Titans TV Show's 'F*ck Batman Line Is Brilliant Marketing

The first trailer for the upcoming DC television show Titans made waves after it featured a brooding Robin declaring, "F*ck Batman." After the trailer premiered at Comic-Con, the controversial comment had a mixed response from DC fans — but it also created a lot of attention and raised the profile of Titans through the press that it generated.

Titans, which is set to air later in 2018, is a live-action show that follows the Teen Titans, a group of young superheros led by Robin, the Boy Wonder. While the Teen Titans have starred in several animated television series, including the recent Teen Titans Go!, Titans offers a new and gritty approach to the classic DC characters, including Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire.

The trailer for Titans introduces the masked Robin in an intense and bloody fight scene. One of Robin's adversaries makes a comment about Batman; in response, Robin pummels the group of armed men, even stepping on one of their necks, before uttering, "F*ck Batman," perfectly establishing everything audiences need to know about the show.

This Page: The "F*ck Batman" Lines Gets Titans Attention
Page 2: How This Prepares Audiences For What Titans Really Is

"F*ck Batman" Did Exactly What Titans Needed It To

After the Titans trailer aired, Robin dropping the F-bomb became a headline and a conversation. Fans debated whether or not swearing fit Robin's character, whether or not the show could successfully deliver on its dark tone, whether or not it was unnecessarily provocative or accidentally humorous, and what comic book stories Titans might pull from, if any. It's a meme-worthy moment, instantly becoming an internet catchphrase with celebrities even weighing in to offer commentary, including David Mazouz, the Batman actor on Gotham, who responded: "Screw you too".

That may look like something approaching a "controversy", but it's really exactly what Titans needs. Regardless of the specific reactions of fans, actors, and writers, that the trailer got people talking about Titans meant that it did its job well. It may not be true that all press is good press, but in the case of Titans, the trailer propelled it from a relatively unknown upcoming show to one of the major stories of Comic-Con 2018. If the job of a trailer is to encourage people to tune in to watch a show, then the Titans trailer promised that fans and haters alike will watch the pilot to learn more about the brooding Robin they saw at Comic-Con. Robin saying, "F*ck Batman," was an explosive moment that Titans needed.

Page 2 of 2: How This Prepares Audiences For What Titans Really Is

Robin Swearing Makes Titans' New Tone Clear

Robin's infamous line, however, accomplishes more than simply creating controversy. Before the trailer arrived, fans questioned just how dark the show was going to be, and Robin's appearance forcefully made it clear: very, very dark. The trailer confirmed that the show was going to push the boundaries of typical superhero shows, and carve itself a specific niche within the ever-growing pantheon of DC TV.

Having Robin swear is particularly provocative, given his stereotypically youthful demeanor in previous film and television adaptations. Burt Ward's Robin, in the 1960s Batman television series, was famous for saying, "Holy..." followed by a wholesome noun or phrase. Once, Ward's Robin even shouts, "Holy Contributing to the Delinquency of Minors!" rather than using profanity. In contrast, Titans' Robin does not mince words, bluntly shattering the preconceived notions that the viewer might have about him from previous portrayals.

Because the Teen Titans are not known for being particularly edgy or gritty, the trailer serves to quickly educate viewers about the new, darker tone of Titans. Beyond the implications for Robin's character, the brutality and uncensored nature of the line illustrate the show's tone: pushy and provocative, dark and daring, gritty and brooding. Unlike other superhero television shows that sparingly use the f-word if at all (normally due to network restrictions), Titans is marking itself as a show that will embrace mature content and language. Robin and his allies will have to navigate this dark world and contend with villains that exist within it, who will probably make Robin look like a Boy Scout. It's likely as the show evolves that it will continue to earn its MA rating.

At present it's not known how rooted in the other characters this will be, but the trailer has already established far-off limits. Raven, the daughter of a human woman and the inter-dimensional demon Trigon in the comics, is typically presented as the darkest of the Teen Titans, and the stage is set for that to be fully explored in Titans compared to her more jovial recent incarnations.

Titans Is Up-Front The Batman Question

But even without the shock profanity of Robin's introduction, it establishes some very important things about his circumstances, his drive, and a major part of his backstory in a matter of seconds — all the marks of a good trailer. We learn that Robin has been Batman's sidekick and partner in crime-fighting, but he has since bitterly rejected his mentor. Now, Robin is acting on his own, and while he still believes in vigilante justice, he also seems to be trying to come out from the shadow of Batman to prove that he is a hero in his own right. Both his past and his inner drive is shown to the viewer.

At the same time, the trailer creates enough mystery to compel viewers to tune into Titans: what happened between Batman and Robin that would prompt such a harsh response from the Boy Wonder? Where is Batman now, and will he appear in Titans? According to Titans executive producer Geoff Johns, these mysteries are at the heart of the trailer and the show, and Titans plans to explore why and how Robin ends up where he is in the trailer.

More: Will Dick Grayson Graduate From Robin to Nightwing in Titans?

Titans will premiere on DC Universe, the new streaming service for DC content, later this year. The official premiere date has not been released yet.