Barbara Gordon In Titans Season 3: Meet The Actress Who Plays Her
Fans have been getting extra hyped for the upcoming third season of the darker and more grown-up Teen Titans update, aptly titled Titans. Not only are some of the show's best heroes getting swank updates to their looks, but season 3 will also be the first to debut on HBO Max.
That's not all. Variety just broke the news that in season 3, Titans will be introducing its version of Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Oracle a.k.a. the hero formerly known as Batgirl. Gordon was a regular feature in the DC Comics world as Batgirl, until the character was shot and paralyzed by the Joker in the infamous graphic novel The Killing Joke, source of some of the most controversial moments in Batman history. After that incident, Gordon began using a wheelchair and took on the moniker of Oracle, whose expert hacking and surveillance abilities help her keep tabs on supervillains worldwide. The decision to continue Gordon's storyline as a superhero who uses a wheelchair was applauded by the disability community, including Kari Woodrow who wrote in an essay for Comic Pow how important it is to see a superhero like Gordon, who is "someone who kicked a** and took names, and was also disabled."
With the casting of Gordon, it looks like Titans is set to continue the character's groundbreaking arc. Meet your new Oracle: actor and musician Savannah Welch.
Who is Savannah Welch?
Welch has been in showbusiness for over a decade, both as an actor, and as a member of the country band the Trishas. Even if you don't recognize her right off the bat, it's possible that you've already seen Welch in movies such as The Tree of Life and Boyhood, or the History original series SIX. In the season 2 episode of that series, "Masks," Welch portrays a Marine who is in recovery after having one of her legs amputated. She appeared in the show not long after her own very similar journey.
In 2016, Welch was with her family at a farmer's market in Austin, Texas when someone driving an SUV accidentally accelerated their vehicle into her. Welch was crushed under the wheel's of the car, and although she survived the ordeal, her right leg was badly damaged enough that it required amputation (via Austin Chronicle).
After the accident, Welch received a prosthetic leg, but also sometimes uses a wheelchair for mobility (via Lonestar Music Magazine). Fans of Titans will likely be thrilled to hear that an actor who understands what it's like living with mobility issues will be bringing her experience to the role of Barbara Gordon, and it's all just yet another reason to look forward to Titans season 3.