It’s hardly a stretch to say that the superhero genre has largely dominated pop culture for the last decade—for some good (elevating indie filmmakers like Ryan Coogler and Chloé Zhao) but also bad (the curation of homogeneous cinema, the death of mid-tier budget films, smaller directors having their visions commodified for Marvel consumption.) The superhero craze hasn’t just affected film but TV as well—though with the likes of animation and Saturday cartoon blocks, this is hardly a new trend but one that definitely saw a resurgence in the ’90s. With What If? currently airing on Disney+, we listed the best superhero shows to watch and where to watch them.
For as tiring as it can be to see Marvel and co. keep an iron fist (heh) around the industry, when they’re done well they can be excellent means of escape for fans. The shows listed are no different, ranging from political allegories to spin-offs featuring fan-favorite supporting characters and one of the most violent series in recent years. Even after a decade plus, it’s important to remember: superheroes are here to stay, but we can still sift through it all to find the best of the best.
Agent Carter (Disney+)
Set in the years after Steve Rogers’ supposed death in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Agent Carter (2015-16) follows Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) as she combats sexism in the workplace and the threat of nuclear war. Equally a comics-inspired drama, buddy comedy, and period piece, Agent Carter (2015-16) proved its heroine didn’t need superpowers to be a powerful advocate of justice and presented a nuanced portrait of grief as Peggy mourned the loss of Steve Rogers. Overlooked in its day by flashier, contemporary superhero shows, Agent Carter’s greatest strengths—smaller missions, a balance of heart and humor—showed a thematic range for the expanding universe of Marvel’s screen presence, and remains one of the studio’s best projects from the last decade. [Claire Di Maio]
Batman Beyond (HBO Max)
A follow-up to the seminal Batman: The Animated Series, the emotionally mature serial about the caped crusader, its follow-up was a wholly original concept for the entry of the New Millenium. Batman Beyond asks what would happen when Bruce Wayne becomes too old to continue as the vigilante. In the time since, Gotham transforms into a cyberpunk dystopia, taking the noir roots of the original series and twisting its tropes into parables of classic science fiction. Kevin Conroy’s Wayne takes on a mentor role as we see the entry of Will Freddie’s Terry McGinnis as the new, slick, long-eared vigilante, outfitted with upgrades to classic Batman weapons and new perks like infrared and invisibility. Terry’s troubles as a high school teenager balancing his family, girlfriend, and peers with his duties as The Bat, combined with shockingly gritty themes allow the Batman formula to evolve in a way Bruce’s stories could never achieve. [Evan Griffin]
Batman the Animated Series (HBO Max)
One of the best-regarded animated shows of the 1990s, Batman: The Animated Series blended the darker atmosphere of Tim Burton’s films with the character’s pulp neo-noir 1940s origins while still being suitable for a Saturday morning cartoon audience. Its depiction, voice acting, and characterization of the Caped Crusader and his rogues’ gallery are burned into the minds of millennials as the definitive take on the characters. The art-deco design and animation, the latter of which inspired by the Fleischer Studios Superman shorts of the 1940s, built a sense of place and geography for Gotham City that carried over to the rest of the DC animated shows that followed in its wake. The show’s strong scriptwriting and memorable episodes even afforded it a brief run on prime-time. If you’re looking for an animated depiction of Batman that is a happy medium between zany and grimdark takes on the character, this is your best bet. Don’t skip on the excellent Mask of the Phantasm film or the distant sequel series Batman Beyond either. [Ryan Gibbs]
Cloak and Dagger (Hulu)
Cloak & Dagger has its two and only seasons available to stream on Hulu. This was a show that deserved much more time but got cut shortly before Disney+ launched and many other Marvel shows met the same fate. This show told the story of two teens who begin manifesting superpowers after a chance accident years prior. It does a great job at showing how these teens deal with heavy issues such as poverty and racism, and the implications their abilities have on how they interact with the world and each other. Combined with the powerful chemistry between the two leads, this one is a can’t-miss. [Amanda Reimer]
Daredevil (Netflix)
Nowadays, Daredevil exists as a bygone era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series’ events only ever took place in the shadows of the MCU films, and when Disney+ was first announced, the Marvel Netflix shows met the chopping block. But years before, Daredevil kicked off the Netflix MCU phase with the story of Matthew Murdoch. Season one perfectly executed a darker, more mature venture into Marvel superheroes, and followed it through for two more seasons. If the destruction of cities were secondary in the eyes of the Avengers, Matt (played by a mesmerizing Charlie Cox) took agonizing over his morality to a whole new level. A more introspective superhero than his film counterparts, Matt/Daredevil could spend a full episode talking to his priest, and then immediately follow it up with one-take hallway/stairwell/prison fights. While Matt’s friendships and relationships were up and down in seasons one and two, the third and final season thankfully had Matt, Foggy, and Karen reconciling, allowing for a full character arc to complete for Matt, just in time before the Mouse House emerged as the real villain. [Katey Stoetzel]
Doom Patrol (HBO Max)
Doom Patrol is available to stream on HBO Max and is the quintessential viewing for live-action DC properties available on the streaming service. Boasting an all-star cast that includes Brendan Frasier, Matt Bomer, Diane Guerrero, and more, this show has not just great performances but great (and really weird) stories throughout the two seasons that have aired, including an expansive, traversable subconscious, a prophet vermin, and a genderqueer sentient street. If you’re wondering if you read that right—you did. Doom Patrol is the perfect comic show to binge to get a mix of heart, family, and belonging, but mostly an assortment of events you’d never expect. [Amanda Reimer]
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Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
It’s insanely hard to pitch something in the Batman mythos and have it feel fresh and unique. It’s even harder to articulate just how good something like The Harley Quinn show is through an elevator pitch—a feminist alternative riff on Rick and Morty, with about as much reverence for canon continuity as DC’s own Injustice. Even that can’t prepare you for the blossoming friendship between Harley, Poison Ivy, and their group of rejected supervillains throughout this series. For as violent as it is, the show is the most emotionally mature DC property in years. While Quinn’s character is often associated with the iconic voice of Arleen Sorkin, Kaley Cuoco brings a newfound depth to Harley as she works to identify herself apart from her history with Joker. Will Sasso as a riff on Tom Hardy’s Bane is also a series highlight. [Evan Griffin]
Invincible (Amazon Prime)
Part of the inherent joke of Invincible is the silly fact that this hero is anything but. Over the course of only eight episodes, Robert Kirkman’s Amazon Studios adaptation of the long-running, early-aughts comic put Superboy-stand-in Mark Grayson through bloody beat-down after bloody beat-down, while also spinning an intricate web of rogues, allies, and a demonically iconic villain that even Homelander would blush at. All of which is worthy of the Spider-Man Saturday morning cartoon aesthetic it’s so cheerfully tributing in between its satisfyingly gory bouts of earnest mayhem. Invincible doesn’t just evolve the modern superhero myth for 2020s pop culture, it calls it out for being so far lacking. [Jon Negroni]
Justice League Unlimited (HBO Max)
While Justice League Unlimited might not offer up the most sophisticated animation—it’s clearly a product of its time—it more than makes up for it through immersive world-building and strong characterization. Kevin Conroy leads a superb voice cast, many of whom for a mighty amount of time became synonymous with the characters they played. What struck me on recent viewings was that, despite some often childish plotting and sound effects and evil of the week structure, it’s unabashedly adult in how it presents its characters. Not only did the show give us some of the better iterations of Batman and Superman—the latter of whom was finally able to deconstruct the idea of being so strong he’s boring—but also introduced non-comic book fans to John Stewart’s Green Lantern (the superior one) and one of my first girl crushes Hawkgirl. The show is flighty, it’s fun and due to being borne of the Warner Bro’s/The CW Saturday morning cartoon era, will always have a youthful edge. That said, it’s an immensely satisfying watch for those looking to discover greater lore of these familiar characters as well as watch them interact and develop relationships in ways we hadn’t yet seen. It was peak escapism and still is. [Ally Johnson]
Legion (Hulu)
There’s a growing complaint that comic book media is becoming too formulaic and the genre is running out of new ideas to put on a screen. So it should come as a great relief to you, dear reader, that you have not seen anything like Legion. Only lasting three seasons and 27 episodes on FX, this sci-fi drama takes the imaginative spirit of the X-Men comics its title character comes from and stretches it out to something that’s both confounding and fascinating at the same time. Creator Noah Hawley (FX’s Fargo) and his team do everything they can to twist and turn the story of a shy schizophrenia patient (Dan Stevens) whose past, present, and future are warped via his mutant powers. In one episode you’ll have the creepiest rendition of “Rainbow Connection” on display, another will have Aubrey Plaza embracing her evil demeanor like never before as the Mad Hatter. Whatever creative possibilities are left to be seen in comic book TV and movies, plenty of it can be found in this wackadoo rollercoaster. [Jon Winkler]
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Loki (Disney+)
Coming off the heels of the abysmal The Falcon and the Winter Soldier may have helped curve the grading process for the Tom Hiddleston-led Loki, but that doesn’t diminish just how overtly charming and odd the series was for most of the first season. While the start of the show is largely exposition dumps with Owen Wilson’s Mobius sighing tiredly as Loki runs his mouth, it soon transforms itself into a perplexing science fiction tale about forgiveness and regret and how narcissism plays into both as well as how all three feed off of insecurity. The creation of the worlds is stunning and the score from Natalie Holt, in particular, bolsters Loki into something more singular with a greater sense of self than many Marvel properties. Add to that some sublime scene-chewing from Jonathan Majors and the recipe makes for some Doctor Who-lite shenanigans with surprising heart. [Ally Johnson]
The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
When you have a character whose stomach is actually a portal for an inter-dimensional tentacle demon, and who is also a ghost, it’s important you can set the right tone. Fortunately, The Umbrella Academy knows what it is straight out of the gate. Part superhero story, part family drama, part sci-fi adventure, this Netflix series based on the graphic novel from Gerard Way works because it’s just a good time all around. It’s easy to love the characters, but even easier to just go with whatever crazy thing is happening on screen in front of you. Even if season two hits similar plot beats as season one, a rich universe populated with memorable characters and great needle drops makes The Umbrella Academy a must-binge. [Katey Stoetzel]
Teen Titans (HBO Max)
Out of the shadows of the legendary Batman Animated Series and Justice League, the Millennial generation got a new entry in the DC animated universe’s golden age with a team of characters that were more relatable to them directly at the time. Teen Titans bridged the gap between the gothic and mature styles of Warner’s other DC animated series and Japanese anime, creating the ultimate playing ground for an ensemble of characters to be expressed in equal parts brooding and zany energy. Titans helped Robin stand apart from his mentor, connected golden age characters like Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy to modern audiences, and grounded Cyborg as one of the most popular characters so much so that he and his catchphrases have been a permanent fixture in the Justice League ever since. Every season focuses real arcs on each of the five characters, with plenty of room for bonkers side stories in between. [Evan Griffin]
Titans (HBO Max)
Titans was the first big project on DC’s now deceased streaming service, but it lived to fight another day and is currently airing its third season on HBO Max. While this series is known to stumble at times, its current season is a great improvement on the previous one, and this series has a way of telling intriguing stories and exploring characters and relationships in its bottle episodes. Titans walked so Doom Patrol, Peacemaker, and more to come could run, and it continues to advance forward on that. Titans even morphed into somewhat of a Batman show, reaching out to a plethora of people in all corners in the DC fandom. [Amanda Reimer]
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Wandavision (Disney+)
The MCU reached a tipping point at the conclusion of Phase 3. Its strengths were at an all-time high, and its weaknesses were at their most apparent. While the release of Black Widow loomed over the franchise as a whole, the success of the Mandalorian over on Disney+ was just the beginning of the brand showing that series and TV formats had just as powerful a place in the MCU brand as the feature films. Wandavision gives us the most stylistically experimental, at least initially, format, structure, and tone that the MCU has seen in years. Showrunner Jack Schafer and cast and crew committed their homages to past TV sitcom formats throughout the decades and it shows in the production value. Each episode exudes the tone of each era’s typical sitcom series, and still engages audiences in the mystery of the plot, trickling in fan-favorite characters Jimmy Woo and Kat Dennings, while also re-introducing characters like Monica Rambeau. Kathryn Haan steals the show with her not-so-surprise but oh-so-extra reveal, but the performances really shine in the chemistry between Elizabeth Olson as Wanda and Vision’s Paul Bettany. [Evan Griffin]
Watchmen (HBO Max)
Damon Lindelof’s self-described “remix” of Alan Moore’s landmark graphic novel Watchmen is a superhero adaptation like no other, refashioning the source material’s complex mythos into a poignant statement on racism, white supremacy, and fascism. Like the ubiquitous clock imagery that crops up throughout the series, Lindelof’s miniseries is a tightly-wound masterpiece of messy melodrama, replacing the cold and calculating writing of Moore with open-hearted intimacy. Set in an alternative history United States, Watchmen follows detective Sister Night aka Angela Abar (a never-better Regina King) as she investigates a murder of her friend and colleague at the hands of a mysterious white supremacist organization. Weaving in real-life events of racial injustice with the fictional history of Moore’s graphic novel, Lindelof created a masterpiece of superhero storytelling, weaving social critique, superhero action, and a moving love story into one unforgettable miniseries. [Cameron Grace Wolff]
Young Justice (HBO Max)
Even though it would eventually go on to be picked up for a third and fourth season, we will forever mourn how they canceled the original run of Young Justice all because too many girls were liking the show. Despite initially playing some aspects of the series safe such as romantic entanglements between all the teens so that they’re conveniently paired off by the first season’s end, season two ends up disrupting the typical calm and predicted trajectories of these types of shows and the characters. Characters typically relegated to sidekick status not only got to shine but expanded the universe further with darker storylines and ambiguous ends. It’s a fun, engaging, and brisk watch that, despite its relatively familiar plot structure, will undoubtedly manage to surprise you. [Ally Johnson]
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