Could Jason Todd be DC Titans’ Judas?

Titans is filming, which means we’re on Titans patrol, and there’s a lot of news that vaguely hint at Jason Todd’s involvement in The Judas Contract.

We’re still preoccupied with the first season of Doom Patrol, and we’re waiting for Young Justice: Outsiders to return in July. However, Titans season 2 is currently filming. While we’re waiting to meet the Wilson family, reportedly Jason Todd (portrayed by Curran Walters) will be a series regular character.

Given the proximity of the Wilson family, mention of The Judas Contract, and Jason Todd’s zombified history, Titans could be preparing Jason for his iconic death in a less than canon way. You know: With the help of some character substitutions and a twist on a couple of comic tales.

RIP Boy Wonder #2. RIP a legend.

Okay, Jason Todd’s live-action counterpart hasn’t died yet. However, there are some vague clues that Titans season 2 might lead to Jason’s death. As the GWW reports, Jason Todd will be a regular character in the upcoming second season, and we think that this is the series way of warning us about Jason’s inevitable death. After all, he has a history of dying, and Deathstroke (Slade Wilson, played by Esai Morales) has a history of kill people as his main gig.

The death and zombification of Jason Todd

We all know the Joker is a sadistic villain, and we all know what he did to Jason. In Batman: A Death in the Family, Jason met his ultimate demise at the hands of Joker (well, a crowbar and an explosion, actually). Because Jason has historically been a survivor of physical abuse, no thanks to his abusive biological father, dying a gruesome and violent death made his demise even more tragic.

Although fans ultimately voted to kill Jason Todd in Death in the Family, his fan-led fate was a critical moment in his characterization. His actual death scene was horrifying, but his redemption and resurrection arc allowed him to become a different character. Like with most things comic-related though, Jason’s death wasn’t permanent, and it allowed his alias in Gotham City (and beyond) to morph into something else entirely.

During Jason’s literal revival, where he literally punched his way out of his coffin and dug himself out of his gravesite, the born-again zombie took on a new anti-hero persona and a new moniker: Red Hood. Sure, other character had donned the Red Hood title before him, but Jason’s rebirth allowed him to build a new persona for himself. While it deviated from the rest of the Bat Family’s moral righteousness, especially in regard to Bruce’s no-kill policy, Jason’s zombification allowed him to rebuild himself. In that rebirth, he created a new alter ego that the city needed: an anti-hero who is far from opposed to killing bad guys who deserve it.

While Titans probably won’t draw inspiration from Black Mirror’s interactive season to create the third death-day survey in Jason Todd’s comic media history, every incarnation of Jason Todd has to die at some point. After all, how else would he come back to life as a new version of himself?

Some alternate realities implicate his resurrection with the Lazarus Pit or otherwise, but Jason Todd is meant to die just so he can be reborn — because his rebirth isn’t only literally, it’s a metaphorically turning point in his characterization.

Because the vehicle of his death and rebirth aren’t necessarily important for his new-found agency after he comes back to life, Titans season 2 could change his death and a classic Teen Titans tale in one arc.

Replacing a Judas

Beyond the whelming family themes in DC Universe’s content, both Outsiders and Titans seem to be crafting an undercurrent for The Judas Contract. It’s a noteworthy Teen Titans tale, and it’s critical for DC Comics history.

Unless the show is hiding Terra in its season 2 cast roster, Titans will need a Judas whenever the iconic contract plays out in live-action form. Given Jason’s habit of dying, Titans could substitute Terra for Jason as the iconic death in the contract-related arc. After all, Marv Wolfman notes in his epilogue for The New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract that Terra’s character was created as a plot device. She was meant to help Deathstroke evoke The Judas Contract and die. However, the contract also needs its Judas.

Regardless of his incarnation, Jason Todd is meant to die and come back to life. Since Titans writer Geoff Johns has ominously mentioned The Judas Contract in relation to the show, the Wilson family essentially spells out the narrative. Jason might be nominated as the most likely to die in season 2 or whenever the series inevitably decides to start the contract.

Even if he does take Terra’s role as the Judas, that doesn’t mean it’ll alter his likeliness to come back to life. After all, even Terra eventually came back into the comic book scene after she died during the contract. Like Terra or Terra’s subterranean alien counterpart who looks like her, Jason hasn’t had an issue with staying dead — and we’re glad he doesn’t have that dilemma. Like Terra or Terra #2, Jason probably won’t remain deceased. Still, his death during the on-screen contract or otherwise will still spell noteworthy change for his character and beyond.

Granted, replacing Terra with Jason in the contract doesn’t mean that Jason will take on all of Terra’s roles in the arc. He probably won’t work as a double agent who gives the Titans a whole realm of trust issues. However, that doesn’t mean the Judas-related death will be any less critical to the development of the team.

After all, The Judas Contract and the Judas (i.e. Terra) are critical for change in Titans history. The events in the arc force the team to officially become a team, and it makes Dick Grayson officially move on from his time as Robin to take on the Nightwing duties and alias.

Just like Terra’s role in the contract and her death, which has an everlasting impact on the team’s history, Jason’s potential co-opted role in the iconic but divisive death will lead to a lot of necessary changes for the team, specific character, as well as himself.

Why would Titans explore Jason’s arc through life, death, and life again?

Jason Todd was never meant to remain Robin. His associate with Bruce Wayne was critical, but his role as Robin #2, who did everything to replicate everything about Dick Grayson’s legacy as Robin and as a hero. Although Jason’s run as Robin helps Bruce grow as a father and a hero, Jason’s death was meant to kill his version of Robin.

Seeing as The Judas Contract ignites a world of change and restructuring in the Teen Titans team, Jason’s role as the Judas could propel a new Robin and a new Titans team member. We’re talking Tim Drake, i.e. Robin #3. However, Jason’s unfortunate death could also birth a new addition to the DC Universe streaming platform.

Yes. We’re talking a Red Hood spinoff.

After all, it would be a disservice to end Jason’s death at, well… his death. Admittedly, this is very speculative even for a fan theory. However, even with the sheer existence of Jason Todd in the DC Universe implies that his death and resurrection are on the horizon (especially now that Titans is building its roster with Deathstroke and Superboy in the midst).

While we shouldn’t have been speculating Jason’s death and zombification the moment Titans added him to the series, the potential live-action Judas Contract all but solidifies Jason Todd’s fate on the series. The only questions we have left to ponder are when and how will he die and come back to life.