Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Titans season 4, episode 9, “Dude, Where’s My Gar?”Beast Boy’s trip through the DC Multiverse in Titans season 4 was more depressing than exciting, due to the inclusion of multiple canceled shows from the Arrowverse, including Stargirl and Swamp Thing. The Titans season 4 episode “Dude, Where’s My Gar?” was a fantastic character study of Gar “Beast Boy” Logan, which redefined the character by showcasing how powerful he truly was. Unfortunately, this was undercut by an unintentional reminder that Titans‘ days are numbered, and that the promise of a DC Multiverse spanning multiple movies and shows following the Crisis on Infinite Earths event was broken.
The climax of Titans season 4, episode 9, “Dude, Where’s My Gar?” had Beast Boy enter The Red, which is the cosmic force linking all animal life in the DC Multiverse. This set up an extended sequence full of DC Comics movie and TV show cameos, as Beast Boy encountered the heroes of other Earths and echos of other realities. While this scene was impressively filmed and well acted, it was also unintentionally depressing.
Titans’ Multiverse Scene Proves How Many Shows Have Been Canceled
Most of the franchises prominently featured during Beast Boy’s journey into The Red in Titans season 4 have either already been canceled or are coming to a close soon. Chief among these was the cameo appearance of Brec Bassinger as Courtney “Stargirl” Whitmore, who confronted and comforted Beast Boy after he accidentally traveled to Earth-2. The idea of a crossover between Stargirl and Titans prompted excitement when a photo of Brec Bassinger in costume with Beast Boy actor Ryan Potter was posted online. Unfortunately, that excitement was muted when Stargirl was canceled shortly after the photo’s release.
The rest of Beast Boy’s trip to The Red was similarly overshadowed by ennui. The appearance of the Barry Allen Flash of Earth-Prime might have had more impact if The Flash were not ending and reportedly bringing the Arrowverse to a close with it. The cameo of Swamp Thing, which was canceled after one episode in 2019, was similarly sad. Even the one nod to the DCEU was unintentionally depressing, given that it involved an appearance by Zachary Levi’s Shazam, whose latest film, Fury of the Gods, flopped at the box office and is shaping up to be one of the biggest bombs of 2023.
Beast Boy’s Multiverse Trip Is The End Of A DC Era
Whether the post-Crisis Arrowverse forms the base for James Gunn’s new DC Multiverse or not, Titans use of the multiverse in “Dude, Where’s My Gar?” is bittersweet. Even if the new DC Universe honors what came before, it is still sad that so many of the series showcased during Beast Boy’s trip through The Red were ended before their time, particularly Swamp Thing and Stargirl. Beast Boy’s journey was meant to showcase the scope of the DC Universe, but all it did was highlight how many great franchises deserved a longer run and will never get the chance to crossover.
Titans season 4 continues on Thursdays on HBO Max.
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