Titans actor promises Jason Todd 'brings a sense of life' to the DC Universe show
It’s a Robin and Robin team-up!
Last week’s episode ended with Jason Todd (Curran Walters), Batman’s new Robin, saving the Dark Knight’s former sidekick in Chicago. When the DC Universe drama returns this week, Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) will spend some quality time with his replacement. In fact, the two Boy Wonders join forces to track down a serial killer who has been targeting former members of Dick’s circus family.
“This episode focuses a lot around Dick Grayson and Jason Todd’s relationship,” Curran Walters (Game of Silence) tells EW. “You kind of get a backstory of what they mean to each other and what they’ve been through.”
Watch a clip from the episode above!
One of the things that makes this episode stand out from the season is that this is the first time the character of Jason Todd — who has a famously tragic comic book backstory — has been portrayed in a live-action story. Even though he felt pressure being the first, Walters admits there was also a sense of freedom in it.
“When you’re the first to play it, you don’t really have anything to play off of; there’s freedom in that way,” he says. “Of course, there’s pressure from the fans. They’re so invested in what the comics have on Jason Todd that they expect you to do it a certain way, but I think that I brought a great portrayal of my own and the comic version of Jason Todd, and I think the fans are going to love it.”
Putting on the Robin suit definitely helped him find the character. “I really didn’t feel like Robin until I put on the costume, especially the chest plate,” he says, adding that he appreciates being the first to play him. “I think it’s just so cool that you’re bringing history to life.”
When EW spoke to executive producer Geoff Johns in August, he described Friday’s episode as delightful, and Walters definitely agrees with that description.
“It’s totally a delight of the whole season,” says Walters. “You see the fun Jason Todd that this show has been waiting for. I think it kind of brings a sense of life to the show; it’s a whole other dynamic than the nitty gritty we’ve seen so far. He brings a little fun to the show.”
Part of that fun definitely comes from seeing how these Robins differ in their Robinness. “In a way, Dick Grayson and Jason have both been through a lot with Bruce,” he says. “In the show, you see a Dick Grayson who is, in a way, a little bit jealous of Jason Todd but also, in a way, is a big brother because he doesn’t want Jason to be who he was in a sense. You see a Jason who’s a little reckless with a temper, but he loves being Robin. That’s the coolest thing about him, he loves it. He doesn’t think anything else is cooler in the world, which is a little different than what Dick thought. That contrast is very cool throughout the episode.”
In fact, Walters could definitely relate to how Jason felt about being Robin. “I think every kid’s [dream], at least mine, was being a superhero. Now, I get to be an actual superhero on a show and do what I love. It’s a dream come true to me.”
Titans‘ sixth episode, titled “Jason Todd,” hits the DC Universe streaming platform this Friday.
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