Ryan Potter Explains How Titans Brings Krypto The Superdog To Life And Why We Don't See Him More Often - Exclusive
If you've ever wanted to teleport directly inside your TV or laptop screen to hug Krypto the Superdog during "Titans," you're not alone. Krypto melted fans' hearts right from his very first moment onscreen when Conner rescues the pup. Let's face it: a sad superpup getting tested on would certainly be the one thing that would wake anyone up from a science lab to save the day. And while we can never get enough Krypto in our lives (or on our screens), there's actually a pretty good reason why the superpup doesn't show up more often. And no, it's not because he's too busy fighting crime — though he's a very good boy.
Looper spoke to Gar actor Ryan Potter during an exclusive interview, where he discussed how much of Krypto is played by real dogs, why we don't see the pup onscreen more often, and whether or not we can expect to see him in Season 4.
Superpups vs. CGI
On how "Titans" brings everyone's favorite superdog to life and what the CGI components look like when he's filming scenes with the pup, Potter said, "Melissa and the team that are the dog trainers and animal trainers for our show, they're wonderful. That team is on it. I don't think I've ever met a more sentient and well-behaved animal in my life." So, basically, Krypto is a good boy on and off the screen. Did anyone have any doubts?
"Aside from the Kryptos that they've trained and brought onto our show, there's maybe 25% of the Krypto assets that make it to camera or onto [the] screen, and the final product [is] CG. But the majority of Krypto, the majority of Pepsi and Wrigley, the dogs that portray the character, are actually on set," Potter added.
"Josh and I have had numerous scenes with Krypto. It's been fun learning how to work with these animals but also realize that they have their own rhythm and their own schedule that they need to abide by, [such as] taking five or ten minutes for the dog to get a snack break and move away from set, from the loud noises and the energy of that workplace. It's a pleasure to see." Still, that's a pretty hefty amount of real-life doggin' around.
The more Krypto the merrier (and fluffier)
On Krypto's role in Season 4, Potter confirmed the pup's appearance. "It's always difficult shooting around Krypto because sometimes our dogs can be a little unpredictable, but also, shooting the group scenes are already difficult as is. So trying to work Krypto in isn't always the most effective for our shoot schedule. But the scenes that he's in, they're worth having him in," Potter explained to Looper.
"They're themes that create more [of a] sense of family and paint the bigger picture that not only is there a family dynamic at play, but we're also caretakers of this hyper-intelligent dog with superpowers that also is a caretaker of us. It's a beautiful relationship between Superboy and Krypto and also Josh and the animals that portray Krypto." There's no denying that Krypto is a vital member of the Titans' found family, and the show just wouldn't be the same without him.
New episodes of "Titans" stream Thursdays on HBO Max.