Titans

Fans were shaken when Robin, played by Brenton Thwaites, uttered the phrase “F*** Batman,” in the first trailer for ‘Titans’, but this new clip from the series may explain some of that resentment.  Just days ago, two shadowy photos were revealed, which depicted a meeting (presumably the first) between the two Robins, Dick Grayson and his replacement, Jason Todd, played by Curran Walters.  Now we get to see the pair in motion.

Walters’ Jason Todd is everything that Grayson isn’t, at least in everything we’ve seen so far.  He’s bouncy, energetic and genuinely psyched to be Batman’s new partner.  As he exclaims in the video, “This is the dopest gig ever!  Kickin’ asses, being famous, driving the Batmobile…”

It’s that last comment that draws the ire of O.G. Robin, Grayson, who, after a beat, reacts, “He lets you drive the Batmobile?”

The clip arrives via the DCUTitans Twitter account:

Entertainment Weekly also supplied some background info, from Thwaites himself:

“Jason has filled my job.  When I left, I was under the impression that Batman didn’t have a Robin, and Jason basically shows up at a weaker of my moments and saves me, essentially, and tells me he’s the Robin working for Batman. I guess there’s a sense of jealousy and remorse and a little bit of anger and frustration for Jason for filling [that role] that was to perform all of the bad and negative and destructive things that Dick Grayson had just left.

“So, Dick is trying to teach him that the things that he is doing and the morals that he stands for aren’t necessarily good and there’s a lot of conflict and tension just based around what their modus operandi is — what Jason fights for and the reasons why he fights crime aren’t necessarily the same as Dick Grayson, and I feel like Dick is trying to mentor him and teach him a different way and Jason doesn’t want a part of it.”

One of the biggest mysteries of ‘Titans’ is just what drove Dick so far to the dark side.  Batman has traditionally had a no-kill policy (until the recent film versions), so what was so dark and bleak that it drove Dick to this breaking point?  In the ‘New Teen Titans’ comic book, Dick simply grew tired of being viewed as Batman’s sidekick and wanted to establish his own identity.  True, he did display some uncharacteristic rage and frustration during that period, but nothing quite as spiteful as what we’ve seen so far.  I mean, it was a comic book from the ’80s, so there were certainly no F-bombs.

Along those lines, if TV Dick is so determined to leave all that darkness behind, then why is he still so angry and violent?

It’s unclear when Jason will show up on ‘Titans’.  Reportedly, main character Beast Boy (Ryan Potter) doesn’t even appear in the first episode.  But if they are teasing him this early on, Jason Todd may pop up sooner than later.

‘Titans’ will be available on DC Universe starting on October 12, with new episodes being released on subsequent Fridays.  The first season is expected to contain 12 episodes.