The Titans producer and cast explained the show’s origins, shared funny stories and gave us insight into the new team coming to the DC universe.

The new Titans show has had a bit of a rough start, but after Hypable’s stellar review of the first three episodes, I was excited to find out what the people involved had to say about the show.

We sat down with Brenton Thwaites (Dick Grayson), Teagan Croft (Rachel), Anna Diop (Starfire), Ryan Potter (Beast Boy), Minka Kelly (Dove), Alan Ritchson (Hawk), and executive producer Akiva Goldsman to discuss the show and how it came to be.

How was the show concept born?

Goldsman said that he and Geoff Jones have had the concept for the show for a very long time, inspired by The New Teen Titans comics by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. But at the time they initially had the idea, studios weren’t very interested in gritty, psychological superhero shows.

Now, however, Marvel’s Netflix shows are proof that there is an audience for that, and that’s why they’re Titans’ “closest cousin” — although he’s not sure if they’re more or less violent (personally, I would say they’re definitely more violent).

But the main theme that would drive Dick Grayson in the first season was always clear: “It’s always that story of ‘I have become my father in a way I’d rather not.’” This Robin is struggling with trauma from being “weaponized at the age of ten,” by Batman, and Goldsman held fast to that version of Robin for many years, even when the studio showed no interest in the character.

Openly mentioning the “Fuck Batman” controversy that happened after the first Titans trailer, Goldsman explained the importance of the lead-up to that scene, which sets the tone for the show in a way that makes that line powerful and exciting.

Nailing the theme in this version of the classic story was complicated, because it’s hard to have a variety of genres in one show — whereas in the comics, each character could occupy their own genre, if needed. Perfecting the flow and tone for each character’s individual story was one of the most difficult parts of making the show.

But in the end, it’s always been about the Titans as a team, he said.

What were the costumes like?

Ritchson had a lot to say about his outfit, which is incredibly elaborate — more in line with the old-fashioned concept of a superhero costume. Apparently, it weighed 30 pounds, and coupled with the very stiff bolts that held the chest area together and the steel rods of the wings and cape, the costume would leave him literally bleeding by the end of the first few days of shooting — prompting some hasty changes to very strong velcro.

However, though he was no longer being injured, that didn’t make the costume any more comfortable — it still took four people to put on and take off.

However, Kelly wasn’t impressed. She estimates that Ritchson’s costume only weighed ten pounds, while hers did, in fact, weigh 30 pounds. The weight was distributed through a hidden harness, and was incredibly uncomfortable. Still, she said, it was fun and really helped get her in a fighting mentality.

As a person who likes wearing loose-fitting clothes, Thwaites was a lot less happy with his form-fitting leather Robin costume, but he came to appreciate it over time. Diop, meanwhile, thinks her costume is adorably silly — exactly what an alien on earth would try to wear to fit in.

Where do the actors draw inspiration?

It was wonderful to see how well-read the actors were when it came to studying for their roles. They all had their favorite iterations of their characters’ stories, and had found ways to adapt them to their current character. Kelly was said to have read almost 80 Titans comics. And Diop found inspiration for Starfire’s kind heart in Teen Titans Go! (although she has also read many of the comics).

Diop compared her journey as Starfire to her personal journey as an immigrant from Senegal when she was a young girl. As a child, she also struggled with the language, and feeling or being perceived as “alien.” Sometimes, she said, she still feels “alien.” That feeling helped her connect to Starfire in a very profound way.

Potter also drew from his childhood experiences with assimilating to American culture. Having come to America from Japan when he was only 10 years old, he did something very similar to Beast Boy to adapt socially: he used pop culture and jokes as a way to connect with others. Seeing that Beast Boy is very similar, Potter could very easily see him in himself.

It also helped that the first show he was able to enjoy as a child in America was Teen Titans, because of its similarity to the type of animation he used to watch in Japan. Because of this, his love for the Titans has run deep from the very beginning.

What do we need to know about the Titans?

Croft said that one of the most intriguing parts of her role is having to interact with her demon self, which is as much a part of Rachel as she is a completely different person. It seems that her struggles to understand herself take up a large part of season 1.

Diop said that Starfire feels fiercely protective of Rachel, and leans on Dick Grayson for support — although she’s also the one to call him out when necessary. In the end, she concluded, Starfire is more “leaned on” than leaning on anybody.

Thwaites had a lot to say about Robin’s role among the Titans [edited for clarity]:

“Dick has a responsibility to hold it together, as the leader of the group. I feel like he’s the one who is held responsible for a lot of their decisions. We see him forming bonds with Rachel, taking on that protective father-figure role; we see him do that with Gar Logan as well; and also Korey, somewhat. But he breaks those bonds. So we see him getting closer in friendship to these people, but also kind of [ruining everything]. We see him learning how to become that leader. It’s not just that he’s one from the get-go. He’s trying to figure out who he is, and at the same time keep the group protected.”

When asked if Dick is a reluctant hero, Thwaites nodded emphatically. “Reluctant leader.”