Although they often get second billing to the star-studded Justice League, DC's Teen Titans are one of the most enduring and popular comic book teams. The most recent adaptation of the beloved characters has been Cartoon Network's Teen Titans Go!, which is getting its own feature film this summer with Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. The voice actors from the show will be reprising their roles for this big screen outing and now they have some very famous names joining them as members of the Justice League. Singer/songwriter Halsey will be voicing Wonder Woman in the film, and rapper Lil Yachty will take on John Stewart, one of Earth's Green Lanterns.
These popular musicians will be taking on two of DC's most popular characters. Given her beliefs, music and causes she champions, Halsey seems well-suited to play the Amazon princess and feminist icon, Wonder Woman. Halsey's also done some voice acting in the past, voicing a character on American Dad!. And mumble rapper Lil Yachty may actually have the right voice and tone for the ultra-serious John Stewart. According to USA Today these two new additions to the cast are just the first of several celebrities who will be cameoing in the film and lending their voices to famous DC characters. Sam Register, an executive producer on the film, noted that they wanted to find voices that fit the roles as well as the playful tone of the film, and it seems they are quite happy with the cameo casting.
While I am generally skeptical of celebrities or non-voice actors being cast in animated films, these cameos actually make a fair bit of sense for the type of movie Teen Titans Go! To the Movies looks to be. The cheeky, meta series will be upping the ante for the feature film as the Titans, tired of being seen as sidekicks, attempt to get their big break with a Hollywood director played by Kristen Bell, only to face a villainous threat to their quest for stardom. This satirical approach to the story and the superhero genre lends itself to celebrity cameos and tongue-in-cheek moments, and the first trailer shows that this can produce some pretty funny results.
Teen Titans Go! is the second animated series following this group of heroes after the fan favorite 2003-2006 series, and while it skews younger than some fans might like, the new series has clearly found its audience, as the existence of the upcoming movie attests to. With so many live-action superhero films dominating the box office and the news cycle, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is actually another indication that the animated format offers a different and compelling storytelling opportunity for these characters. DC's animated films like Teen Titans: The Judas Contract have been loved by fans for years, but big screen opportunities are something new. I am curious to see if films like this one and the upcoming Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse are the beginning of a trend.
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies is in theaters on July 27. For all of this year's biggest films, check out our release schedule.
