Titans TV Series NOT to Include Danny Chase As a Main Character!

News on a TV series I find so intriguing that I cared enough to write an article on a TV series.  Yeah.  It’s about DC’s Titans.  Per Nerdist: the team will consist of Dick Grayson (he starts as Robin and shifts later to Nightwing), Barbara Gordon (the exact origin as Oracle, but the word “Oracle”is left unsaid in the pilot), Hawk and Dove (the female Dove here, not the original), Raven, and Starfire.  No mention of why Danny Chase, the most popular Titan ever*, was not included in the show.  We expect massive firings to occur at WB over this.

Here’s my take of the news:

I hope we finally get a Dick Grayson character on screen (big or small) that does justice to one of my five favorite superheroes ever.  I especially hope we get Nightwing soon!  Nightwing is a rich character that balances Batman’s drive for justice with Superman’s sense of optimism.

• I like Oracle’s inclusion.  She’s a great supporting character and her small screen turn in Birds of Prey was a noble effort that was poorly executed.  Maybe a quality spinoff can occur if they get her right this time.  Just no more badgirl, fanwank on this treatment.  Jenny tells me it is acceptable now to avoid treating female characters as objects.

• I have a hard time enjoying Hawk and Dove because (a) they are so tied in my mind to the Cold War era where I could see the logic of both characters’worldview and (b) a future, villainous version of Hawk did eventually come back in time and kill Dove; causing Hawk to kill him and become the very same villain.

• Raven is gonna be awesome.  Her powers are easily captured in a TV show without looking fake.  Perfect inclusion for the cast!  She’s been great in every incarnation and has a rich back story that con fuel a whole season’s arc of story.

• I am not a Starfire fan, so I would have passed on including her.  She was fun and sweet in the cartoon, but in live action I worry they will default to the libido fueled, pin up model bimbo. I am happy to see female characters confident in their femininity, but when aimed at fanboys that often misfires into masturbatory material.   Her presence will also likely create an unwanted love triangle with Dick and Babs, which could detract from more important subplots.

• Naturally, Cyborg is missing from the team due to his New 52 inspired stature as a member of the JLA.  I assume Beast Boy was left off because of cost concerns over having to recreate his powers on a cable TV budget.

• Overall, I think there is a lot of ground to cover and the Teen Titans cartoon provides a road map to success.  I hope each season has a single story arc where the Titans deal with  a single foe or organization against a backdrop of romance and drama (not melodrama).  If handled properly, this could be epic.  It could also be the second coming to the aforementioned Birds of Prey.

* No one really likes Danny Chase.  This was humor.