Titans just finished its first season run on DC universe. Longtime fans of the superhero team have been waiting decades to see their favorite teenage heroes make their way to the live action world. The team began in the '60s but didn't really reach the pinnacle of their popularity until Marv Wolfman's take on the team. His incredibly successful "New Teen Titans" brought the team into the same legendary arena that their superheroic mentors in the Justice League were in. The run brought characters like Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg into the roster who would go on to be synonymous with the team. Wolfman also introduced legendary villains like Deathstroke, Trigon, and Blackfire who would repeatedly prove themselves as worthy adversaries to the team.
While the new series took several cues from the famous pages of decades of Teen Titans stories, the show also took a lot of liberties with the characters and storylines. While some of the characters got welcomed fresh takes, others didn't live up to their legendary comic counterparts. Other characters didn't even make it into the first season at all. The show took a scattershot approach to its first season that didn't cover a lot of ground. While this may have disappointed some that were hoping to see their favorite characters represented, this also leaves the door wide open for them to appear in the seasons that have yet to come.
There were several issues with the first season but for many fans, the problems start with the casting choices. While a fledgling television series can't quite court A-list movie stars, there were definitely plenty of television stars who could've been brought into the superhero show.
Here are 20 Teen Titans Fan Castings Better Than What We Got.
20. Robin - Dacre Montgomery
Reviews of new Robin actor Brenton Thwaites haven’t been as mixed as some of the other casting choices but that doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be room for improvement. Up and coming actor Dacre Montgomery has been making headlines the last few years. His leading role in Saban's Power Rangers (2017) may not have been the big break for his career that he was hoping for, but his turn as the villainous Billy in Netflix's Stranger Things showed that he has star power after all.
He was already a great teenage sociopath once, so he could definitely do it again. Titans' version of the character is a much darker, more psychologically damaged take on the character. Montgomery's boyish good looks and wild-eyed intensity would make him a perfect choice for this new take on Robin.
19. Starfire - Logan Browning
The first set photos of the Titans version of Starfire led to a very vocal uproar from fans across the internet. Fans were not pleased with the costume choice or the character's wild pink hair. It seemed like a huge departure from the classic comic version of the character. Luckily, the series was able to pull off their version of the character better than many expected they would. Many greatly enjoyed Kory's amnesia storyline and her awesome action sequences. Yet some were still left wanting.
Actress Logan Browning may have had better luck with the character. Not only has she led her own series, Netflix's Dear White People, but she also has experience playing a television superhero. She played a very similar character to Starfire when she portrayed Zora in Playstation's short-lived Powers television series. After playing one purple wearing character who can manipulate light, what challenge could there be playing another one?
18. Beast Boy - Cole Sprouse
Titans has surprised a lot of people with some of their impressive action sequences and fresh takes on popular characters. One aspect that the series hasn't gotten a lot of attention for is their take on the character of Beast Boy. While their take on the character is perfectly acceptable, it hasn't challenged the original take on the character as much as others have been.
Riverdale actor Cole Sprouse may have provided a solution to this problem. His turn as Jughead has proven that not only does he have a wide appeal to modern audiences but that he can also show teen angst in a way that is not only believable but actually entertaining. His longtime role as a child actor in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody proves that he also has the comedic chops to step into the shoes of the team's famous comic relief. Though no one yet knows if Sprouse could record an epic R&B single like the Beast Boy in Teen Titans Go!
17. Raven - Kiernan Shipka
The actor choice that is by far the most controversial is that of the Titans actress Teagan Croft as Raven. Many fans and critics alike do not feel as though the actress successfully handles the intense emotional range the character requires.
Sadly, another actress proved last year that she could have easily filled that role. Initially, the actress was known for her ing role as Don Draper's daughter in the AMC series Mad Men. Actress Kiernan Shipka surprised everyone in her turn as the main character in Netflix's The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. In that series, she proved that she was more than up to the task of portraying a character who was discovering magical powers while being hunted by an ancient evil. That casting change, unfortunately, does little to solve the CGI problem Titans had at portraying her soul self.
16. Donna Troy - Adelaide Kane
Donna Troy (or Wonder Girl as she was originally known) was one of the most famous Teen Titans. Not only was she one of the founding of the original version of the team, but she was also the focal point of some of the franchise's finest stories. The comic "Who Is Donna Troy?" was one of the most famous issues of Marv Wolfman's famous "New Teen Titans" run.
While it was surprising that the series used the character, it was still a little disappointing that she didn't have a larger role to play. It's possible that actress Adelaide Kane could've made a larger impression. She's certainly made an impression on fans of her CW series Reign. She plays Queen Mary Stewart on that series. If she can play English royalty, she can easily play an adopted daughter of the Amazons.
15. Cyborg - Algee Smith
Fans were very disappointed when they saw that fan-favorite character Cyborg wouldn't be in the Titans lineup. The character has made waves for decades ever since his first appearance in Marv Wolfman's "The New Teen Titans." Since then he has been a staple of not only that team but also the Justice League. He was even featured in the 2017 Justice League movie played by Ray Fisher.
Most fans figured his larger role in the DCEU was why he wasn't chosen to take part in the small screen adaptation of his primary superhero team. Then DC Universe surprised everyone again by announcing that the character would be included in their Titans spin-off Doom Patrol. While famous Titan Beast Boy is known for his start on that famous DC team, Cyborg wasn't associated with them. If Cyborg had been permitted to his teammates in Titans, actor Algee Smith could easily have fit into the role. Between his roles in Detroit and The Hate U Give, Smith has more than proven he could step into Vic Stone's metal shoes.
14. Superboy - Alex Pettyfer
Titans made a huge splash in its season finale when it revealed that the Conner Kent version of Superboy would be appearing in the series. The character may not have featured in Wolfman's "New Teen Titans" series were the tv show seems to get most of its inspiration, he was a big part of not only the Geoff Johns run on the superhero team and the series Young Justice which is an extraordinarily similar concept featuring many of the same characters.
While we have yet to see what kind of Superboy the series might be going for, actor Alex Pettyfer has proven that he'd be more than up for the task. He's led big super-powered adventures like I Am Number Four and the sci-fi film In Time. He could easily sell the Superman style feats of strength and power the character requires. Not only that but he also has that super jawline all Kryptonians need.
13. Kid Flash - Nick Robinson
It may be because of CW's popular superhero series The Flash that Titans was robbed of one of their most famous . Sure, the name "Kid Flash" may be a little silly, but Wally West proved time and time again that he was one of the most interesting of the core cast. It's a shame that he didn't make the cut for the television adaptation, but he certainly could in the future.
If he does, actor Nick Robinson could easily speedster it up for the DC Universe series. He was the star of Love, Simon and also one of the main characters of the mega-successful reboot Jurassic World. He's shown that he has the comedic and dramatic chops to play the second most famous speedster superhero. The man showed he could outrun dinosaurs, what challenge could playing Kid Flash possibly be after that?
12. Speedy - Dylan Minnette
Roy Harper has long been one of the more interesting superhero sidekicks. He's not only full of a healthy share of attitude and angst but also has featured in several famous DC storylines. His most famous moment was when his mentor catches him shooting up heroin in Neal Adams' famous "Green Lantern/Green Arrow" run. If you're wanting to make a gritty reboot of a superhero team, having an addict on the squad is a solid addition.
If the character ever does grace the series, 13 Reason Why actor Dylan Minnette could play him nicely. Over the years, he has built a career off of playing intense teenage characters. Roy Harper would be a nice one to add to his collection. Though there's no telling how good his archery skills are. That or his salmon ladder skills. You can't play a television archer superhero without being able to do a good salmon ladder routine.
11. Aqualad - Shameik Moore
Aqualad may have been a founding member of the original Teen Titans team, but the most popular version of the character was created for the series Youn Justice. With the surprising success of the DCEU's Aquaman late last year, it would be natural if they chose to introduce the Kaldur'ahm version of the character into their flagship series.
If they do decide to go that way, Dope actor Shameik Moore could easily do justice to the part. He has shown that he has a wide range from portraying Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse to his role as Shaolin Fantastic in The Get Down. He'd be more than able to portray a literal fish out of water like Kaldur. Also, having one of the main characters of their animated series in their most famous live-action series is just good synergy for DC Universe. Businesses love synergy, right?
