At Denver Comic Con on Friday, Khary Payton – King Ezekiel on AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and the voice of Cyborg through his many animated incarnations – answered the question so many fans of the original “Teen Titans” have been asking: will there ever be a season six?
Payton gave an emphatic “no,” but gave fans a good reason why the show couldn’t return.
During season five’s filming, the show learned it would be the end of the road for the heroes, so they decided to give it a finale that might not satisfy everyone and was never meant to do anything of the sort.
“We asked, ‘what it is a teenager’s last lesson,’” Payton explained. “It’s letting go.”
The producers decided to give the Titans a graduation of sorts, teaching them – and hopefully the audience – the invaluable lesson of moving on after childhood.
“We’re thinking of high school and graduation and friends. Friends that you’ve had all your life, you’ve grown very close to and for whatever reason, the relationship doesn’t go as you think. There’s somebody that you thought you’d be friends for ever, and never see them again; and maybe there’s some closure that you wanted. But you know what? Life doesn’t work that way. When you become an adult, life doesn’t work that way. And you’ve got to move on.”
Payton said the lesson was taught through the lens of Beast Boy, the youngest Titan, in the finale “Things Change.” After they realize many of the places and things the Titans loved about their city had been replaced by other businesses, Beast Boy finds a girl who looks like the once-dead Terra. Payton explains Terra’s dismissal of Gar is because she decided to move on with her life and leave her Titans past in…well, the past.
“If we were to go back and do season six, it would make that lesson totally meaningless,” Payton told the assembled fans.
What about the future?
Payton explained that after Teen Titans go, he turned to Scott Menville (Robin) and exclaimed: “Dude, do you know what this means? We’re Scooby-Doo! We’re gonna do this for a while, then put it down and we’ll come back and do another one. Just fire up that Mystery Machine, grab some Scooby Snacks. That junk just works man!”
So never fear, Titan fans. The Tower won’t stay empty for long. And it sure won’t be boring.
