When Titans was first announced as the flagship show of the DC Universe streaming app, many fans wondered whether the series might be connected to The CW’s Arrowverse. It wasn’t an unreasonable question, given the involvement of Arrowverse bigwigs like Greg Berlanti and Geoff Johns. But if that controversial Comic-Con teaser trailer wasn’t proof enough, the first few Titans episodes definitely made it clear that this new series isn’t taking place in the same universe as shows like Arrow and The Flash.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, either. Little by little, the first season of Titans has been showing us why it’s different from the Arrowverse and how it can carve its own niche in the ever-crowded superhero TV market. The debut of the Doom Patrol in episode 4 is key, giving us our first taste of what this wider shared universe will eventually become. Below, we explore how Titans is beginning to solidify its own live-action DCU and why the Doom Patrol represents such an important step for these shows.