Breaking Down TNT's Teen Titans' Roster

A few months back, rumors were aswirl that TNT was developing a TV show based upon DC Comic's Teen Titans. Now finally we have some new developments on the project thanks to our buddies at Nerdist. They claim that TNT is looking to cast actors for DC characters Nightwing, Starfire, Hawk+ Dove, Raven, and lastly and most surprisingly Batgirl! So with this supposed team roster leaked, I figured I would break it down character by character, telling you who should stay and who should have no business being near a TV show (besides TNT of course). So Titans, Let's Go!

Source: Nerdist

Titans Roster

1. Nightwing/Dick Grayson (Lead Character) - Easily the MVP of the Titans. Dick is the biggest draw of the show. He has ties to Batman, but also has a  wildly different personality and crime fighting style than the Bat does. This show should cement how awesome of a character Dick Grayson is. Also with four women and only one other guy on the team, Dick will love those odds. Especially with 2 red heads in the mix.

2. Starfire/Koriand'r - Star has been a longtime member of the Titans. She was always an expected member because of her close association with the team from comics and also from the cartoon Teen Titans. Starfire is an alien who is adjusting to Earth's customs, which is always good for comic relief. Yet at the same time she is very powerful. Even though it will be hard to do special effects for her powers on a TV budget, I approve of Star on the squad.

3. Batgirl/Oracle/Barbara Gordon - Babs was a surprising add to the team. With one Batman associate already here some may ask why Barbara is needed. Well, it's because she will be confined to her wheelchair as Oracle and not swinging from rooftops as Batgirl. Oracle was the original computer hacker/expert for superheroes. Chloe Sullivan and Felicity Smoak, you both may be cool, but y'all didn't invent the game like Babs did. So because she is staying back at home base and providing important sources of information for the team, I approve of Orcale on the squad.

4. Raven/Rachel Roth - Like Starfire and Nightwing, Raven is another longtime member of the Titans. She is the daughter of one of their greatest enemies, Trigon, and will be the magical member of the squad. Like Star, I'm nervous of how her powers will look on a TV budget. As long as it's better than Smallville's special effects, I think it will be alright.

5 + 6. Hawk + Dove/Hank Hall + Dawn Granger - Hawk + Dove have always gone together. Most of the time as brothers, but TNT is said to be looking at the New 52 version of the characters. In that version, Hawk and Dove are a man and woman, who are also dating one another while fighting crime together. I have never found either version particularly compelling and find their inclusion here odd. I would have much preferred Connor Kent/Superboy and Donna Troy/ Wonder Girl to take these dopes' places on the team. Then the show would have ties to each member of the Holy Trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) in Titans rather than some loser couple. So someone tell Hawk + Dove to get the fuck out.

That's my thoughts on the Titans roster. Thanks for reading! Do you miss Cyborg and Beast Boy? Sound off in the comments. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @Caped_Informers or follow me @cstrand73 for all your up to date comics news.

Exploring The DC Cinematic Universe: Batman

Batman

Release Date: Unknown

Who is Batman?: Batman is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne, an American billionaire, industrialist, and philanthropist (You hear that Tony Stark?). Having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, he swore revenge on criminals, an oath tempered with a sense of justice. Wayne trained himself to peak human physical and intellectual perfection. Often called "The World's Greatest Detective", he dons a bat-themed costume to strike fear into the heart of criminals and to fight crime in Gotham City.

Director: Ben Affleck (The Town)

Why?: Batman directing a Batman movie. In the immortal words of Stan Lee "Nuff said". But seriously Affleck is a major asset to the DCCU not just as an actor, but as a director. In all three of his directoral features Ben has displayed that he knows how to shoot dark and gritty. But what he handles best are the characters in his movies. Each one is an unique and interesting individual provided with kickass dialogue. In addition to shooting the film, Affleck, who is big comics fan himself, should co-write this script with his boy Chris Terrio (Argo).

Proposed Story: Batman thinks he knows his city better than anyone, but is he ever wrong. After a string of strange murders that implicate Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Batman must investigate into an urban legend, that he looked into as a child, called the Court of Owls. He soon finds there may be some truth to the legend, but will he be able to stop the Court's plans before they take out their next target, Bruce Wayne.

Inspired By: The main story will be inspired by Scott Snyder's The Court Of Owls. This story in particular showcases Batman's detective skills and expands upon the ever-growing Batman rogues gallery. 

Lead Characters (Cast): I'm only sticking to the main Batman family. So just Batman, Nightwing, and Alfred will be in this film (Sorry Damian, Babs, Jason, and Catwoman).

1. Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck)

Why?: Affleck is going to be a great Batman. I have confidence in him. But in order to differ from Bale's version of the character,  this Batman should be emphasized as"The World's Greatest Detective". He needs to show his skills of detection and solve a mystery. The Court of Owls storyline gives the character the chance to do just that.

2. Nightwing/Dick Grayson (Logan Lerman)

Why?: Dick is an essential part of the Batman mythos. Yet he has not had a proper film treatment (That's right Chris O'Donnell, you sucked. And JGL's "Robin" Blake doesn't count either) that the character so deserves. Having Ben Affleck as an older Batman allows for Dick Grayson to have already been Robin and don the mantle of Nightwing. I chose Alex Pettyfer because he is in good physical shape and is an up and coming actor (loved him in Fury). I would love to see some intense acrobatics in Dick's fight scenes as well.

3. Alfred Pennyworth (Jeremy Irons)

Why?: Alfred is Bruce's right hand man and confidant. There is no Batman without him. He provides Bruce with comfort along with some occasional dry wit. Jeremy Irons is an acclaimed British actor. He is a perfect choice to pick up the mantle of the World's most famous butler from Michael Caine. 

Villains (Cast)

1. The Talon/William Cobb (Scott Adkins)

Why?: The current Talon (assassin) for the Court of Owls, William Cobb carries out any murder that the group asks of him. This part is mostly action focused and doesn't require the actor to take off his mask for pretty much all of it. I chose Scott Adkins because he is a martial arts master.

2. Lincoln March/Owlman (Casey Affleck)

Why?: The surprise villain of the film, Lincoln March is a seemingly straight-edge mayoral candidate that actually has ties to the Court and Bruce Wayne. Casey Affleck is a solid actor. I have fan casted him previously. Click here to read it.

3. Harley Quinn/Harleen Quinzel (Margot Robbie)

Why?: Harley would be great as a villain to be beaten down in a cold opening. Margot Robbie will have previous been in Suicide Squad by this point. So her appearance would bring more continuity to the universe. Could also lead to a Mr. J tease at the end.

4. The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot (Nick Frost)

Why?: Iceberg club owner/notorious criminal Oswald Cobblepot becomes a high profile target of the Court of Owls. Batman is forced to protect his nemesis from an assassination attempt. Nick Frost is known for his comedic roles. He has talent. I think he is ready to break into drama and The Penguin is just the part to do it.

Thanks for reading! The 12 days of Editorials continues tomorrow with a write-up on Justice League Pt.2! Be sure to check back here then to see it for yourself! And read our first 3 articles on the DCCU by clicking the links below.

• Suicide Squad
• Wonder Woman
• Justice League
• The Flash
• Aquaman

Teen Titans Live Action Show Could Be Coming To TNT

DC is taking over TV. The comics company already has two shows on CW in Arrow and Flash and the highly anticipated Gotham is set to debut on Fox this month. Hell even the mystical side of the DC universe will be explored in Constantine on NBC. Now Deadline is reporting that TNT is developing a Teen Titans show called Titians with Dick Grayson/Nightwing as its lead. The site says "Titans revolves around the eponymous group of young Super Heroes-to-be from the DC Universe. The action series centers on Dick Grayson (probably best known for his alter ego as Robin), who emerges from the shadow of Batman to become Nightwing, the leader of a fearless band of new Super Heroes including Starfire, Raven and many others." Writer Akiva Goldsman (Batman and Robin) has written the pilot along with Marc Haimes (The Last Word). The project is expected to be green light for a pilot order soon. 

Sources: Deadline

                ComicBookMovie

                Variety

Now I've been clamoring for Dick Grayson/Nightwing on Arrow or in a DC movie for some time now. Never anticipated he would first appear on a Teen Titians show. Always thought it could work better as a movie, but I am willing to give this show a chance only because Dick is the lead. 

But God as my witness if this TNT crap doesn't allow for Dick to enter the DC Cinematic Universe in some capacity there will be hell to pay. I need to see Nightwing and Batman team up on the big screen before I die. Especially after what Chris O'donnell did to the character in the 90's. Who wrote those films by the way? O that's right, Akiva Goldsman. Glad this show is in good hands! Goldsman partnered together with a TV Budget is a match made in heaven. Most likely there will not be enough money for CGI for Beast Boy or Cyborg. And if there is any CGI it will probably water down both Starfire and Raven's powers. But then again TNT knows drama so I have the upmost confidence.

Wildcat and Ras Al Ghul In 'Arrow' Season 3

SDCC strikes again! This time revealing more characters for Arrow's 3rd season. The first addition will be Ted Grant or better known as Wildcat. A few months back when people began speculating that Katie Cassidy would begin to assume the role of Canary, I mentioned that this would be a great time to bring in her mentor Wildcat. So I am pumped it is actually happening. Just perfect time to bring in the character. I love how this show is willing to bring on these lesser known characters such as Grant or Ray Palmer to fit it's needs.

Source: ComicBookMovie

Now for the huge news. The big bad of season 3 has been revealed as Batman villain Ras Al Ghul! The League of Assassins and Ras were both referenced last season, but many fans never actually expected to see the Demon's Head in live action. So to hear he will be stalking the streets of Starling is exciting. Especially since he and the Dark Archer got beef. Check out the extended preview with the Ras reveal.

P.S. With Ras coming to town it's a perfect time to introduce Nightwing. Just saying...

Make sure you keep up with us for all Arrow casting updates and SDCC news!

DC Announces More Animated Films!

During DC's Batman: Assault on Arkham panel at SDCC, the comics company announced a pair of new animated projects they have been working on. The first is Batman VS. Robin. It will be a loose adaption of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Court of Owls storyline.

The second announcement was the return of animation god Bruce Timm to DC. The guru will be directing an original storyline titled Justice League: Gods and Monsters. Both movies will come out in 2015.

COURT OF OWLS AND BRUCE TIMM! Great day for DC animation. Their last two flicks JL: War and Son Of Batman have been a little weak. Hopefully these new ones will be back up to snuff.

'Batman V Superman' Casts Scoot McNairy

Deadline is reporting that Scoot McNairy (Argo) has been cast in Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice in a top secret role. Just like B V S screenwriter Chris Terrio, McNairy has strong ties to Batman actor Ben Affleck. The more Affleck approved people on this movie the better. Bringing in Terrio to rewrite David "Shithead" Goyer was huge win for this film. So put another check in the plus column because McNairy is a very good supporting actor and will be great in whatever screen time he is given. 

So who is McNairy playing? Latino Review's El Mayimbe suspects Richard "Dick" Grayson/Nightwing, but I believe that is a stretch. Scoot is 36 years old and if Dick was to be in this film I would believe he would be played a guy in his 20's. A second insider opinion comes from The Wrap whose sources say McNairy will suit up as the Flash in the movie. I find this rumor much more likely. He has the body type and could handle himself in the role of Barry Allen. My own personal guess though would be that he is playing another villain alongside Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor. I have said from Day 1 that there is no way Lex Luthor is the only villain in this film. There has to be enough villain firepower in this movie for Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman to all fight alongside one another. So I think Scoot could be playing either Metallo or Brainiac to help add more fuel to Lex's villainous fire. Or maybe he is playing a villain with connections to Wonder Woman and that is why she is making her presence known. Whatever the case I believe McNairy will be a baddie in this flick. Who do you want Scoot to play? Sound off in the comments.

Sources: Deadline

               ComicBookMovie

Four New Characters to Show Up in Arrow Season 3?!

CBM and Tv Line are reposting that the people from Arrow have released four new character descriptions for original characters planning to show up at some point during season 3. Here is the descriptions they have provided with us with.

"The first character they have information on is a man in his 20s, apparently named Daniel however the site believes it may be a throwaway name to prevent spoilers. He is handsome, enigmatic and a highly intelligent enterpreneur who is working on "groundbreaking technology". He will be a major recurring character and a possible love interest for Felicity Smoak. He will be a rival of Oliver both personally and professionally. Dick Grayson anyone?
The second character is a well educated criminal named Seth, good with chemicals and has grand ambitions. He is potentially recurring and gains control over enemies by druging them and draining their willpower. He is a physical match for Oliver. An alternate Scarecrow?
The site also got their hands on some information about characters in the upcoming Hong Kong flashbacks. The two characters they learned about are Toshi and Akiko, a husband and wife duo. Toshi is Oliver's teacher/handler and will become a friend. He is skilled in weaponary, combat and intelligence gathering. Akiko is his wife who will also serve as a caretaker. She is highly skilled in martial arts."

So those are the descriptions. Any ideas of who these characters could be. My thoughts are as follows. The first one could easily be Dick Grayson aka Nightwing or Ted Kord. Now we have been hearing rumors for months now that Nightwing will be appearing on Arrow. Does this add more to these rumors? The next description describes a villain who uses chemicals as his weapon. Could this be an alternate Scarecrow? Seems like a long shot, but considering I am a huge Scarecrow fan, I would not be opposed to seeing him, but again thats a long shot. The last two really got me thinking so I had to think outside the box for these two but I came to this speculation. This could easily be the descriptions of Komodo and Katanna. Komodo would be amazing to see on this show along with Katanna. They are both amazing characters and are incredibly skilled fighters. Just speculations but let us know what you guys think! Stay tuned for more Arrow season 3 news!

Source: CBM
TV Line

More Nightwing Rumors for Arrow Season 3?!?!

So CBM found the personal instagram of Steven R. McQueen has posted a photo of McQueen posing with Stephen Amell at what could be a LA Kings viewing party of some sort. Personally my choice is the Ranger's for this year's Stanley Cup Finals, but that's not what we are here to discuss. Is this picture more fuel to the Nightwing rumors? Are we going to see Dick come to Starling City to join our favorite hooded hero for season 3? Ehhh my personal opinion its a little too soon to speculate, but we have hope right? Personally I'm all in for the Dick Greyson movement. Get this guy on a bus, on a train, on a plane, any form of transportation and get him to Starling City. What do you guys think though? Do you think we will see Nightwing join up with Arrow in season 3, or is this just some cruel and harsh prank they are pulling on us? I hope it's the first choice.

Source: ComicBookMovie

A Note From Christian:

We need Nightwing now! Go Kings!

Superhero Man Crush Monday: (6/2/14)

Man Crush: James McAvoy

James McAvoy most widely known for playing young Professor X in X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: First Class. With his break out role in Wanted , McAvoy was catapulted into the limelight and onto the list of rising Hollywood stars. He has really shown his acting chops in films like Filth and Trance. With his stylish accent and piercing blue eyes he is a downright heartthrob. Professor X can mind-meld with me anyway.

"Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn't mean they can't be saved."

-Adam

Character Crush: Nightwing

I love Dick, I mean Richard. Introduced as Batman's child sidekick Robin in 1940, Richard Grayson has come a long way since. He has left the Dark Knight's side to start his own superhero team the Teen Titians. He has dropped the Robin persona and adopted the new title Nightwing. Hell he has even spent some time as Batman, when Bruce Wayne went missing after battling Darkseid. I highly recommend Scott Snyder's The Black Mirror to any Dick lover out there. Dick is a completely different kind of Batman than Bruce and Snyder's grim tale captures their contrast entirely. That is what really makes Nightwing standout in the Bat-verse. He isn't the forever brooding paranoid vigilante like Bruce, but rather a more hopeful fighter of crime. He also is quite the ladies man in the DCU with a certain affinity for red heads. Keep feeling the aster, Dick!

"How come no one ever just feels whelmed"

Nightwing showing us once again that not having superpowers doesn't mean shit if your trained by Batman.

-Christian

Arrow Full Season 2 Review/Thoughts

On Wednesday night CW's Arrow concluded it's 2nd season. Wow, the Emerald Archer's show really blew us all away this season. So time for an end of the season review. Top Episodes will contain no spoilers, but Thoughts and Final Review will.

5 Best Episodes:

Broken Dolls

Seeing Red 

The Promise

Three Ghosts

Heir To The Demon

3 Weak Episodes:

Birds Of Prey

Deathstroke

Blast Radius

Spoilers Ahead!

What We Liked About This Season:

• Ollie refusing to kill
• Black Canary
• Formation of the Suicide Squad
• Rise and Fall of Deathstroke
• Unique introduction to meta-humans
• Inclusion of the League of Assassins
• BARRY ALLEN!
• Roy added to Team Arrow
• Every word spoken by Felicity Smoak
• Ollie's Mask
• Return of Malcolm Merlyn
• The Worst Mayoral Race ever
• Officer Lance becoming the Gordon to Ollie's Arrow
• Loss of the Queen Fortune
• Thea Queen's farther arc
• Flashbacks involving Slade's descent into madness 
• Expanding the DC TV universe such as inclusions of Cyrus Gold and Brother Blood
• The Final Showdown Between Ollie and Slade
• Keeping Slade alive

What We Didn't Like About This Season:

• The overall acting from the Lance Sisters
• Laurel's alcoholism
• Weak one episode villains like Shrapnel 
• Not Enough Diggle
• Ollie and Sarah's Will They-Won't They
• Ollie and Felicity's Will They-Won't They
• Second half of the season's Amazo flashbacks were mostly weak
• The Sizzle of Sarah's Black Canary real fizzled by season's end
• The return of Jessica De Gouw's Huntress
• Roy's trip to a homeless shelter and subsequent capture

Best Fights:

Arrow vs. Nyssa in the episode 'Heir to the Demon'

Arrow vs. Deathstroke (Present)/Ollie vs. Slade (Flashback) in the episode 'Unthinkable'

Best Lines of the Season:

Felicity: "I may be a bitch, but I'm a bitch with wifi."

Ollie: "I detest swimming."

Slade: "Remember I made you a promise, kid."

What To Add for Season 3:

Bring Ras Al Ghul to Starling

Expand the Suicide Squad

Crossover with Flash

NIGHTWING!!

Continue to slowly incorporate meta-humans

Overall Review: Season 2 of Arrow brought Ollie further down the path of becoming a true hero. He gave up on killing his enemies and was forced to face an enemy that he mistakenly created from his past. Slade was the foe worthy of a full season arc. He brought meta-humans into the show naturally and created almost more trouble than Ollie could handle. Slade broke Ollie down to his core and showed us what Oliver Queen is really made of.
           The inclusion of Barry Allen and other DC nuggets added even more excitement to Ollie's journey. Such additions like The League of Assassins and Suicide Squad expanded the DC TV universe and make for exciting future villain possibilities. As for Amanda Waller, she can make an interesting antagonist for the flashbacks and present timeline of the show.
          Diggle and Felicity continue to be the best side characters. Felicity is funny and consistently provides Ollie with pump up speeches. As for Dig, I wish we got more of him. Sometimes he was pushed aside for other characters to shine, but when he finally did get the spotlight we got great eps like Suicide Squad. In addition, I love how Paul Blackthrone's Officer Lance has become the Commissioner Gordon of the Arrowverse.
          Laurel and Sarah Lance were the weakest actors on the show. Now that being said, it does not mean that they didn't have their bright spots. Particularly Katie Cassidy's Laurel learned of Ollie's secret and became a more overall useful character for the future of the show. Caity Lotz's Black Canary on the other side of the spectrum could serious ass.
          So for all it's exciting action, excellent villains, and interesting characters stories, the Informers give Season 2 of Arrow a 9 out of 10.

Harley Quinn's Cameo on Last Night's Arrow!

CW's Arrow dropped an fun universe expanding cameo last night, when voice acting legend Tara Strong spoke a few words as DC fan favorite Harley Quinn! Yea it was short. Yea, it was just a voice. Yea, I shouldn't jump to conclusions that more Gothamites will show up in Starling. BUT IT WAS HARLEY QUINN WHICH MEANS JOKER EXISTS WHICH MEANS SO DOES BATMAN!!! So in conclusion Nightwing better show up in season three or there will be hell to pay. Which other DC characters do you want on Arrow? Plastic Man? Booster Gold? Tell us in the comments section.

Video is property of CW and Warner Bros. TV