Titans star Savannah Welch talks the road to becoming Barbara Gordon

Savannah Welch has made a huge impact in her debut as Barbara Gordon in Titans season 3. Known for her work in The Transcendents and Boyhood, the actor has seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the HBO Max with her portrayal of one of the most beloved members of the Bat family. We had a chance to speak with her about her role, how she brings Barbara to life, and those amazing fight scenes in Episode 6, “Lady Vic.”

Barbara Gordon has always been a special character for Bat fans, and seeing her come to life in Titans season 3 has been groundbreaking. Welch, who lost her leg in an accident in 2016, brings authenticity to the role. Though we’re only six episodes into the new season, being able to watch Barbara’s progression has been riveting.

Titans star Savannah Welch says playing Barbara Gordon was “an honor”

“She was such a celebrity for so many people,” Welch said; the character dates back to Yvonne Craig’s portrayal in the 1960’s Batman television series. “[Batgirl is] a character that [fans] looked up to for different reasons. She’s known as being this intellectual, and then becoming disabled and being a representative for people with disabilities in the media. There’s so many reasons why this character is near and dear to people’s hearts. So it was an honor to bring her to life.”

The Titans version of Barbara Gordon is that she’s not Batgirl anymore. After the tragic series of events that led to her injury, she followed in her father’s footsteps and became the Gotham City police commissioner. It’s not an easy job, and it’s even harder for a woman who used to be a crime fighting vigilante. It’s even more complicated when Dick Grayson returns to Gotham, opening old wounds.

“She’s so torn between her partnership with Dick and her role as commissioner. She was just getting comfortable in that role,” Welch said. “There are so many eyes on her because she’s running the police department very differently than her father did. She’s a woman in a very male-driven industry but she’s also a born and bred Gotham local.”

Things were finally starting to fall into place for Babs, and then all hell breaks loose at the start of the season. Jason Todd’s Robin was killed by the Joker and then Batman killed the Joker in retaliation. Red Hood emerges as a new villain with a big grudge, forcing Dick to relocate the Titans to Gotham to help protect the city in Batman’s absence.

“I think when Dick left Gotham there was some heartbreak,” Welch said. “[But] when we meet her [in the season premiere] she thought she had her life figured out. She was good. She had her job as the commissioner worked out. She was in what she felt was a good place. And then [Dick] kind of disrupted that, and threw her off her feet, so to speak. There’s so much love that she has for him, and faith she has for him, too. But she’s in one impossible position after another.”

“Lady Vic” delved into Dick and Barbara’s backstory: as Robin, Dick intercepted a cat burglar at a museum and quickly discovered that he was outmatched by the nimble thief, who turns out to be Barbara Gordon. Welch had a team of two stuntwomen helping to bring the museum fight scene together but she was very much involved. “That was so fun,” she said. “That was beautiful, the way they shot that. It was almost fluid, like a dance, you know? The whole thing was very melodic. I love that fight sequence.”

Savannah Welch tells us about the relationship between Dick and Barbara

Dick is captivated by Barbara from the moment she reveals her identity to him. “[She has] so much confidence, almost in a naive way, but she’s very confident and very capable,” Welch said. “When I first read [the script for 306] I loved the idea of her enticing Dick out of the very militant upbringing he had. She enticed him to bend the rules as Robin a little bit.” Welch laughed, noting that Barbara “was not exactly a great influence, but she also wasn’t a bad influence, you could say. It was an unexpected dynamic, and I loved it when I first read it.” Welch said that it wasn’t long after these late-night escapades that Bruce and Dick bring Barbara into the fold as Batgirl.

Though she was breaking the law by stealing things (that she eventually returned, of course), the thievery was Barbara’s way of “joining” the police force as a teenager, according to Welch. “She decided to show the Gotham Police Department, and her father, how easy it is to steal something. In her own way she’s working to strengthen the police force, but the way she does it gives her dad something to do. She’s fighting for good, but totally in her own way. She’s definitely rogue.”

If any of Barbara’s roguish nature is still around in the present as the police commissioner? Welch said that it absolutely is. “I think that’s evident in the way she sort of told off Bruce, and in the ways she’s running the police department differently than her dad did. She’s of the belief that the presence of superheroes in Gotham is going to perpetuate the violence in the villains and perpetuate the cat and mouse game.”

Though her path is different, Welch adds there’s only so many innovations Barbara can make before she ends up following a path similar to that of her father.

Welch is blazing a bold new trail for the character, and there’s a lot to be excited about as Titans season 3 continues. Welch says fans will see more of the history between Barbara and Dick, and the evolution of Batgirl and Robin.

New episodes of Titans air Thursdays on HBO Max.

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