'Titans' Introduces a Surprising DC Comics Character in Pilot Episode

Titans might focus on a small number of DC Comics characters thus far, but the series' first [...]

By Jenna Anderson

Titans might focus on a small number of DC Comics characters thus far, but the series' first episode brought in a character with some pretty interesting ties.

Spoilers for the series premiere of Titans below!

The first episode introduced the interlocking stories of Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Raven (Tegan Croft), Starfire (Anna Diop), and Beast Boy (Ryan Potter), who all are drawn together by a supernatural force. Starfire's early scenes were arguably the most mysterious, as she woke up in the aftermath of a car accident with a passport that reads "Kory Anders".

This leads Kory to an Austrian nightclub, where she attempts to get some sort of clarity about what is going on. She soon crossed paths with Konstantin Kovar (Mark Antony Krupa), a club owner who seems to have some sort of established working relationship with Kory. Things eventually turn south, which leads to Kory activating her Starfire powers and killing Kovar and his goons.

Granted, Konstantin Kovarr has made his way into the DC TV world before, with Dolph Lundgren portraying him throughout Season 5 of Arrow. Not only does his Titans appearance provide a new (albeit short-lived) live-action adaptation of the character, but it serves as an interesting twist on the Kovar family's comic origins.

In the comics, Konstantin and his teenage son Leonid investigate a crashed spaceship, which explodes and proceeds to give Leonid superpowers. Leonid uses his pyrokinesis powers to protect Russia while using the code name of Starfire. He then joins the Teen Titans in the 1980s, changing his code name to "Red Star" so as not to overlap with Koriand'r's moniker.

While Leonid might not be the most prominent member of the Teen Titans pantheon, the notion of his dad appearing - only to subsequently be killed by Kory - could lead to something interesting. As those involved with Titans have hinted, the ensemble of the show is expected to evolve as the series goes along, with team members ranging from Donna Troy to Superboy possibly getting involved.

"In early days we kind of grossly discussed the first three seasons just in very large blocks." executive produer Akiva Goldsman told ComicBook.com. "And obviously with serialized television what's great these days is you can do set ups and pay offs at least within the season and there are also some that we hope will be able to pay off next season."

With that in mind, it certainly doesn't seem out of the question that Leonid could very well appear on Titans in a later season, with an origin that is somehow tied with Kory's actions in the premiere. But ultimately, only time will tell, and it seems like Starfire will have to investigate her own origins first.

New episodes of Titans debut Fridays on DC Universe.

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