Warning: This post has spoilers for Titans season 3 episode 9, “Souls.” So don’t read any further if you aren’t up to date with the show!
In superhero stories, death is rarely the end. Take HBO Max’s Titans as an example. Conor Leslie’s Donna Troy was killed off in season 2, but she’s back among the living now. However, at least one Titan’s death is sticking: Alan Ritchson’s Hank Hall a.k.a. Hawk. He was murdered by Red Hood back in the third episode of the season. Regardless, Hank returned one last time in this week’s episode, “Souls.” But he decided to remain in the afterlife to help Tim Drake (Jay Lycurgo) and Donna come back to life.
During an interview with EW, Ritchson confirmed his departure from Titans. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, given that he will star in Amazon Prime’s upcoming Jack Reacher series. But Ritchson also left the door open to come back to Titans someday.
“Would I return to Titans? Yes. Do I feel like I found closure and peace? Absolutely,” said Ritchson. “So I’m satisfied if I never return and grateful for the time that I had.”
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Within the episode, Ritchson’s Hank was reunited with his late brother, Don Hall (Elliot Knight), the original Dove. They decided to remain together and help protect lost souls in Purgatory. In the comics, Hank’s death led to Dawn’s sister, Holly Granger, to become the new Hawk. But for now, there’s no Hawk on the Titans team. That said, Ritchson is happy that he could eventually return.
“Is anything ever really finished on this show or any superhero show, right?,” asked Ritchson. “I spoke with the producers and writers before leaving, and was just very humbled by how gracious they were and how open-ended they left the conversation. ‘Would you ever come back if we wanted to have you back?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.'”
“I don’t know if they’ll ever feel like servicing Hank and that Hawk-Dove storyline again, but I do love where we left it,” added Ritchson. “I think it’s really beautiful. This journey that Hawk was on mirrored my own life in such an eerie way…Not to get too pseudo-enlightened, but I think I left a piece of myself there on set [and] on screen when he died. It really was the end of an era, and I kind of found myself on the show.”
New episodes of Titans season 3 premiere every Thursday on HBO Max.
How do you feel about Alan Ritchson’s departure from Titans? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The New Teen Titans, Vol. 1
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