WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Titans season 4, episode 12.
Titans season 4’s finale was the show’s final episode, as Titans season 5 is not happening. Titans, which was designed as an original series for the DC Universe streaming service, continued the Arrowverse’s tradition of reimagining DC characters for the TV format. That said, Titans remained in its own universe throughout four seasons, although a few crossovers between Titans and other DC TV shows happened. Titans’ series finale comes as other major DC shows are also concluding.
Titans season 4, episode 12, “Titans Forever” had the difficult mission of tying all possible loose ends while offering a sendoff for the characters audiences had been following since season 1. While some established Titans characters missed the series finale, including but not limited to Red Hood and Dove, the core Titans members got one final episode to shine. As the DC Universe goes through major changes ahead of a new cinematic universe, Titans season 4’s ending may have been the farewell to those particular versions of the characters.
Titans Season 5 Isn’t Happening After HBO Max Shake-ups
Although DC Studios’ new DC Universe promised a cohesive, interconnected franchise across movies, television, gaming, and animation, Titans’ cancelation does not necessarily have to do with the cinematic universe reboot. In fact, according to James Gunn, the decision to cancel Titans had been made before he and Peter Safran became co-CEOs of DC Studios. Titans was canceled at HBO Max on January 2023. No official reason as to why Titans season 5 isn’t happening was ever given, but the cancelation happened after major HBO Max shake-ups. Titans was originally part of the DC Universe streaming service, but it moved to HBO Max after DC’s streaming platform was discontinued.
HBO Max picking up Titans, Doom Patrol, and Young Justice was part of a bigger strategy of developing original content for the streaming platform based on Warner Bros.’s biggest IPs. HBO Max was also leaning into original streaming movies based on DC characters, which included the now-canceled Batgirl movie. That strategy changed following the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. HBO Max has since cut a lot of content, and the output of original shows and movies is now lower. The Batgirl cancelation was the first major indication of Warner Bros. Discovery’s new strategy for HBO Max. Both Titans and Doom Patrol have been canceled, and Young Justice season 5 was never announced.
What Would Titans Season 5 Have Looked Like?
With Brother Blood and Trigon seemly defeated, Titans season 4’s finale wrapped up the show’s main storylines. Interestingly, Trigon and Brother Blood were Titans’ first and final villains, respectively. That said, Titans season 5 could have covered a few plot points that season 4’s finale either teased or did not address. For example, Superman appeared in Titans season 4’s finale, finally bringing Superboy and Clark Kent together. Superman’s cameo in Titans was limited to his boots only, but Titans season 5 could perhaps have shown more of Clark Kent. Titans season 5 could also have delved into Beast Boy’s new powers and his multiversal connection to the Red.
Can The Titans Characters Return In Other DC Movies Or Shows?
Titans existed in its own universe. Not even Doom Patrol, whose backdoor pilot happened in Titans season 1, was set in the same universe as Titans. Likewise, while Earth-9 appeared in the Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths during a montage, Titans was never an Arrowverse show. Now, both the “HBO Max DC Universe” and the Arrowverse are concluding at the same time. The changes at HBO Max and The CW, added to DC Studios’ new DC Universe, suggest that the recently canceled DC shows will not be revisited anytime soon. The multiverse makes it difficult to rule out potential crossovers, but that doesn’t seem to be the plan for now.
Could James Gunn’s DC Universe Save Titans Season 5?
It is unlikely that Titans season 5 happens in James Gunn’s new DC Universe. While the cancelations of Titans and Doom Patrol had been decided before DC Studios was formed, the new DC Universe will focus on a cohesive shared universe. The Arrowverse and other DC TV universes delivered some incredible shows and historical DC moments, but having so many different live-action franchises can be confusing. James Gunn’s DC Studios slate allows DC to build an interconnected franchise from scratch, introducing new versions of characters that will exist in the same sandbox.
While Titans season 5 is not happening, the Titans might eventually be part of the new DC Universe. In that case, those would be new versions of the characters, with no ties to the Titans show. For example, DC Universe’s The Brave and the Bold will see Damian Wayne as Robin. If Damian Wayne is already Robin, Dick Grayson must already be Nightwing, and Jason Todd might already have died and returned as Red Hood. Although this is not the same as Titans season 5, DC has the chance of bringing new versions of those characters, now on the big screen.
