DC Universe's Titans season 2 reportedly casts Drew Van Acker as Garth aka. Aqualad, though the DC Comics character has more recently used the superhero name of Tempest. When Titans season 1 premiered, the show introduced a live-action and more gritty version of the Teen Titans superhero team from the comics and animated series. Over the course of season 1, four core members of the group came together: Dick Grayson aka. Robin (Brenton Thwaites), Kory Anders aka. Starfire (Anna Diop), Rachel Roth aka. Raven (Teagan Croft) and Gar Logan aka. Beast Boy (Ryan Potter). Titans season 1 also introduced other heroes from the DC Comics, including Hawk (Alan Ritchson), Dove (Minka Kelly), Wonder Girl (Conor Leslie) and Jason Todd aka. Robin (Curran Walters).
However, Titans season 2 is gearing up to add even more characters from the DC Comics, both heroes and villains alike. The Titans season 1 finale post-credits scene introduced Superboy (Joshua Orpin) and Krypto the Superdog. Since then, season 2 has cast Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne aka. Batman, Esai Morales as Deathstroke, Chella Man as Jericho, Chelsea Zhang as Ravager and Natalie Gumede as Mercy Graves. Between all the returning heroes and villains and those set to be introduced in season 2, Titans is going to be stacked with comic book characters. Now, another such character has been cast in Titans season 2.
TV Insider reports that Pretty Little Liars alum Drew Van Acker has been cast as the Garth version of Aqualad. The report arrives about a month after Acker hinted he'd joined Titans on Instagram. Prior to this report, rumors circulated that he'd be playing Garth, though it's unclear whether the character will still be operating under the Aqualad moniker or Tempest, which he's most recently gone by in the comics. See Acker's Instagram post below.
If Titans' Garth follows the footsteps of both Dick Grayson and Donna Troy, it's likely Acker's character will have retired from being a superhero sidekick - in his case, to Aquaman. Titans season 1 depicted young Dick and Donna as friends who grew close due to their roles as sidekicks to various members of the Justice League. Since the show's Batman and Wonder Woman had sidekicks, it follows that Aquaman may have as well, and Garth ran across the young Robin and Wonder Girl as Aqualad. However, as Dick and Donna both shed their sidekick personas as they grew up, perhaps Garth did as well, taking on the Tempest moniker, which would explain conflicting rumors of which superhero Acker is playing in Titans season 2.
For now, it remains to be seen how Acker's Garth will fit into Titans season 2. The series must resolve the season 1 finale cliffhanger in the early part of season 2, and then presumably introduce Deathstroke as the major villain, with his kids acting as potential allies and antagonists. But, of course, both Superboy and Batman will join the mix as well in some form. With so many new characters and so many story beats from season 1 still to be resolved, it's unclear how Titans will tie it all together. Fans will just have to wait and see once Titans season 2 premieres later this year.
Titans season 2 premieres later in 2019 on DC Universe.
Source: TV Insider, Drew Van Acker/Instagram