopeful for DC fans, to say the least.
But - if there’s any saving grace, it’s that Goldsman has been working on getting
a Titans production to fruition for a hell of a long time, and he seems incredibly invested
at this point.
Which leads us on to our Number 4 point - …. At Least He’s Got Allies.
Because things actually look incredibly bright for the Titans series, and DC are heavily
invested in making their flagship DC Universe title a hit success with fans.
Akiva Goldsman has surrounded himself with quite a number of people who know quite the
thing or two about this whole comic book thing.
It’s safe to say that the Titans are in good hands with the likes of Greg Berlanti
and Sarah Schechter - the executive producers behind Arrow and The Flash.
Also on board is Chief Creative Officer of the whole of DC - Geoff Johns, an incredibly
popular comic book writer back in the day, responsible for the likes of Infinite Crisis,
Blackest Night, Flash Point and Doomsday Clock.
Oh - also also, he wrote nearly 50 issues of Teen Titans, and they were pretty damn
good.
Swinging on in at Number 3 - It’ll Be Dark.
And it won’t be anywhere near the Teen Titans staple of Cartoon Network, tonally speaking
of course.
And there’s a reason the shows frontrunners want to steer the franchise away in a gritty
- dark new direction, because streaming services like Netflix and DC Universe are a whole new
frontier for superheroic narratives.
It’s clear from the Titans trailer that the shows Pilot director, Brad Anderson, is
aiming for the doom and gloom that airs around Dick Grayson, with Robin’s meteoric rise
through vigilantism being a show staple.
Brad Anderson is also behind some pretty atmospherically dark works of cinema, too - being at the helm
of 2018’s Beirut starring Jon Hamm - and the much more visceral The Machinist, with
Christian Bale.
If you’ve seen either two - you’ll see what we’re getting at.
Coming on in at Number 2 - Robin Is A Cop.
Yeah - no biggie if you’ve seen the show’s trailer, but it’s the story arc surrounding
that we’re excited about the most.
The stage is seemingly set for Dick Grayson to don his badge and gun at Bludhaven Police
Department and rid the small city of crime and corruption from the inside out.
Well, we hope at least.
We already know that at least a portion of this narrative will be accurate, with Lindsey
Gort taking up the role of Amy Rohrbach, Dick Grayson’s detective partner in the show.
In the Bludhaven story arc, Dick Grayson finds twenty-two dead men that have floated into
Gotham’s south harbor - leading him out to rid a whole new city of corruption on his
own.
With the Titans being a brand new TV franchise for DC, it makes sense that they’re trying
to carve their own path compared to the likes of Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash and Arrow.
Oh - also, Barbara Gordon is rumoured to be on the show - which would be awesome.
And finally, at our Number 1 Spot - All Things Jason Todd.
Yup - the Titans seemingly can’t avoid Jason Todd - and we’ve got no problem with that
all.
According to Episode 7 of the Titans show listing - Jason Todd will have his own titled
episode, forming towards the end of the shows debut season.
I mean, it’s completely unclear what role Jason Todd - if any - will play in the show,
and whether he’ll be available as a villain or just a pesky side character.
What we do know, is that Dick Grayson /definitely/ isn’t a teenager in Titans, and the possibility
of Todd taking over the mantle of Robin is incredibly likely at this point - being in
line with Dick’s progression into Nightwing.
Well - who knows - why don’t you let us know your thoughts in the comment box down
below.
How do you guys feel the Titans show is going to go?
Excited for it?
Or completely apprehensive?
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As per usual, I’ve been your host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 10 Nerd - and
until next time, take it easy.