Titans Season 3’s Carrie Kelley & Other Robin Candidates Explained

Titans season 3 subtly introduces a whole heap of new Robins from DC comic lore, including Carrie Kelley – here’s where they all come from, and what the future might hold for each. Since premiering in 2018, Titans has not been short on Robins. Brenton Thwaites’ Dick Grayson swings in as the lead protagonist, while Curran Walters’ combustible Jason Todd is added to the mix not long after. The casting of Jay Lycurgo as Tim Drake in Titans season 3 was announced ahead of time and, at this rate, Damien Wayne is only around the corner. Before Batman’s son, however, Titans has other Robins to explore.

Titans season 3 kicks off in typically brutal fashion, as an increasingly erratic Jason Todd foolishly attempts to apprehend Joker alone. As already shown in the trailer, he fails spectacularly, adapting the “Death in the Family” 1980s comic arc. At this stage, the connection between Todd and Gotham City’s latest supervillain, the Red Hood, hasn’t been drawn, and the Bat family is left reeling by the loss. Bruce remains predictably cold and matter-of-fact, and this begins to grate on Barbara Gordon, who accuses Batman (not entirely inaccurately) of weaponizing damaged young children.

Dick initially defends his adopted father’s unusual methods, but soon takes Barbara’s side when a quick tap on the Bat computer reveals the truth – Bruce has collected a whole catalog of potential Robins for future use. Glossing over the moral implications for now, the scene contains a quickfire smattering of fantastic Batman Easter eggs, but where do these youngsters come from, and will we actually see them in action?

Bruce’s Robin Candidates Alters The Comics

Titans season 3 makes many changes to the “Death in the Family” comic arc; one of the most noticeable is in Bruce Wayne’s response to the tragedy. Mentally scarred by the guilt of letting Robin perish, comic-Batman is deeply reluctant to take on another sidekick. When Tim Drake emerges as a would-be guardian angel to Gotham’s grieving vigilante, Batman actually refuses to train another protégé at first. It’s Alfred and Dick Grayson who believe the Dark Knight should move on with a third sidekick, encouraging a partnership with Drake for the good of Gotham City (and Batman’s own sanity).

Titans flips the script completely. Taking a more real-world slant, Barbara Gordon implores Bruce to stop recruiting children to act as his red, yellow and green distractions. Even Bruce wouldn’t be so blind, Dick Grayson stupidly assumes. In another change from the comics, however, Batman has a compulsive aversion to working alone, coming across desperate as he begs Nightwing to become Robin again. Bruce’s pathological need to fight crime with a student by his side, combined with a trademark habit of always being prepared, means the Caped Crusader was already half-planning for Jason Todd’s death, scouting a whole new batch of potential new Robins to lure into his Batcave.

It’s not entirely clear from the Titans season 3 premiere whether Bruce has been sitting on this nest of Robins for a while, or whether this work has all been carried out since Jason’s death. Either way, it’s not a great look.

Carrie Kelley & Other Robins Explained

The first candidate file Dick Grayson stumbles across is for Carrie Kelley – a young (teenage, seemingly) female with red hair and glasses. Kelley made her debut in Frank Miller’s seminal 1986 graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, in which an older Bruce Wayne emerges from retirement to reclaim the cape and cowl. After Batman saves Kelley from the Mutants, she later returns the favor, prompting Bruce to officially anoint her his new Robin, against the advice of Alfred (which actually hits closer to Titans season 3). The Carrie Kelley seen on Bruce’s computer is faithful to the original design, with her flame-colored short hair, and the thick-rimmed glasses serving as a homage to her Robin mask, which featured green-tinted lenses.

Next on Bruce’s sidekick spreadsheet is a local musician by the name of Daxton Chill. A much more recent addition to DC canon, Daxton debuted in 2015 as a member of the We Are Robin group, who appear in Gotham City after the Dark Knight himself is gone. Using the cringe alias DaxAtax, Chill is known primarily for his prowess under the hood of an automobile, but is also characterized by a love of rock music, which explains why the Titans version is wielding a guitar. Given the surname, it’s natural to assume Daxton Chill is somehow related to Joe Chill – the infamous Gotham criminal who shot Batman’s parents. This is hinted at, albeit not confirmed, in the comics, and Titans season 3 poses an intriguing “what if” scenario where Batman trains the descendant of his parents’ killer.

Stephanie Brown comes next – a name very familiar to Batgirl fans. Initially operating under the Spoiler pseudonym, Stephanie became an ally and love interest of Tim Drake, but Batman refused to take her seriously as a potential vigilante, only accepting Brown as Robin with great reluctance after Tim temporarily vacates the position. The partnership ends badly, as Stephanie’s eagerness to prove herself becomes dangerous. She’s forced to fake her death, thereby ending her time as Robin, but Stephanie Brown reemerges as Batgirl – a position she acclimatizes to much more naturally. In the Titans season 3 image, Stephanie can be seen wearing a martial arts uniform, indicating that her crime-fighting instincts have already materialized.

Very briefly, a candidate identified as Duke Thomas flashes up on the Bat computer’s screen, before Bruce Wayne drops in and forces Dick’s attention elsewhere. In the DC comics, Duke Thomas becomes leader of the aforementioned We Are Robin group which Daxton Chill was also part of. His parents victims of Joker, Duke came pre-loaded with a classic Robin-esque backstory, but was also a metahuman, with eyes that perceive light differently to the ordinary human. After fighting for Gotham in Robin’s name, Duke was saved and trained by Batman himself, but wore a black and yellow ensemble and never took the Robin mantle. He’d later align with Black Lightning under the name The Signal.

What The Robin Candidates Mean For Titans Season 3

Now that Titans season 3 has officially added 4 more Robins to its aviary, will any of the young quartet actually appear properly in future episodes? Carrie Kelley’s chances, unfortunately, look slim. Despite a lack of credits to her name, The Dark Knight Returns‘ Robin is very popular among fans. With Jay Lycurgo’s Tim Drake only just beginning his journey into vigilantism, there’s no room to bring Carrie Kelley into the fold and do both characters justice. The Easter egg does, however, open the door for Kelley to feature more prominently in a future season once Tim Drake is more established.

Daxton Chill and Duke Thomas are both lesser-known DC characters with only indirect links to Robin. Neither character looks like a natural fit for the Titans landscape – right now, at least. Given Titans‘ status as a Robin-centric show, however, it’s possible that the comic books’ We Are Robin army could eventually be adapted, and Daxton and Duke might lead the charge. Their brief appearances in Titans season 3’s premiere certainly grease the wheels in that direction.

On the other hand, Stephanie Brown could absolutely feature in Titans‘ not-too-distant future. Stephanie is the only candidate among Batman’s scouted quartet to adopt another superhero persona before becoming Robin. Stephanie takes it upon herself to begin fighting crime as The Spoiler, and Titans makes clear that her training has already begun. Stephanie Brown’s Spoiler could easily slot into Titans‘ current narrative, and her presence would actually compliment season 3 due to the comic connection between Brown and Tim Drake. Spoiler’s very first DC escapades revolve around Drake’s Robin, and as Jay Lycurgo’s character inches closer to becoming Titans‘ third Boy Wonder, Stephanie Brown could help him along that path.

Mixing Stephanie Brown into Titans season 3 makes even more sense considering Barbara Gordon’s recent arrival. As Gotham’s Commissioner Gordon 2.0, Barbara is removed from the superhero world, but can’t help dipping back in when the opportunity arises. Since Barbara played a vital role in Stephanie’s comic Batgirl transformation, the youngster’s appearance in Titans would offer the Commissioner a new outlet for her inner vigilante – training a successor.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3630 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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