New official images for Titans season 4 reveal the first look at James Scully as the new Robin's potential boyfriend. While Titans draw heavily from the Teen Titans mythology, the HBO Max drama has never shied away from using various Batman characters. In Titans season 3, Tim Drake made his live-action debut, played by Jay Lycurgo, who is better known as the third Robin in the DC Universe. Similar to his comic book counterpart, Tim was a massive Batman follower and had huge respect for the Titans. By the end of Titans season 3, while Tim may not have suited up as the new Boy Wonder, the teenage-hero-to-be officially joined the team after defeating Scarecrow.
In Titans season 4, the heroes are getting ready to face one of the team's biggest villains from the comics, Joseph Morgan bringing Brother Blood to life. While the show is adding multiple new characters this year, including Mother Mayhem, Lex Luthor, and Jinx, You star James Scully was also tapped for a recurring role. However, unlike his new cast members, HBO Max wouldn't disclose who he was playing in Titans season 4. With the show getting ready to come back next month, it won't be long until everyone gets to meet Scully's new character.
According to TV Insider, Scully is officially playing the DC character Bernard, a high-level scientist who deals with "big personalities" and is the Director of Special Projects at S.T.A.R. Labs. Bernard was first teased in one of the Titans season 4 clips from New York Comic Con, where they mentioned how Tim had been connecting with a new guy named Bernard at S.T.A.R. Labs. In the comics, Bernard is Tim's boyfriend, as DC Comics revealed earlier in 2021 that the third Robin is bisexual, and based on showrunner Greg Walker's following comments, it appears Titans season 4 is setting up that romance:
“Bernard will work side-by-side with the Titans as they battle the dark forces of Metropolis. [Eventually] growing closer to Tim and putting himself in danger along the way.”
Why Bernard Joining Titans Season 4 Is Huge For The Series
While the latest Titans season 4 trailer gave a brief glimpse at Tim and Bernard together, it's a huge deal for the series to adapt this relationship. Even though Titans have explored various love stories, Tim and Bernard would mark the first time the show includes a non-heterosexual couple. Despite LGBT representation having come a long way in superhero and comic book media over the last two decades, Hollywood is still lacking in those areas. Despite the Titans clips and trailer not spelling out Tim's sexuality, it definitely seems that season 4 will establish him as canonically bisexual since season 3 didn't allude if this version of the character was heterosexual or not.
Even though it's unclear how many episodes Bernard will appear in Titans season 4, it's still a big step for the DC drama to finally work on its inclusivity when it comes to their romantically involved couples. Titans season 4 will also re-explore the dynamic that was born in season 1 between Nightwing and Starfire, giving the series another iconic romance to explore from the comics. Even though they may adapt it differently from the comics, it will be exciting to see how Titans season 4 deals with the potential romance between Tim and Bernard.
Source: TV Insider