Even though superhero action continues to dominate theaters, costumed heroes have a long history on television, going back to whenGeorge Reevesplayed the Man of Steel in theAdventures of Superman. Whether in live-action form or using the limitless medium of animation, the colorful world of superheroes has contributed to some all-time classic television shows.
The following list covers thebest of the best superhero shows that ended with fans wanting more. That means ultra-violent favoriteThe Boysisn’t quite there yet, and forever-in-limboYoung Justicewill enter the conversation the moment someone in charge can admit it’s canceled. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the best superhero shows that brought comic book legends to life on the small screen.
10’Justice League' (2001–2004)
Developed by Bruce Timm
Well before one of the most famous heroic teams jumped to the big screen, they starred in the cartoonJustice League. The series followed the iconic heroes of DC Comics as they worked alongside one another to form the Justice League, a coalition of protectors who came together to fight forces that required their combined might. Episodes would see the members of the Justice League learn to work as a team while going up against threats like Lex Luthor and Vandal Savage.
Justice Leaguebenefited from a strong lead that came fromBatman: The Animated SeriesandSuperman: The Animated Series, which established the look and tone of the show. Also maintained was the approach to storytelling that didn’t talk down to its audience,presenting mature and thoughtful plotting that incorporated the deep history of DC Comics. Justice League would run for two seasons before the follow-up series,Justice League Unlimited,continued the characters’ stories.
9’Daredevil' (2015–2018)
Created by Drew Goddard
Netflix defined the look and style of modern superhero shows whenDaredevilpremiered on the streamer. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is a respected lawyer by his peers, but none are aware that the accident that blinded him when he was a boy also enhanced his remaining senses. Matt patrols the streets at night as Daredevil, a superhero who protects the innocent civilians of Hell’s Kitchen from the criminal machinations of The Kingpin, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).
Daredevilresisted the concept of spandex and outlandish plots for a grounded take on superheroes, examining the risks and consequences of circumventing the law as a vigilante crime-fighter. The Netflix series would provide the template for future shows likeJessica JonesandLuke Cage, while also introducing the character of Frank Castle, AKA the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), to the MCU. Fans mourned the cancellation until Disney brought back Matt Murdock in the form of the Disney+ series,Daredevil: Born Again.
8‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series' (1994–1998)
Peter Parker’s adventures as the acrobatic Spider-Man were given a new life on Fox Kids when Spider-Man: The Animated Series debuted in the mid-90s. The cartoon followed a college-aged Peter (Christopher Daniel Barnes) as he tries to balance his workload as a student and freelance photographer with his time fighting crime in red and blue spandex. His expansive lineup of villains didn’t make it easy on him, leaving Spider-Man to face frequent run-ins with foes like Dr. Octopus (Efren Zimbalist Jr.).
Spider-Man: The Animated Seriesintroduced ’90s kids to the wall crawler and his colorful villains,adapting some of the most popular storylines from the comics into easily digestible episodes. A novel approach at the time was the mixture of computer animation with traditional hand-drawn efforts to give the series a wholly unique style.Spider-Man: The Animated Seriesmay have left fans on a cliffhanger, butaSpider-Mancomic book miniserieswill finally wrap up the storyline to give devotees of the series much-needed closure.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
7’Wandavision' (2021)
Created by Jac Schaeffer
InWandaVision, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are living a life too impossibly good to be true. The mystery of how Vision could be alive after dying inAvengers: Infinity War, and why the pair lived in a world that looked like an old sitcom, lured curious viewers in. Throughout the one-season series, the true nature behind Wanda’s perfect life will be tragically revealed, sending her on a dark course for the future.
As the first MCU-based series to premiere on Disney+, excitement was high to see how the big-screen adventures would transfer to an episodic format. By placing Wanda in different styles of television shows, the series created intrigue byslowly showing the cracks in the fantasy that the troubled Avenger used as a coping method. The story of Wanda’s grief and her attempts to run from it was perfectly told in one season, leaving the series on a high note.
WandaVision
6’Batman Beyond' (1999–2001)
Created by Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett
Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) retires from fighting crime as Batman, but circumstances lead him to train a new protégé inBatman Beyond. The future of Gotham looks bleak in 2039 without Batman as its protector, but the young Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle) receives the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be trained by Batman as the successor to the mantle.Batman Beyond’s best episodesintroduced a slew of villains that were an exciting mix of new threats and throwbacks to the well-known rogues' gallery of Batman.
Batman Beyondproved that there was still room for new ideas in established properties, with fans embracing the new version of the hero. The series still used the established roots of the Batman lore while updating Gotham into a cyberpunk wonder of neon lights and new dangers to be discovered.Batman Beyondran for three strong seasons, leaving audiences still hoping a live-action adaptation makes its way to the big screen someday.
Batman Beyond
5’Loki' (2021–2023)
Created by Michael Waldron
The God of Mischief finds himself caught between endless possible timelines inLoki.Normally, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is the one causing trouble, but when he’s at the mercy of the TVA, or The Time Variance Authority, he’s recruited for a quest to stop an even greater threat to order than himself. Teaming up with TVA agent Mobius (Owen Wilson),Loki takes his first steps to become the hero he never dreamed possible.
Sometimes it’s the most unexpected character that excels in a spin-off, because Loki’s destructive introduction in the firstAvengerswouldn’t have hinted at his anti-hero future.Lokibore the heavy weight of introducing enough exposition to support the impending multiverse storyline, but it did so with charm and humor thanks to the chemistry between Hiddleston and Wilson. The two seasons ofLokiallowed one of the MCU’s original villains to become one of its most selfless heroes, leaving it as one of the high points of therewatchable Disney+ MCU series.
4’Superman & Lois' (2021–2024)
Developed by Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing
Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and wife Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tullock) trade in the highrises of Metropolis for the clear skies of Smallville to raise a family inSuperman & Lois. The series combined the sensibilities of a family drama with comic book action to show how Clark and Lois adapted to a different way of life in order to focus on their sons.
There’s always an understandable fascination with the extraordinary powers of Superman, the spectacle that surrounds his ability to prevent catastrophic destruction. WhatSuperman & Loisdid so well was focus on the relationships Clark had with the ones he loved, and allow audiences to see the same compassionate spirit that he committed to strangers used in the personal journey of fatherhood. Superhero battles in the series were never forgotten, butSuperman & Loiswas a story about a family, and their love in the face of obstacles, big and small.
Superman & Lois
3’The Spectacular Spider-Man' (2008–2009)
Developed by Victor Cook and Greg Weisman
The Spectacular Spider-Mantakes young Peter Parker (Josh Keaton) back to high school to chronicle his earliest years as the scrappy hero Spider-Man. Peter can do backflips midair while battling criminals, but that doesn’t mean he’s gotten any better at asking out his crush on a date. The series played with relationships to give a fresh perspective, such as having Peter be old friends with Eddie Brock (Benjamin Diskin), but still maintained the spirits of the beloved characters.
The underdog appeal of Peter works at any age, but the character shines when he’s placed in a high school setting. Peter is developing as a person while also developing as a superhero, and his optimistic spirit under the combined stress of both makes him a hero before factoring in any powers gained from radioactive spiders.The Spectacular Spider-Manwas funny, engaging, and captured what made the character tick in a way that felt emotionally honest. This was a series gone too soon.
The Spectacular Spider-Man
2’X-Men: The Animated Series' (1992–1997)
Showrunner Eric Lewald
The complicated world of the X-Men was brought to vivid life in the influential cartoonX-Men: The Animated Series.Although mutants are feared and hated by humans, Professor Charles Xavier (Cedric Smith) devotes his life to bridging the gap between humans and mutants by forming the superhero team, the X-Men. Using their evolutionary abilities to fight militant extremists like Magneto (David Hemblen), the X-Men strive to show there’s enough room on the planet for both humans and mutants.
The X-Men have had many cartoon incarnations over the years, but none were as defining to the mythos of the comic book mainstays as their Fox Kids debut. Animation has come a long way, and more mature takes on superheroes continue to find audiences, but in 1992,X-Men: The Animated Seriesrecreated the drama and style of a comic book into a fluid television experience. The love of this version of the X-Men stayed ingrained in the minds of fans for so long that more than 25 years later, when the new seriesX-Men ‘97premiered, mutant lovers everywhere were ready to watch on day one.
X-Men: The Animated Series
1’Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992-1995)
Created by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm
The shadows of Gotham City hid all forms of dangerous criminals, but the bat-signal in the sky meant Batman (Kevin Conroy) was watching over inBatman: The Animated Series.Set in a stylized version of the 1930s, the animated series followed Batman as he fought crime at night and posed as playboy philanthropist Bruce Wayne during the day.Batman: The Animated Series' episodesfeatured all the most famous Batman villains, like the Joker (Mark Hamill) or Two-Face (Richard Moll).
There will probably never be an animated series that topsthe lasting appeal and impeccable quality ofBatman: The Animated Series. Conroy’s voice in the role is flawless, managing to convey righteous pain laced into an angry growl directed at his target. The writing elevated every character it graced, adding depth to the emotionally wounded Arkham Asylum patients who routinely escape to cause havoc. The legacy of the series looms large over other superhero fiction, raising the bar for anything that follows it. Perfection is rare, but it exists inBatman: The Animated Series.
