While Warhammer 40,000 has been around since 1987, the grimdark sci-fi universe has only really started to push into mainstream pop culture over the last decade. The endless wars consuming the Imperium of Man and the 41st millennium has been adapted to streaming TV, video games, countless books and more, and the future looks even brighter with Henry Cavill’s upcoming Amazon Prime live-action series.
The future for the Imperium, itself, within the universe does not look nearly as bright.
While the Primarchs Roubute Guilliman and Lion El’Jonson have returned to lead the Imperium, enemies surround it on all sides and 10,000 years of rot and decay is consuming it internally. It seems like only a matter of time until humanity finds itself struggling to survive on a dwindling population like the Eldar, or worse.
It is at this time that another character within the Imperium has found the spotlight – Demetrian Titus.
Titus was introduced in the 2011 hack-and-slash shooter from Relic and THQ, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Then-Captain Titus of the Ultramarines 2nd Company was dispatched to an Imperium arms manufacturing world to protect it from an Ork invasion. Over the course of the battle, Titus’ would be touched by Chaos, the demonic powers that reside in another plane called the Warp, but not be tempted by the ruinous powers. He would successfully push back the Ork and Chaos invaders, but find himself at the mercy of the Imperium’s internal police, The Inquisition, because of his connection to Chaos and the Warp.
And that was it for just about a decade from Titus. He was taken away by the Inquisition and almost nothing, save for the odd reference to the game, was ever said about Titus.
That changed with the announcement of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 in December 2011. It was confirmed that Titus was returning to the lore in a big way. Between the announcement and the game’s 2024 release, Games Workshop slowly filled out the lore to cover what happened to Titus between the two games.
It was revealed he was held in captivity and underwent torture and interrogation for a century. It was only after the possession and death of the Inquisitor holding him that Titus was found to be free from the touch of Chaos, the former Ultramarine Captain would join the Inquisition’s anti-xenos Space Marine chapter, Deathwatch, as a Black Shield, a Marine who has severed all bonds to their previous chapter, for roughly another hundred years.
It was at this point that Space Marine 2 takes place, returning Titus to the Ultramarines amid a Tyranid invasion on the jungle planet Kadaku. Now a Lieutenant, Titus fought the Tyranids across Kadaku and its neighboring planet, Avarax, before Chaos Space Marines began invading and pull the Ultramarines 2nd Company to the grave planet Demerium.
It was during this Titus would meet the Ultramarines’ Chapter Master, Marneus Calgar, and put his strange resistance to Chaos on display for his Chapter-brothers to see. It was even hinted that Titus may have a connection with the Emperor of Man, the Imperium’s founder who exists almost solely as a psychic presence in the Warp while his physical body rots away on the Golden Throne on Earth.
After the events of Space Marine 2, Titus would return as part of Warhammer 40k’s episode on the Amazon Prime series Secret Lair.
The episode, titled ‘And They Shall Know No Fear,’ Titus is part of a squad deployed to a planet overtaken by the powers of Chaos. They cut their way through hordes of cultists and descend into the planet to destroy the source of the corruption. Two of Titus’ squadmates are ultimately killed and the squad leader, revealed to be the Marine that recruited Titus when he was a child, by a demon using their deepest, darkest fear. Titus, however, had no fear for it to prey upon and the demon had its power turned back on itself and killed.
And most recently, the next major narrative expansion to Warhammer 40k’s tabletop game was titled ‘500 Worlds’ and will have Titus at the center.
The expansion follows Titus, once again a Captain and now commander of the Ultramarines 2nd Company. He is tasked by Guilliman, himself, to do the impossible – retake the worlds once under Ultramar’s banner and reunite the 500 Worlds.
It has been clear as day that Games Workshop is position Titus to be a character of significant importance in the universe going forward. He has rubbed shoulders with some of the most important characters in the Imperium, even Guilliman, and tasked with something of significant importance to the Primarch.
Titus is VERY important.
Where the question lies is just how important will Titus be in the universe’s long-term narrative future?
It is obvious Games Workshop has some plans for Titus, especially with the teases of his connection to the Emperor. Only a handful of characters have communed with or maybe even bestowed a small piece of the Emperor’s power, so to be among names like the Primarchs or Saint Celestine from the Sisters of Battle is a big deal.
There’s also the scale of the task he has been trusted with.
Titus has basically been ordered by Guilliman to conduct a smaller version of the Emperor’s Great Crusade over 10,000 years earlier. Titus isn’t blind to this task, either, and believes it impossible to achieve given the sheer number of threats and stagnation engulfing the Imperium in the 42nd Millennium. He will, however, adhere to his Primarch’s command and begin his quest to reunite the 500 worlds, even if it takes his life.
And then there’s the fact Titus has been the star of two major pieces adaptations within a matter of months between Space Marine 2 and Secret Level.
One possibility is that Games Workshop could be positioning Titus to be a major crossover character as Warhammer 40k continues pushing into mainstream pop culture. Games Workshop may believe they have a character that can be someone audiences can point to, akin to Luke Skywalker to Star Wars or Batman to DC.
There’s also the possibility Titus could find his way into the Henry Cavill-led Amazon Prime series, whether it be as a major character or even just a cameo, and maybe even let Titus’ current voice and face Clive Standen portray him in live action.
Whatever the future holds, fans should expect to see Titus around in Warhammer 40,000 for a long time.
Minimum Wage Nerd 