Ra's al Ghul looks set to make another DC live-action appearance, this time as the main antagonist of Titans season 4. The identity of Titans season 3's main villain proved to be something of a bait-and-switch. Season 2's post-credits sequence teased Blackfire, but Damaris Lewis' character quickly became an ally, and though the premiere promised Red Hood, main villain honors actually landed upon Scarecrow. With that kind of track record, Titans season 4's lead antagonist could be anyone from Joker to Condiment King. If hints from the season 3 finale are anything to go by, however, Ra's al Ghul looks the safest bet.
One of Batman's most famous adversaries, Ra's al Ghul is no stranger to the live-action realm. The ancient mystic has been portrayed by Liam Neeson (Batman Begins), Alexander Siddig (Gotham), and Matt Nable (Arrowverse), but just like Ra's himself, another regeneration could be right around the corner. Titans confirmed season 4 had been green-lit shortly before season 3's ending. Dick Grayson's dysfunctional superheroes will return to San Francisco, Tim Drake in tow, while Donna Troy starts a new job with ARGUS. Though there's no confirmation quite yet, it seems they'll face the pointy-bearded wrath of Ra's al Ghul.
Ra's al Ghul's first mention in Titans season 3 came immediately following Jason Todd's resurrection, with the protagonists correctly assuming a Lazarus pit might be involved. This reference confirmed Ra's al Ghul's existence in Titans continuity. Scarecrow later described how Ra's and Bruce had fought previously, with the Dark Knight closing down Lazarus pits one-by-one (and doing a half-assed job, apparently). Though 2 Ra's al Ghul mentions in Titans season 3 alone is reason for suspicion, the feud sounded like Batman history... until the finale. When Barbara Gordon's assistant, Vee, reveals her true identity as an undercover member of ARGUS, she explained Ra's al Ghul was her reason for coming to Gotham in the first place. According to Vee, "we suspect that Ra's al Ghul was here to place a Lazarus pit as a first step in a larger plan."
Whereas Titans season 3's previous Ra's references all spoke of the villain as a former foe, Vee describes him as a growing threat still hiding in the shadows waiting to pounce. The Lazarus pit used to revive Jason Todd, Dick Grayson and hundreds of unnamed Gothamites wasn't created just for fun - what is Ra's al Ghul's "larger plan" that Vee speaks of? How long has Ra's been plotting? And when will his machinations reveal themselves? Titans season 3 raises all of these questions, and it's only natural to anticipate season 4 will provide the answers. While Titans season 3 leaves many mysteries in its wake, a few facts have been established. Ra's al Ghul is alive in Titans, and he intended to use Gotham City's last remaining Lazarus pit in a grand, villainous plot that ARGUS has been investigating for some time.
Donna's final scenes in Titans season 3 suggest she's joining ARGUS in season 4, which adds further credence to Ra's al Ghul's appearance. If ARGUS has been keeping tabs on the magical pensioner, Wonder Girl could uncover the truth and meet him in battle first. Titans season 3's finale also provides potential supervillain beef between Ra's and the Titans in season 4, since Raven and the Tamaranians scuppered his ambitions by draining the Lazarus pit to heal Scarecrow's victims. On one hand, Ra's al Ghul might seek revenge against the Titans. On the other, Ra's could deduce that someone powerful enough to empty the pit (i.e. Raven) is more useful to him than any Lazarus healing juice. Will Nightwing and the gang need to protect Raven from Ra's al Ghul in Titans season 4?