A new casting call for the upcoming DC Comics' television series Titans suggests that the show may be following in the footsteps of Arrow in recruiting one of Batman's greatest villains - the immortal Ra's Al Ghul! The live-action series, based on the classic Teen Titans and Titans comics, is planned for release on DC Comics' upcoming digital streaming service by the end of 2018.
This casting call is only the latest for the upcoming series, which has already cast it's core team of four main Titans - Ryan Potter as Beast Boy, Teagan Croft as Raven, Brenton Thwaites as Robin and Anna Diop as Starfire. The series will also feature Alan Ritchson as Hawk and Minka Kelly as Dove. Previous casting calls for the series seemed to be aimed at Wonder Girl, the demon Trigon and the obscure Titan Solstice.
Related: DC’s Titans TV Series Casting Call Hints At Solstice
That Hashtag Show reported the casting call description and their speculations as to what character the Titans producers are seeking in a video (seen above) posted on their YouTube channel. The description does indeed seem like a fair summation of the classic villain.
Male, 40s-50s, Middle Eastern, Latin, or East Indian. Seeking a young Richard Attenborough type. Fearless, manipulative, with unparalleled intelligence. Recurring guest star, seeking recognizable faces only.
Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neil Adams as part of their now legendary partnership, Ra's Al Ghul first appeared Batman #232 in June 1971. Revealed to be over 600 years old, his life prolonged by the natural alchemical baths that he dubbed The Lazarus Pits, Ra's was the leader of the ancient order known as The League of Assassins. Having deduced that Bruce Wayne was Batman and considering him a worthy replacement to lead The League of Assassins upon his death, Ra's tested Batman's worthiness with a series of challenges. Though he swore an oath of vengeance when Batman refused his generous offer to become his heir and marry his daughter, Ra's still showed a great deal of respect for Batman, whom he addresses as "Detective" in deference to his intelligence, and has kept Bruce Wayne's identity as Batman a secret.
Though the description does sound like Ra's Al Ghul and he's described as a "recurring guest star," it seems unlikely that he would be one of the main villains cast for a Titans TV series. Ignoring that Ra's has crossed paths with Robin as much as Batman, Ra's has had few encounters with the Teen Titans in the past. Additionally, the use of the character on Arrow - where Ra's Al Ghul chose Oliver Queen to become his heir - provoked considerable backlash from fans of the show who considered the break with comics canon to be the point where Arrow went off the rails. Then again, if there is any character who can make an impressive comeback, it is Ra's Al Ghul.
Titans debuts in 2018 on the DC-branded direct-to-consumer digital service, operated by Warner Bros. Digital Networks.
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Source: That Hashtag Show