With Supergirl officially moving to the CW next season — where some would argue it belonged in the first place — that makes four DC Comics shows on four different nights on that network. While the DC Cinematic world continues to struggle with finding a proper tone, producer Greg Berlanti continues to nail it with his DC shows. Marvel may own the world of movies, but on TV, DC is where it’s at. Which is why Warner Brothers and the CW should just bite the bullet and just add one more DC show to the mix and gives us a DC Universe show five night a week — I say it’s time to dust off The Titans.
It was less than two years ago that TNT announced they were producing a pilot based on DC’s Teen Titans franchise, simply titled Titans. The network eventually passed, and that was the last we heard of it. But the notion of a Titans series holds more merit than ever, and with Supergirl on the CW, it now could work within the framework of the DC Television Multiverse better than before. Especially if Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and the other creative teams who do the other DC shows are involved.So why should this get the shot at revival at the CW? First off, The Titans is a super team featuring young, beautiful superheroes, all co-habitating in a secret headquarters together, and living in one long, prolonged soap opera. It’s the kind of show CW thrives on, and would probably be a much better team show than the current Legends of Tomorrow. The following are four reasons why the Titans could find a perfect home at the CW, especially now that Supergirl — and her separate, alternate Earth — are in the mix.
1.Titans has name recognition to both Millennials and Gen-X
The 1980’s version of the Titans from writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez was easily the most popular version of the team, and helped save DC Comics in a time when the company was struggling. Back then, the roster was made up of Robin (Dick Grayson), Wonder Girl (Donna Troy), Kid Flash (Wally West), Changeling (Gar Logan), Starfire (Princess Koriand’r), Cyborg (Vic Stone), and Raven.
This lineup (minus Wonder Girl) was also the core team of the highly successful 2000’s animated show on Cartoon Network. Basically, if you’re a Gen X-er, this roster is “your” version of the Titans, and if you’re a Millennial, this is also “your” Titans, albeit throught a more all-ages lense. Other characters can join up later, but this is the roster the show should start with, and be the core team on the show. A live-action version of this team has traction with two different generations of fans. It sells itself.
And before anyone says “but Cyborg is being used in the DC Cinematic Universe in Justice League,” I’ll remind you — the DC TV world has a separate Flash than the one that’s going to be used in the movies. If they can do it with Flash, they can do it with Cyborg, especially if you give the two versions distinct visual looks from one another. It can be done.
2. Setting it in on “Earth-Supergirl” allows for Batman, Wonder Woman related characters
Season one of Supergirl established the character as being on her own parallel world, separate to the ones on The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. This is a world with an active Superman on it, even if it’s one we only hear about but never see. But if this world has a Superman, couldn’t it conceivably also have a Batman? In one episode of Supergirl, Kara even makes a vague comment about there being a Gotham City in her world.
If Batman exists on her world, then that leaves your door open for Dick Grayson, aka Robin. The original series pitch for Titans was going to have Robin transitioning into his Nightwing persona, and that’s something you can and should keep for a new version of the Titans show. And it’s much easier to explain why Batman isn’t around all the time than Superman, especially if he’s in another city. I should also note it leaves the door open for Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, allowing fans to possibly see a Batgirl/Supergirl pairing at some point.
In fact, why not establish that “Earth Supergirl” not only has a Superman and a Batman, but a Wonder Woman as well? Recently, the producers of Supergirl said they were trying to get TV’s original Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, to play “the female President of the United States” on season two of Supergirl. Why not just go for broke and say that President is in fact President Diana Prince?
She’d be long retired from her role as Wonder Woman, having given up her mantle as mankind’s protector — and her immortality — when Superman showed up on the scene, and decided to help Earth in a different way, via politics and not crime fighting. You could say the entire old ’70s Wonder Woman TV show was part of “Earth Supergirl’s” continuity. Don’t tell me fans wouldn’t go nuts for that. Most importantly, having a Wonder Woman in that Earth’s history allows not only Wonder Girl/Donna Troy to exist in the show as Diana’s younger adopted sister, but eventually opens the door for Wonder Girl #2, Cassie Sandsmark, to make an eventual appearance as well.
3. Supergirl Can Be A Part-Time Member…and eventually, Superboy too
Supergirl might be busy on her own show, but if her show shares a network with Titans, she could pop over frequently, kind of the way Flash an Arrow cross over each season. As a character, Supergirl doesn’t have much of a history with the Titans in the comics, but she would fit in with a team of young adult heroes, at least on a part-time basis.
Also, season one of Supergirl established Project Cadmus. In the comics, Project Cadmus was the secret scientific think tank that created the Superman clone, Kon-El, better known as Superboy. Superboy eventually joined the Titans in the comics, so if there is a Titans show in the CW, here’s yet another way it can cross over with Supergirl.
4.Bring In Wally West from Flash, And Roy Harper from Arrow
Season two of the Flash has already introduced Wally West, and if the current episodes are any indication, then Wally will soon be getting powers and becoming Kid Flash. Now, we know Speedsters can transverse the multiversal barrier, so Wally can become a member of the Titans this way, as he was in the comics. Or, at least lend a hand from time to time.
Same goes for Green Arrow’s buddy Roy Harper, AKA Arsenal, played by Colton Haynes. He’s another original Titans member in the comics, who on TV lives on a separate Earth (although it would be harder to explain how that particular character goes from one Earth to the other). Basically, having these characters all on the same network and filmed in the same place allows for crossovers that would have been a nightmare before, but could totally happen now.
So there you have it. There are other reasons that a CW Titans series makes perfect sense — Titans villain Deathstroke already being used on Arrow, the possible inclusion of Miss Martian — thanks to her uncle the Martian Manhunter being on Supergirl — the list goes on. Now all that has to happen is for the CW to realize what a good idea it is, and make it happen.
Would you watch a Titans show on the CW? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Watch as we speculate when the Flash and Supergirl will meet again.
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Images: DC Comics/Warner Brothers Television
