DC FanDome revealed a number of new details about Season 3 of DC Universe's Titans. Not only will the action move to GOtham City, but the shoe is also set to introduce both Barbara Gordon and Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow. However, it was also confirmed one of the team's key superheros would break bad in Season 3, as Jason Todd will ditch his Robin costume and assume the identity of the Red Hood to hunt down his former friends. However, while Jason Todd's transformation into the Red Hood is an important milestone for the character in the comic books, it's simply too soon in Titans for the character to make this change.
Jason debuted in the first season of Titans. When we first met him, he was already operating as Batman's second Robin and was a far more brutal vigilante than his predecessor, Dick Grayson. Still, despite the clear differences between Dick and Jason, they formed a bond of sorts, and Jason joined the new version of the Titans in Season 2. Unfortunately, after the return of Deathstroke, the trust between the two Robins was broken. Jason then went off on his own. At the end of the season, Jason appeared at Donna Troy's memorial, but he kept his distance. Instead of joining his friends, he paid his respects from afar and left, seemingly for a fresh start on his own.
While Jason is slated to turn against his friends and become Red Hood, that's now how he became the vigilante in the comics, where the story is far more complex and dark. In the source material, Jason was still Batman's Robin when he was murdered by the Joker. However, he returned to life years later as Red Hood, taking inspiration from the Joker's identity before he became the Clown Prince of Crime. Here, Jason was after revenge for what had happened to him, and he had set his sights primarily on Batman.
But none of that has happened on Titans. Jason simply left the team at the end of Season 2 to operate on his own. Sure, he had his differences with all of them, but nowhere did it look like he was ready to hunt them all down. Jason's transformation is an important part of the character's arc in the DC Universe, but it seems like Titans is rushing through it. Without his apparent death at the hands of the Joker, Jason will be missing a key part of the drive that fuels the Red Hood persona.
Right now, there seems to be no reason for Jason to go after his friends other than just because -- unless of course the series is set to feature a major jump forward in time, and all of the Titans somehow think that Jason has been dead for some time. Perhaps then would his return have a noticeable impact. But if Jason turns evil just because, his transformation into the Red Hood will lack any sort of emotional impact and will simply be the series rushing to "get to the good stuff" by finally having the fan-favorite Red Hood on the show.
The violent, gun-toting vigilante would of course be right at home in the grim and bloody world of Titans, but his appearance still has to feel earned. And for that to happen, Jason needs at least a few more seasons of development. It took two seasons for Dick Grayson to finally become Nightwing -- there was clearly no rush there. The series should have taken its time with Jason as well.
Streaming now on DC Universe, Titans Season 2 stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan, Curran Walters as Jason Todd and Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, with Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger, Alan Ritchson as Hank Hall, Joshua Orpin as Superboy, Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson, Chella Man as Jericho, Drew Van Acker as Aqualad, Esai Morales as Deathstroke and Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne.