The Live-Action Teen Titans Movie Might Be Exactly What DC Desperately Needs
Earlier this month, word came out that James Gunn and Peter Safran, the co-heads of Warner Bros.' DC Studios, have hired screenwriter Ana Nogueira to pen the script for a live-action Teen Titans film that will be set within their planned interconnected DC Universe of film, television, and video games. This experiment kicks off with an animated series called "Creature Commandos" sometime in 2024, but begins in earnest with James Gunn's newly-retitled "Superman" live-action feature film in the summer of 2025.
This "Teen Titans" film will likely follow the exploits of young heroes like Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire, and whether or not it falls into Gunn and Safran's planned first chapter of the DCU — a collection of films and shows that fall under an umbrella they've titled "Gods and Monsters" — remains to be seen. But one thing is crystal clear: A live-action "Teen Titans" movie is exactly the type of chess move that seems crucial to the long-term success of this new DC venture.
Look, I'm as intrigued by "Logan" director James Mangold making a "Swamp Thing" movie as the next person (which is to say, vaguely intrigued), but after more than a decade of relatively joyless films like "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Suicide Squad," and "Black Adam," it seems obvious that the studio needs to invest in the next generation of fans instead of catering to older ones who are currently in their 30s, 40s, and beyond. We had our era. It's time for something new.
Giving new viewers something to be excited about
I'm not arguing that the DCU should be entirely populated with bright, poppy blockbusters — of course there's a place for the occasional darker and more serious project. But since "dark and gritty" were essentially the defining characteristics of the Zack Snyder era at DC, I'm saying it might be wise to actively try to court new young viewers — ones who might be more interested in, say, a team of young teenaged superheroes than a grim Batman and Superman screaming at each other about how their mothers share the same first name. That way, DC can build the next generation of fandom — people who might become the next wave of obsessives about these characters, and could follow them across all types of media for years to come.
The fact that Gunn is taking a back to basics approach with "Superman" and returning Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El to the type of aspirational, do-gooder figure he was in the Christopher Reeve films bodes well for the tone and direction of the new DCU. My hope is that "Teen Titans" will have a somewhat similar approach — one that intrigues kids instead of catering to the middle-aged fans who pump their fists when Robin tells Batman to go f*** himself.
We spoke about this and a bunch of other movie and TV news on today's episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:
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