Brenton Thwaites is helping make history as he stars in "Titans," the first original series produced for the new streaming service DC Universe. The video-on-demand offering from DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Digital Networks includes past DC films and animated series, a rotating selection of online comics, a place to buy merchandise and original productions.
The Robin that Thwaites is playing in the series is not a wise-cracking sidekick or a loyal partner to Batman. The darker take on the character has Dick Grayson (Robin's secret identity) leaving Wayne Manor for a life of his own. He splits his time between being a police detective and leading a group of angst-filled heroes in Starfire (Anna Diop), Raven (Teagan Croft) and Beast Boy (Ryan Potter). Look for other characters from the DC Comics world to make appearances.
Thwaites went into the project with very little knowledge of Robin's darker side.
"It was a whole new world for me," Thwaites says. "It is certainly a different Robin from the 'Batman and Robin' movie. I knew nothing about him teaming up with the Titans until I read the script. This Robin is trying to break away from the life of working with Batman. He's trying to find his own personality and become his own person.
"When he puts on the suit, he does things that he probably wouldn't do if he had the suit on. I feel like as soon as he breaks out of the suit, he looks back at the mess behind him and tries to find a way to break away from this life."
Landing the role of Robin/Dick Grayson has given Thwaites a real acting challenge. When he's wearing the superhero suit, Thwaites is playing the character as having moments when he can't control himself. It's in those moments Thwaites can play the character with more anger and frustration than when he's Grayson, who is inclined to put more thought into dealing with a problem.
The Australian actor comes prepared to handle the nature of the role through all his TV and film work, which includes "Home and Away," "Blue Lagoon: The Awakening," "Maleficent," "Gods of Egypt" and "The Giver." He's got three feature films scheduled to be released soon, including "Ghosts of War."
A lot of the roles Thwaites has played over the years have been demanding both emotionally and physically. He puts the physicality of working on "Titans" in the same league with some of the big action movies he's made such as "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."
"We had a bunch of action sequences we shot over the course of 10 months so it was a pretty grueling shoot in terms of the vision being very dark, and that meant a lot of the scenes were shot at night," Thwaites says. "Some days were pretty brutal, but we had a very supportive stunt team and they were helpful in us looking out for our bodies and being comfortable with the stunts.
"I think doing physical scenes helps my focus. You get a stronger idea with the physicality of who the character is. I think through the movement and the fighting, it's a visceral way to get inspiration for when you are not fighting. The physical part helps you get into the whole of the character."
The series starts with Grayson connecting with Rachel Roth (Raven), a young girl enveloped in such a strange darkness. They are joined by Starfire and Beast Boy to uncover a conspiracy. In the process, the four lost souls become a surrogate family and team of heroes.
Thwaites sees Grayson's efforts with Roth as his way of proving what kind of good person he can be if given the opportunity. It's when Grayson agrees to help others that ends up showing how he is trying to become a good mentor and leader.
This new take on a classic comic book character coupled with "Titans" being the initial original series for the new online service marks a historic moment in the comic book world. Thwaites shies away from talking about the historical implications of the production and focuses more on the kind of program they have made.
"I definitely feel this series is something new and something fresh," Thwaites says. "It feels like it is something that hasn't been done before and if feels like, although some of have been on the screen before, we are telling the story of these characters that have not been touched on before."
"Titans" is just the first of original programs for the streaming service based on DC Comics characters. Other productions planned include "Doom Patrol," "Swamp Thing," "Stargirl" and "Harley Quinn." To subscribe, go to www.dcuniverse.com.
