Titans, DC’s upcoming live-action series about a team of young superheroes, has found its Starfire. Anna Diop, known for her roles in 24: Legacy, The Messengers, and Quantico, has been cast as Koriand’r, aka Starfire, an alien princess from a warrior planet seeking some peace on earth. The series, also set to star Teagan Croft as Raven, will debut in 2018 on DC’s new digital service.
Starfire was created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez in 1980, and made her debut in DC Comics Presents. Known for her compassion as much as her incredibly abilities, she quickly became a fan favourite, regularly appearing in comics and animated series ever since. Starfire, or Koriand’r, is the princess of Tamaran, who came to Earth after escaping a few execution attempts by her power-hungry sister. Her powers come from ultraviolet radiation, converted to energy, giving her the power of flight, linguistic assimilation, and strength. Before leaving Tamaran, Psions (evil alien scientists) conducted solar absorption experiments on Starfire, leaving her with the ability to project the ultraviolet energy into blasts or starbolts. Her incredible hand-to-hand combat skills came from years of training by the Warlords of Okaara.
There is very little information about the plot, so it’s unclear how much of Starfire’s origins the show’s producers intend to keep. They describe her as “a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners stranger to our world” with similar abilities to her comic book counterpart. She encounters the Titans, lead by Dick Grayson (former Robin, now Nightwing), soon after she arrives on Earth. So far, only Raven, Starfire, and Nightwing are the only three confirmed characters, though the show’s description does seem to indicate that they will add more to the team. Titans is produced by Greg Berlanti (does he ever sleep?!), Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, and Sarah Schechter.
The Titans series has been in the works for quite a few years, and was supposed to air on the cable network TNT. TNT announced that they were not going to move forward with the series in early 2016. The concept languished for a while, as Berlanti, Johns, and co. focused on other DC properties. However, in April of this year, DC announced its new digital service, with Titans as one of its first shows. Johns is already working on a script, and they are slowly filling the lead roles.
The importance of casting Anna Diop in this role cannot be understated. At a time when movies and television series are still wrestling with white washing, it is refreshing to see a diverse casting decision. Starfire is one of the most recognizable members of the Titans, and will undoubtedly play a huge part in the series. Casting a woman of colour to bring her to life is a big deal. Traditionally, Starfire has orange skin and almost neon green eyes, so they could opt to cover her in make-up and provide contacts. Alternatively, the digital-only series may not have the budget for that level of make-up, and choose to focus their budget on bringing Starfire’s powers to life. Personally, I’d love to see the show focus more on her powers, keeping Diop out of body make-up altogether. Either way, after the scores of white washing we have seen, Anna Diop as Starfire is a small win for diversity.
