Bring Back Teen Titans

By Arlett Ramirez
Assistant Web Content Manager

When I think of my childhood, I remember the TV shows I used to watch – specifically cartoons. I have a lot of favorite cartoons but there is one particular that holds a special place in my heart and that is “Teen Titans.”

I distinctly remember coming home from elementary school, sitting down on the couch and waiting for it to begin at 4:30 p.m. I never missed an episode, and if there was a marathon, you better believe I was in front of the TV watching even if I had seen the episode multiple times. I was a hardcore fan and still am. 

We’re in the age of reboots. Everything is being rebooted (except “Friends”… for now) by TV networks trying to capitalize on the feeling of nostalgia. The biggest example of a studio using nostalgia to make big bucks on the big screen and off is Disney. 

Just this past summer, Disney released a “live-action” remake of the iconic “The Lion King” which smashed box-office records like becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time, surpassing Disney’s “Frozen.” Thus proving that nostalgia rakes up the big bucks. 

Meanwhile, Disney has been busy rebooting a lot of their content like “Raven’s Home” (a “That’s So Raven” spinoff) “Beauty & the Beast,” and “Aladdin.” Even their upcoming streaming service, Disney Plus, will have more rebooted content (like “Lizzie McGuire” and “High School Musical”), proving that the amount of money Disney has at its disposal is unimaginable. 

Cartoon Network isn’t as giant as Disney, but it was home to some of our favorite cartoons when we were kids. Cartoon Network has always been home to iconic cartoons, and it should be since it’s name is literally cartoon network. A few of my favorites were “Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends,” “Powerpuff Girls,” “Camp Lazlo,” “Codename: Kids Next Door” and obviously “Teen Titans.”

With that being said, let’s go back to talking about “Teen Titans,” a non-Disney product. “Teen Titans” ran on Cartoon Network for five seasons from 2003-2006 and was critically acclaimed, renowned for its character development and serious themes.

 It ran for five seasons, and when it was announced that it had been canceled after its fifth season, a television movie called “Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo” served as the series finale. But it left fans with more questions than answers. 

In 2013, Cartoon Network spawned a spin-off titled, “Teen Titans Go!” To say it’s different from its predecessor would be a huge understatement. I will say that both cartoons were made for different generations, but in my opinion, “Teen Titans Go!” is far inferior to “Teen Titans.”

“Teen Titans Go!” lacks character development, has poor writing and mocked the fans of the original series. They’ve made beloved characters into annoying, immature and cringey versions of the originals.

So what better way to redeem themselves than rebooting the original “Teen Titans”? Just last year, the film “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” was released in theaters with positive reviews towards the cast and humor. 

However, the end credits scene featured our beloved characters from the original quoting, “We think we found a way back.” Needless to say, fans were very excited about the future. Did this mean that “Teen Titans” was returning? A possible reboot? Maybe a sixth season?

Sadly, no. A sequel titled “Teen Titans Go! Vs Teen Titans,” a crossover film featuring both television series, was released in October 2019. Not quite what the fans were asking for. 

Cartoon Network should reboot or order a sixth season (or more) of “Teen Titans.” The fans want and deserve it. It wouldn’t be the first time that Cartoon Network did a revival of show. 

“Samurai Jack” ran on Cartoon Network for four seasons from 2001-2004. It was canceled after it’s fourth season without concluding the story. However, 12 years later, a revival was produced and it served as the fifth season to “Samurai Jack” and concluded the story.

If Cartoon can do that for “Samurai Jack” it can surely do it for “Teen Titans,” one of their most beloved shows. “Teen Titans” was canceled midway into its fifth season and there are many theories on why it was canceled (one is actually surprisingly sexist). When I found out that my favorite show was going to end without a proper conclusion – I was crushed. 

The final episode left fans with many questions due to a completely unexpected appearance from Terra– a character we believed to be gone. The last time we saw her she saved the city from a huge volcanic explosion by stopping it and turning herself into stone. 

In the episode, she seems to suffer from amnesia and does not remember her past. Beast Boy desperately tries to help her remember the memories of him and the other Titans. The episode ends with Terra and Beast Boy going their separate ways with no conclusion. Nothing! 

Then the movie didn’t answer any of that! It just gave the fans (me) who shipped Robin and Starfire together FINALLY able see them express their feelings and begin a relationship, which was nice, but I wanted more! Like what happened to Terra and Slade, do Starfire and Robin’s romantic relationship change their roles as Titans? So. Many. Unanswered. Questions. 

If there was a revival/reboot, not only would the fans be happy, but the younger generation who do watch “Teen Titans Go!” could have a chance to see where their characters came from and who they truly were.

Cartoon Network could see a huge spike in views and ratings with a revival just like Disney has had from its live-action remakes of their animated movies. I’m not saying make a live action “Teen Titans,” because there’s already one out (I haven’t watched), but continue the original one that so many of us grew up on. 

To wrap this up, let me say this: Cartoon Network, listen to the fans of the original series, and do a reboot or revival so that our questions can be answered after many years of curiosity and patience. 

Featured image by Pat Loika via Flickr.