TITANS Crowns Princess Koriand’r

Deadline reports that the new live-action Titans has found its Princess Koriand’r in Anna Diop.

Diop (24: Legacy) will play the exiled princess from Tamaran, and it’s unclear at this point if she’ll be in full body paint to match the character’s skin tones from the comic book. Diop is the second cast member officially announced, following the news that newcomer Teagan Croft will play Raven.

Koriand’r was the victim of a coup by her sister Komand’r, who helped engineer the takeover of their planet by the Citadel. They both spent time as slaves of the Warlords of Okaara. Escaping to Earth, Kory encounters the Teen Titans, who rescue her from the aliens in pursuit. Using the name Starfire, she finds refuge on Earth and becomes a member of the Titans. She even has a modeling career as Kory Anders.

Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Starfire first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 in October 1980 before making her official debut in The New Teen Titans #1 in November of that year. During an interview featured in Modern Masters, Vol. 2: George Pérez, the artist says of the character’s origin:

…I figured based on the description, was Red Sonja in outer space, so she ended up having a visual cue from that. When Joe Orlando passed by and saw the character sketches he suggested that maybe her hair should be longer. That I took to the ninth degree and gave her the Mighty Mouse contrail.

Given the age difference between Diop and her co-star Croft, it’s likely we’ll be seeing a dynamic similar to what’s in the current crop of animated films: the older Starfire and Nightwing in charge of a group of younger teens still learning how to be heroes. Originally, they were all about the same age, but since the New 52 entered the picture, some elements of that story have changed.

Titans was originally set to air on TNT, but fell apart after new leadership hit the network. The show is now set to anchor DC’s new direct digital channel (think Netflix or CBS All Access) along with the third season of Young Justice. Titans will be produced by Akiva Goldsman, Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns, and Sarah Schechter. No word on if it will now tie in with the rest of the Berlanti-verse over on the CW.

Speaking of New 52, let’s hope they don’t give us that Starfire…