Titans showrunner Greg Walker discusses whether or not Superman will ever be introduced in the DC TV show. In Titans season 4, the HBO Max drama will be going deeper into the mythology of Conner Kent, a.k.a. Superboy, as it will introduce the latest live-action version of Lex Luthor, who will be played by Titus Welliver. Superboy has been a main player since Titans season 2 after being introduced in a post-credits scene during the season 1 finale, with Joshua Orpin being cast the following season. While the DC TV series has explored Conner's family lineage as a clone made out of Lex and Superman's DNA, Titans season 4 will be the first time Superboy meets the Luthor mastermind.
While Lex is entering the Titans universe, Superman has yet to make his entrance on the HBO Max series. There have been references made to the Man of Steel, and recent Titans season 4 trailers have given a brief look at this world's take on the DC icon through a statue. Even though Tyler Hoechlin is currently playing the Man of Tomorrow on Superman & Lois in the Arrowverse while Henry Cavill portrays the cinematic iteration in the DCU, Kal-El hasn't appeared in any other ongoing DC TV shows.
Screen Rant recently chatted with Walker, the Titans showrunner, ahead of season 4, part 1 officially premiering this week on HBO Max. One of the topics discussed with the executive producer was whether Titans will ever get to introduce Superman in relation to Superboy's storyline before the show comes to an end. Walker shared:
Well, we would love it, and I think that's a story, that our show often that deals with [which is] fathers and sons. It feels like it would be a huge get to be able to do, and we could really do a lot with it if we got it. For now, we're letting the DC Universe settle the way that it's settling. We have hints of Superman, and there'll be more; this is not the only one. So stay tuned. But it's something that we would love, and hopefully, one day, we'll come to realize on Titans.
Why Superman Needs To Appear On Titans
Even if Titans season 4 doesn't have a Superman appearance, it's still crucial that the DC TV show does bring him in at some point, even for a single episode. Ever since Superboy began discovering more about his powers and lineage, Titans has been slowly tackling some of Conner's most important comic book lore. If Titans has gotten to a point where they can have Lex come in and be part of Conner's story, there needs to be a way to factor Clark in because of his hand in Superboy's existence. To not have Conner at least meet Clark in one episode would be a massive neglect of his character arc because, other than Lex and Cadmus Labs, Superboy doesn't have anyone else he can turn to in terms of having blood relatives.
Since Titans introduced Bruce Wayne and had Iain Glen appear for several episodes, it would be bizarre if the show was never able to get access to Superman or just Clark without being suited up. While Warner Bros. has always had weird character restrictions on DC TV shows, that might change now that James Gunn and Peter Safran have launched DC Studios. If Titans were to get renewed for season 5, hopefully the writers will be given permission to bring in Superman and allow him to complete a major part of Superboy's character arc.
Titans season 4, part 1, drops new episodes on Thursdays up until December 1, only on HBO Max.