Titans (2018 TV series)

Titans is an American superhero television series created by Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, and Greg Berlanti. Based on the DC Comics superhero team Teen Titans, the series depicts a group of young heroes who join forces in their fight against evil. Featured as members of the eponymous Titans are Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Kory Anders (Anna Diop), Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft), Gar Logan (Ryan Potter), Jason Todd (Curran Walters), Donna Troy (Conor Leslie), Hank Hall (Alan Ritchson), Dawn Granger (Minka Kelly), Rose Wilson (Chelsea Zhang), Conner Kent (Joshua Orpin), and Tim Drake (Jay Lycurgo).

A live-action series based on the Teen Titans entered development in September 2014. Intended for TNT, a pilot written by Goldsman and Marc Haimes was ordered that December, but TNT departed from the project in 2016 before filming took place. By April 2017, the series was redeveloped by Goldsman, Johns, and Berlanti for DC Universe as its first original scripted program. Thwaites was cast as Dick in September and other series regulars were cast between August and October.

Titans premiered on October 12, 2018, and ran for four seasons until May 11, 2023. The first and second seasons were released on DC Universe, and the third and fourth seasons were released on HBO Max.

Premise

Titans follows the young superheroes of the eponymous team as they combat evil and other perils. Disbanded when the story begins, the series sees the team return when the original and new members reform the Titans. The Titans fight crime throughout various locations, including Detroit, San Francisco, Gotham City, and Metropolis.

The first members of the team to appear in the series are Batman's former vigilante partner Dick Grayson, extraterrestrial Kory Anders, empath Rachel Roth, and shapeshifter Garfield "Gar" Logan. Dick is later revealed as one of the original Titans, alongside half-Amazon Donna Troy and crime-fighting duo Dawn Granger and Hank Hall. After the Titans reform, the team is joined by Batman's new partner Jason Todd, assassin Rose Wilson, Superman's genetic clone Conner Kent, and aspiring vigilante Tim Drake.

In the first season, Rachel comes to Dick for protection from dangerous forces pursuing her, which leads to them meeting and teaming up with Kory and Gar. The heroes eventually learn that Rachel is being targeted by her demon father Trigon, who seeks to enslave the world. The season also depicts Dick's efforts to distance himself from his mentor and his Robin persona, while Kory struggles with a bout of amnesia that leaves her unaware of her true identity.

The second season focuses on the official reformation of the Titans as Dick trains a new team composed of Rachel, Gar, and Jason. The Titans' return, however, leads to the reemergence of feared assassin Deathstroke, whose prior conflict with the original team caused their disbanding. As Deathstroke attempts to eliminate the heroes, the original Titans are forced to face him again, while other threats emerge from the malevolent Cadmus Laboratories and Kory's sister Blackfire.

The third season sees the Titans travel to Gotham City after Jason is murdered, where Dick teams up in protecting the city with Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon. When Jason returns under the control of notorious criminal Jonathan Crane, the Titans find themselves battling their former teammate to prevent Crane from destroying Gotham. Also depicted are Kory's tense reunion with Blackfire, who seeks redemption for past actions and Donna's return from the afterlife following her death in the previous season.

In the fourth and final season, the Titans' visit to Metropolis is interrupted by the murder of Lex Luthor. They discover an apocalyptic prophecy centered on Sebastian Sanger, Trigon's son, as the Church of Blood, led by Mother Mayhem, plot to have Sebastian fulfill his destiny of destroying the world.