Media Essays: Titans Live Action (My Version) Part 1

Written by The Wandering Fox

DC often swings on opposite ends of the tone don’t they? They give us a darker and gritty DCEU, then hallway through they go for goofiness and then they go back to dark and gritty. They can never make their minds up, but this isn’t the only thing DC does on film, they do it with their live action TV properties. The poster child for needless darkness and edginess is Titans, the live action series which sees Robin, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy come together, only they’re hardly themselves with the kinds of Dick or Raven being unlikeable, utter bitchy like Dove, then there’s the storylines being a complete mess with them doing the Trigon story way too early, they swapped Terra for the Judas Contract story, then they do Red Hood.

It's frustrating because they had it there, the 2003 cartoon is the roster everyone was familiar with, the tone is something everyone liked, you mix that in with mature storytelling and some more character similarities to the comics, you have the brand to appeal to the audience of the older fandom and the casual fans. I know, Cyborg was not allowed to appear because he was in the DCEU, but they made him a Doom Patrol member.

The years have given us the chance to think of what Titans could’ve been as a live action franchise, hence why the Wandering Fox is here to tell you HOW they could’ve done Titans in a lighter hearted story with more truer depictions of the characters.

Series

With this being a live action series there’s certain things you can’t do animation can so you have to try and be more creative in terms of villains, settings, makeup and storylines. Live action series these days have a smaller episode count so I’m going to try and add Titans up to maybe ten episodes? I’d cast actors who are older yet their ages are closer, like say Nightwing, Beast Boy, and Raven are late teens, Starfire and Cyborg are early twenties. This obviously means casting actors younger than Dick, Kori and Gar but someone older for Raven who can balance the empathetic and withdrawn yet dry character.

I’d like it if whatever actor I choose for Beast Boy is going to be okay with wearing makeup for a while for the problem with live action Beast Boy was just the fact he wasn’t green and he looked like a Power Rangers cosplayer, I’d find someone who is fit, can grow their hair out in spikes, and has a kind smile yet has this darker side to him. For Cyborg it’d have to be someone big and muscly yet has his charisma. Starfire would have to be tall and slender yet have toned arms to show her Amazonian strength, someone who is charming and soft spoken like Dick. For Raven it’d have to be someone who’s slender yet small in height and holds this mature look to her face, while may be able to dye her hair blue or purple.

With this I’d like to give Titans a five-season storyline which by the end has you feeling you watched these guys on epic adventures with more to come yet you feel happy with how things have ended like how Raven and Beast Boy, Starfire and Nightwing are a couple with Dick his own man and no longer strapped to Gotham or overly linked to Batman.

The Justice League will appear though obviously with different actors, their roles are fairly minor with them making a cameo here and there, it consisting of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter.

With this done, let's look to-

The Backstory

For this, there was already the first Titans in Kid Flash, Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Wonder Girl, and Cyborg, though they drifted apart from each other after something happened to Kid Flash with Amanda Waller at the centre of it. Dick feels its his fault of what happened, hence he’s been working alone, ashamed to speak to Batman. Cyborg keeps in contact with him, trying to convince him to chat with Batman with how he is.

For Beast Boy he’s been living on the streets, trying to get by though helping anyone, he often takes some food to the homeless shelter for children, though Robin has recently been investigating this.

Starfire had crash landed on Earth in a ship and wakes up to find herself being looked over by Amanda Waller. Starfire escapes yet loses consciousness then crashes in the city park.

Raven has had an apartment for a while, buying books of ancient spells for her own means, yet upon Starfire crash-landing in the city park, Raven is gonna find things won’t be so dreary anymore.

Amanda Waller was forced to go into hiding after her last effort with the Suicide Squad resulted in something tragic occurring to Kid Flash, forming a criminal group dedicated to killing the meta humans who cannot be trusted.

With this done here’s the pilot episode.

Pilot

The pilot starts with Raven going on with her day, meditating before leaving for the library, coming across news of Robin failing to catch a mysterious food thief, with Raven lamenting that will be the least of his worries. Dick is working as security at a food store to try and catch the thief yet Beast Boy gives him the slip, heading to a shelter for children giving them food. Dick chats with Cyborg over a cameral call, Cyborg teasing him for not catching this thief, though Dick knows the thief is a shifter. With Raven she collects a few books to try and learn spells then is on her way home in the evening. Starfire wakes up in the facility with Amanda Waller trying to extract blood from her. Starfire flees from the facility yet loses consciousness, the alien girl crashing in the city park just close to Raven. Beast Boy hears it as well as Robin. With Starfire unconscious, Raven brings her home via teleportation, unknown that Beast Boy watched her. Robin comes, finding Beast Boy and thinks he’s a Martian. He tries catching him yet Beast Boy is too slippery, with him telling Robin he’s not a Martian and he didn’t crash here. Explaining everything to him, Beast Boy goes with Robin to the subway where Dick has his home, calling Cyborg.

Beast Boy: Whoa, hey there pal! I ain’t a Martian!

Robin: Well you gotta be, you’re green, you can shapeshift!

Beast Boy: I’m not, okay? I sure didn’t cause this big crater here either!

Robin: Then what did?

Beast Boy: Heh, you might not believe me buuuuuuuuut, it was a woman. An alien woman.

Robin: Alien woman?

Beast Boy: Yeah, red hair, glowing green eyes, orange hands, then this girl in a hoodie came and just disappeared with her!

Robin: Hmmmm….lets say I believe you, would you tell this to a friend of mine?

Beast Boy: Who, Batman?

Robin: No, not him, I’m talking of someone who can help me see if you’re telling the truth.

Beast Boy: Well, anything to clear my name.

Robin: You best come with me, eh, what’s your name?

Beast Boy: Heh, yeah, well, I don’t wanna tell ya, it's embarrassing. Beast Boy will do.

With Beast Boy explaining it over, Cyborg Boom Tubes to them to help Robin trace the energy signature, teasing Beast Boy for giving Robin a hard case in chasing him. They trace the energy signature with Cyborg finding there’s a energy coming from a flat. With Beast Boy having told the truth and knowing they have two mysterious women to deal with, they go to the front door. Raven sees its Robin then goes to unlock the door yet Starfire awakens and bashes Raven through the door. Raven shields herself with Cyborg throwing Starfire off her. Raven is at first angry then tries to fight Starfire though Beast Boy ties her up in his octopus form. Cyborg and Robin try calming Starfire though she’s going to shoot them. Beast Boy morphs into a bird, goes behind Starfire then kicks her in the back, with her falling on Robin and kissing him. Starfire then begins talking English much to everyone’s confusion, only with her understanding now she realises they’re trying to help her. They can’t go in the flat for a talk so Cyborg Boom Tubes them back to the subway, Robin feeling odd from the kiss.

In the subway, Starfire can’t remember much with the exception of her from space and was on a ship. Raven tries to leave though Beast Boy convinces her to stay for if there was witnesses of the fight then those from the facility will come to her door. Robin opens up several beds for them to sleep in, Beast Boy is so happy to sleep in a bed after so long while Starfire apologises to Raven for the disturbance. Cyborg urges Robin to call Batman for help. Unsure, Robin decides to instead call the Justice League for help. Raven can’t sleep, figuring if those who kidnapped Starfire go to her apartment they will look through her stuff. Going home, Raven bags her dress, boots, cloak and books just as Waller finds her. Raven is surrounded by gunmen though she escapes back to the subway, hoping they won’t find her. The Justice League agree to meet with Robin. Someone is trying to get in the subway, Robin looking to find its Waller with her gunmen, with her explaining she knows Robin is in there, taunting him, urging him to hand over the “fugitives”. Cyborg wakes everyone up with him hoping to Boom Tube them out of there. Robin is far from happy to see Waller. Beast Boy insults Waller then suggests they fight, if Waller is a criminal then they can arrest her. Cyborg figures if they hold them off the Justice League will come and help arrest Waller.

Beast Boy: Come on Rob! We can’t run from her forever, and we can’t have her hurt these beautiful girls or lock them up!

Raven feels her cheeks turn red upon hearing him.

Raven: Beautiful….?

Cyborg: We can pack a punch, Superman will be here, we can have Waller arrested!

Robin: Okay. No killing though!

With this they fight Waller’s henchmen, Raven warping a few back outside, Robin defeats a few while Cyborg stuns them, Beast Boy slams in some of them, Starfire is a bit hard on them yet holds back. Waller comes in with more of her henchmen, managing to electrocute Starfire and has Robin in the corner with a gun, telling him to let her stop those who’s powers can’t be trusted, at which Robin yells “What!? Like Kid Flash!?” Beast Boy then bites Waller as the Justice League arrive in Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter, forcing Waller to surrender. Wonder Woman tries the lasso of truth on Starfire to help her remember yet there’s nothing. Martian Manhunter and Batman are hoping to chat with Beast Boy to find out why he left the Doom Patrol while Superman suggests Robin and Cyborg form a new Titans group with Waller behind bars. Robin feels unsure though Cyborg offers to help him, bringing the others to Titans Tower.

The pilot ends with Waller making a call from prison, requesting Deathstroke go to this blackout site of hers which has the ship hidden, telling him she wants Starfire and Raven dead.

There's the pilot. Join me next week for Season 1.