Fanboys Anonymous

Marvel Studios has had great success with its interlocking cinematic universe; Iron Man paved the way for a series of solid superhero films—The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America—leading to the capstone of The Avengers. DC Comics, under the aegis of Warner Bros., has had considerably less success. Superman Returns was dull and backward-looking, Green Lantern incoherent, and while Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy was highly successful, its grim, underpowered setting has no connection to the upper power tier of DC heroes. Man of Steel is slated to lead the way to a Justice League movie, but whether it has the vigor to follow in Iron Man’s footsteps remains to be seen.

DC's works have typically shone brighter on the small screen. Setting aside a slew of animated knockouts such as Batman: the Animated Series, Justice League, Teen Titans, and Young Justice, DC properties have been turned into solidly-rated live-action shows such as Wonder Woman, Lois & Clark, and ten seasons of Smallville. The latter's popularity set the stage for spinoffs—first an aborted Aquaman pilot, and then the wildly successful Arrow. Now several more live-action DC television shows are in the works, including new versions of The Flash and Wonder Woman.

Shooting for a leading role?

The Teen Titans lineup best known to the public is that of the Murakami cartoon: Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, Robin, and Starfire. Those characters first appeared in The New Teen Titans, the team's 1980 Wolfman/Pérez relaunch. The original team’s roster included Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy. Is it coincidence that the upcoming slate of live-action DC programs includes all of those sidekicks' mentors? (Except for Robin, but as the only DC sidekick with name recognition outside the comics world, he needs little introduction for the casual viewer.) Is DC planning to produce a Titans series as a nexus for their TV universe, much like Marvel’s movie Avengers franchise?

If so, it's a clever idea. This would tie together a number of DC superhero shows without overextending each program’s lead actor—or the crossover show's budget, as supporting cast members would doubtless command lower salaries than Arrow's Amell or the upcoming Flash's Gustin. Moreover, Arrow's showrunners have written in two potential sidekicks; in addition to Roy Harper, we have Ollie’s sister Thea Dearden Queen, who's named for comic book character Mia Dearden (the second Speedy) and who will doubtless receive archery training from her biological father Malcolm Merlyn. Either one could be brought over to a Titans spinoff. Similarly, I expect that in addition to teen sidekick Wally West, The Flash will employ temporal shenanigans to bring in Barry's far future great-grandnephew Bart Allen (the second Kid Flash).

Do these speculations have any substance, or am I completely off base? Post your opinions in the comments below!