Having a live-action Teen Titans movie before a Justice League feature in the DCU is secretly a genius move (in more ways than one). Confirmed to be in development, DC Studios’ rebooted DC Cinematic Universe will soon include a movie starring one of the most classic superhero teams beyond the Justice League. A group of younger heroes who were once the sidekicks to some of the DC Universe’s heaviest hitters, there are several key advantages to debuting the Titans on-screen before the League.
Coming from Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow screenwriter Ana Nogueira, DC Studios’ Teen Titans is reportedly in development to be released within the rebooted cinematic universe set to begin with 2025’s Superman. That said, it’s currently unknown which version or roster of heroes from the comics will be featured. Regardless, the simple notion of debuting the Teen Titans in the DCU before the Justice League does have its benefits.
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A DCU Teen Titans Movie Is Currently In Development
Sidekicks Who Grow Into Their Own A-List Heroes
First appearing in 1964 as a dynamic team of superhero sidekicks in the DC Comics universe, The Teen Titans have grown to become one of the most popular superhero teams of all time. Originally, the team consisted of Dick Grayson’s Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Donna Troy’s Wonder Girl, and Roy Harper’s Speedy. However, the team would both gain and lose members of their roster alongside many different versions of the team emerging in the years that followed.
The most famous iteration of the team (The New Teen Titans) includes the aforementioned Robin, Wonder Girl, and Kid Flash alongside Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy. Furthermore, this same team has been redubbed simply as the Titans in the current DC era, now that they’ve all become adults and independent heroes in their own right (Robin is now Nightwing, Kid Flash is Flash, etc). While it’s unknown who will be on the DCU’s team of Titans in the movie currently being developed, nor how old they might be, the prospect of seeing a live-action version of the team is very exciting nonetheless.
Titans Before Justice League Can Help The DCU Forge A More Distinct Universe
More Distance From The DCEU
One of the first true advantages of having a Teen Titans movie released before a Justice League feature is that it will give the DCU time to introduce its biggest names at its own pace. More time and distance from the DCEU’s controversial Justice League film released in 2017 can only help the DCU’s version that will inevitably come at some point in the rebooted universe. That said, a team-up film with the Titans can still allow DC Studios to have a team-up film sooner rather than later.
Justice League
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by the Man of Steel’s selfless act in Batman V Superman, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Evil forces have set their sights on our world, tasking the malevolent Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons with bringing Earth under the control of Darkseid, ruler of the planet Apokolips. In response, Batman and Wonder Woman unite a team of metahuman heroes including The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman to protect humanity as the Justice League. The Justice League first appeared in March 1960 in issue #28 of The Brave and the Bold. In the fifty years since the heroes first united, the team has welcomed various members of DC comic book canon: Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Shazam, among others. Recently rebooted as part of DC Rebirth, the current comic iteration of the team includes Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, two Green Lanterns (Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz), Aquaman, Barry Allen, as well as Cyborg.
- Director
-
Zack Snyder
- Release Date
-
November 17, 2017
- Writers
-
Chris Terrio
, Joss Whedon - Cast
-
Jeremy Irons
, Gal Gadot
, Amy Adams
, Jesse Eisenberg
, Ciarán Hinds
, Ben Affleck
, Henry Cavill
, Ezra Miller
, J. K. Simmons
, Jason Momoa
, Ray Fisher - Runtime
-
242 minutes
One of the DCEU’s biggest problems was fast-tracking their Justice League crossover movie before every hero had received their own spotlight and solo feature. This was most notable with Batman v Superman and its subtitle Dawn of Justice, a clear sign that Warner Bros and executives wanted their biggest team-up film to be released as quickly as possible. Now, the heads at DC Studios can learn from mistakes of the past and take their time, while also having a team-up movie with the Teen Titans whose stories are more closely tied together compared to DC’s highest-profile heroes.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
In this high-action film by Zack Snyder, the two DC superheroes face off against one another in a conflict spurred on by the villainous Lex Luthor. The film also features WonderWoman playing a role in the fight against Doomsday and other villains from beyond the Earth. As the world’s two most powerful superheroes prepare to destroy each other, an unexpected commonality brings them together to defeat their real enemy.
- Director
-
Zack Snyder
- Release Date
-
March 24, 2016
- Studio(s)
-
DC
, Warner Bros. Pictures - Distributor(s)
-
Warner Bros. Pictures
- Writers
-
Chris Terrio
, David S. Goyer - Cast
-
Ben Affleck
, Henry Cavill
, Amy Adams
, Jesse Eisenberg
, Diane Lane
, Laurence Fishburne
, Jeremy Irons
, Holly Hunter
, Gal Gadot - Runtime
-
152 minutes
- prequel(s)
-
Man of Steel
- Budget
-
$250 million
The DCU Teen Titans Can Help Set Up The DCU Justice League
Connections Across The Entire Roster
Additionally, the entire roster of Teen Titans has connections to the entire DC Universe. After all, a good number of them were once the protegés of DC’s biggest heroes. For example, Dick Grayson’s Robin was a founding member of the Teen Titans while also being Batman’s first sidekick. Many of the subsequent Robins have connections to the Titans as well. Despite growing up and becoming his own hero named Nightwing, Grayson has stayed connected to both his Bat Family and his Titans family, effectively being a bridge between the two groups of heroes.
The same idea is just as true for Wally West’s Kid Flash/Flash and his connection to the Speed Force and Flash Family, as well as Dona Troy’s connection to Wonder Woman and the Amazons. Likewise, Raven is connected to the magical and supernatural side of the DC Universe, Cyborg to science and technology, and Beast Boy to the natural animal life force known as The Red. Each of these Titans can help set up various sections of the DCU and could easily help tee up other projects.
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The Titans Have Already Replaced The Justice League In The Comics
DC Synergy Could Be Beneficial
It’s also worth noting that the present-day Titans led by Nightwing have effectively replaced the Justice League in the current DC Comics era. Following the recent Dark Crisis and the League being incapacitated, it was Nightwing and his fellow Titans who took a stand and saved the world. In the aftermath, the League decides to disband for the foreseeable future, though not before requesting that the Titans take their place as the world’s premiere team of superheroes.
To that end, it wouldn’t be surprising if the DCU was interested in mirroring both the ages and roster of these particular Titans for some compelling synergy. After all, both Nightwing and the Titans have been some of the most popular and best-selling characters in the last few years, at least where the comics are concerned. At any rate, it certainly seems as though there are some definite advantages to having the Teen Titans show up first in the upcoming DCU before the Justice League, no matter what kind of team they end up being at the onset.
