DC’s slate of live-action series made the rounds at this year’s New York Comic Con with the cast and creators of Doom Patrol and Titans. Both of the shows gave fans a look at the upcoming season airing this year on HBO Max. On the Main Stage, audiences got a tease of what they can expect from these characters along with some surprises that are in store. What everyone got after the panel was some exciting developments coming from both shows as we get ready for some more action and crazy shenanigans from these two groups of superheroes.
To start things off, Doom Patrol had the stage first with cast members Michelle Gomez, Jovian Wade, April Bowlby, and Brendan Fraser. With Rita Farr becoming the leader of the Doom Patrol during last season’s events, April talked about getting to portray her character as a lead. She mentions that her character’s new status isn’t initially welcomed by the team, but she eventually grows as a leader throughout the season. She teased that Rita may also end up getting a costume at some point. April added that she enjoyed making Rita a grounded character and it helped her grow as an actress by playing such a dynamic superhero. April added that it was a great challenge getting to develop Rita with her movements and accent with every episode. Despite being able to melt her body, April says she loves being able to explore vulnerability of Rita.
Jovian, who plays Cyborg in the series, discussed his time as the character and what we can expect from him this season. Despite giving up his role as leader of the Doom Patrol after losing his abilities, Jovian’s character Cyborg accepts Rita as his replacement and hopes to return as leader again. Ever since taking on the role, Jovian said it was a dream to play Cyborg and wanted to become an inspiration for kids as they look up to heroes of color like his. The British actor added that it was a challenge for him to wear the suit as well as develop the accent. Jovian also discussed exploring Cyborg without his powers, saying it was a challenge to portray him as a human as well as a Black man living in Detroit. He also went deep into the relationship between Cyborg and his father, which has been the foundation of the series as well.
Brendan went into his role of playing Cliff Steele AKA Robotman on the series. Despite voicing the character, Brendan explained that he does a lot of the heavy lifting with Cliff. He enjoys the dialogue and the profanity that Cliff uses in moments of stress. Brendan adds that Cliff has a big rusty heart for his team even though he always rivals with Cyborg. Although he gets most things wrong, Brendan says that Cliff tries to make things right in the end. He praises actor Riley Shanahan for physically portraying Robotman, knowing that he has to read most of the lines when he’s not there in person. Brendan sees the beauty of the Doom Patrol as misfits but is still considered a family.
Michelle stepped into the conversation to discuss her role-playing Madame Rouge in the series. Her first time playing the role in season three, Michelle expressed how happy she was to get a warm welcome from the cast and crew. She felt lucky to take on the role, not having any difficulty portraying the DC Comics character. The only challenge she found was being able to be on set shooting during the COVID-19 pandemic. She complimented on April’s acting, seeing how much heavy lifting she does playing Rita. April also shared some nice things about working with Michelle, saying just how she can be off the books during their time on set.
The second half of the panel brought in the cast and EP of Titans. Cast members Joshua Orpin, Ryan Potter, Brenton Thwaites, and producer Greg Walker came on stage to discuss the upcoming fourth season of Titans. The panel kicked off with a special message from Anna Diop, who portrays Starfire on the show revealing that the new season drops on November 3rd with two episodes. Greg described the season as very dark but that family is the connecting tissue in the season. Despite starting in a good space, Greg says it won’t last once the season begins as audiences got to see in the first teaser. One of the new threats the Titans will face will be Lex Luthor, who is being portrayed by Titus Welliver this season. The Titans will also have some new allies, like Jinx. Titans is also changing its setting from Gotham to Metropolis as more iconic locations are being shown throughout the new season.
Brenton gave audiences a chance to learn more about what happens to Dick Grayson in the new season. The actor says that Dick will be getting comfortable in his role as a leader as he becomes a mentor and a father figure to his team. He also mentions how he’ll relate to Joshua’s character Conner in the season as they deal with the relationship with their fathers. Brenton also knows that fans love to ship both Dick and Starfire, so he offered some information on their relationship and how it continues to develop throughout the season. Despite getting a heavier costume to wear, Brenton adds that his training for the role hasn’t changed and loves to see the team suit up. He is excited to see the supernatural element coming to Titans and working with Jinx.
Joshua and Ryan gave fans some details on what Conner and Gar will be up to when the new season airs. Joshua says that Conner will be entering adulthood as he struggles to discover who he is. Ryan discussed that Gar will also be on a self-discovering journey as he struggles with his mental state. Ryan adds that Gar will be fighting to stop the pain and trauma he faces but continues to evolve. He is excited to experience the new animals fans will get to see Gar turn into as he learns more about his powers. He also spoke of the interactions he’ll have with Jinx on the show. During the panel, Ryan also showcased the new costume Gar will get to wear as it’ll be the first time he’ll get to wear one.
Fans will have to wait and see what happens once both Doom Patrol and Titans drop on HBO Max this year. Titans will premiere with a double episode on November 3rd while Doom Patrol will release on December 8th.
