Teen Titans remains one of the popular DC heroes to never get an official live-action movie. Well…until now. The infamous teen supergroup that features Robin as the leader made their unofficial debut in The Brave and The Bold #54 back in July 1964. The Titans really surged in popularity thanks to Cartoon Network’s Teen Titans series in 2003. The show returned, but in a different form as Teen Titans Go!, more of a light-hearted satire of the characters and series.
However, Teen Titans would get it’s first live-action adaptation in 2018. Titans had a more positive reception by critics and fans, though it never reached the heights of popularity that it’s animated counterpart did. The show was solid from beginning to end, though it did feel at times that it was trying a little too hard to be edgy. But with the DCU on the horizon, this gives James Gunn and his creators a chance to really tap into the Teen Titans lore in a different way than the previous incarnations.
Teen Titans Never Had A Proper Adaptation Following The 2003 Series
While the original 2003 series had it’s flaws, it’s still the best version of Teen Titans thus far. It captured the spirit of the comic book characters as the show wasn’t just about their superhero lives. These guys are teenagers, so they did a great job of incorporating that aspect in the series. Plus, Slade remains one of the best animated villains of all time. The series did an incredible job of developing the villain throughout the seasons and he’s a big reason that Teen Titans is a considered a classic by many.
Teen Titans Go! wasn’t a show that you could take seriously. Then again, this version of the DC characters wasn’t trying to be taken seriously. It was clearly a satire on the characters and world of Teen Titans, though it was mainly a kiddie affair that told easy jokes and didn’t have the strong stories that the first animated series had. As previously stated, Titans was a solid live-action series.
The show itself was a little too serious at times, stripping away the fun energy of Teen Titans comics. Then again, it was an interesting choice to age these characters up. There were times that Titans felt like a CW melodrama; however, the main characters of the series came off well, especially Raven. Seeing a live-action Beast Boy was cool as well. Still, that wasn’t a true representation of Teen Titans. These were the adult counterparts (at least for Dick Grayson and Starfire) of the original characters. It was cool seeing the futuristic version of these names, but it’s not something that properly brought out the best of the comic book characters.
Teen Titans Don’t Have To Be The Main Characters In The DCU
A big thing that Titans proved was that a Teen Titans live-action adaptation can work. It has a compelling set of characters on both heroes and villains side, and this can easily translate into a great movie. But the key component is that they don’t need to be the main heroes of the DCU. That’s at least the idea that was stated in the press release. I fully agree with this approach. Teen Titans are a compelling set of characters. Each of the core cast has a unique backstory that can take up an entire season!
However, the DCU is overcrowded right now. While there’s been no confirmation of the Justice League in James Gunn’s new universe, the entire slate he’s listed so far means that the roster is packed. Teen Titans should have some depth and exploration in their own films, but they’re not characters that need to show up in the larger universe. Of course, they should still exists in the DCU, and can pop in on the interconnected shows ever now and then, but they shouldn’t be a vital ingredient of this rebooted universe.
If the plan is to make the Titans are big part of the DCU then hopefully Gunn has a compelling way of integrating these characters within the large roster. I’m not against the idea of the Teen Titans playing a major roll in the DCU, but it’s kind of nerve-wracking that there’s so many characters and we haven’t even started Phase One yet. This feels reminiscent of Marvel current issue of having too many characters. As long as James Gunn finds a proper balance then everything should be good.
Is A Teen Titans Live-Action Necessary?
It’s particularly necessary because Gods and Monsters already feel crowded enough. However, Teen Titans does deserve a proper live-action adaptation. Titans was a nice foundation that showcased that the lore can world under a real world setting. If the live-action can capture the spirit, characters, and complex stories from the comics then it will be a worthy addition to the DCU canon. Plus, I hope that ALL Titan members are included this time.
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