Titans Season 3 Trailer: We Are Going Under the Red Hood!

Titans is coming back next month on HBO Max, and I’m trying not to jinx it, but this looks like it could be their best season yet.

Now, I recognize that as someone who has been critical of Titans, that might sound like tepid praise, but the biggest problem this DC series has always had was focusing on a story. With such a large cast, many of them big names in the DC universe, it makes sense that the series would want to use as many of them is possible. But when you only have 10-12 episodes in a season, that tends to just bloat the story.

If this trailer is any indicator, the structure is going to be focused on two big baddies: Red Hood and Blackfire.

We see, in the trailer, a brief flashback to young Dick Grayson running in the woods during some Batman training, with voiceover saying that Bruce is a psychopath and it is up to Dick to break the cycle. Cut to Jason Todd (Curran Walters) and a flurry of clips indicating that he has been murdered by the Joker via a crowbar. Then, we see Bruce come in, bloody and dropping a crowbar in front of adult Dick (Brenton Thwaites)/Nightwing.

“It’s over for me,” Bruce Wayne (Iain Glen) says. “Be a better Batman.”

Damn it, Titans, you’ve got me in your trawl once more.

A new villain, Red Hood, then appears to shake up Gotham, and us comic book fans are like:

(Nikelodeon)

Or maybe that’s just me.

Our other big bad is Damaris Lewis’s Blackfire, sister of star MVP Starfire (Anna Diop), who finally has a costume befitting her regal status. The two sisters are due for some conflict. There is even a brief shot of Raven finally looking like Raven properly, and I have to admit you guys: I’m excited. Despite my whinging, I do root for Titans, because at least it’s shooting for the stars in its chaos, and the more I get caught up in comics content, the more that becomes something I admire.

Last month, showrunner Greg Walker spoke to Entertainment Weekly about what story we would be expecting for Dick: “Gotham brings out leadership qualities that [Dick] has to assess to see whether they’re his own – true Nightwing – or are they patterns [inherited from] a father who he needs to differentiate himself from?”

He also said, “The diversity of our cast and the diversity of our characters really comes into play in the end, about how we’re able to conquer what seems to be the unconquerable.”

The first three episodes of Titans’ third season will air on Aug. 12, with the remaining episodes launching weekly every Thursday on HBO Max. I look forward to coming in each week to discuss the highs and lows of this series.

What did you think of the trailer, and what are you looking forward to the most?

(image: HBO Max)

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