The superhero genre exploded on TV this decade, which has led to some truly terrific shows. Superheroes are bigger than ever before, on both the big and the small screen. The popularity of the Spider-Man shows.
The majority of superhero TV shows are based on DC and Marvel comic book characters. In both cases, the A-list characters are prioritized for the movies, with the companies wary of over-exposure by having two versions at once. As a result, superhero TV series tend to be quite creative, often using Z-list characters who are completely new to viewers. Meanwhile, Netflix and Amazon have recently struck gold with comic book adaptations of their own, proving that less well-known comic books can resonate as well.
With the decade coming to an end, and a new era about to begin with Disney+ shaking the whole market, this is the perfect time to look back and celebrate everything that's happened. Here are our picks for the best superhero TV shows of the decade.
11. Supergirl
Starring Melissa Benoist as its titular superhero, Mehcad Brooks as Jimmy Olsen, and David Harewood as the alien Martian Manhunter.
10. Jessica Jones
The first season of Jessica Jones was a cultural milestone, with Krysten Ritter's skillful portrayal gaining popular and critical acclaim. Jessica Jones is essentially the story of a trauma victim, a superhero who has fallen prey to a monster and is attempting to rebuild her life, and the dysfunctional relationships that surround her. Unfortunately, Jessica Jones season 2 was a lot weaker than the first season, with a mid-season twist that just didn't quite pay off, and as a result this superhero TV show is a lot lower down this list than it would be otherwise. Season 3 almost matched the first season in quality, thankfully.
9. The Flash
The Flash's constant time travel has pretty much stopped making sense.
8. Arrow
Stephen Amell embodies the Green Arrow for an entire generation of viewers. Launched in 2012, Arrowverse, due to sheer cultural significance.
7. Misfits
Misfits is unique in that it's an entirely original superhero TV show; typically, comic book shows and movies are adaptations of some form. The British TV series revolves around five criminals who are caught up in a freak lightning storm. It launched in 2009, and ran for five seasons, gaining an ardent and devoted fanbase. Critics were particularly impressed by the ease with which Misfits blended a dark edge with an equally sharp sense of humor.
6. Agents of SHIELD
Marvel Television's flagship TV series, Quake, a superhero who's surely as potent as any Avenger.
5. The Boys
Based on the comics by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, one of the most in-demand superhero TV shows around, outstripping even The Umbrella Academy, and Amazon Prime Video has renewed it for a second season.
4. The Punisher
Introduced in Daredevil season 2, Jon Bernthal's modern iteration of Marvel's relationship between Marvel Television and Netflix came to an end after just the two seasons.
3. Legion
Noah Hawley's Legion is a superhero TV show unlike any other. In the comics, David Haller is Legion, the son of Charles Xavier, a young mutant who suffers from a multiple personality disorder. Hawley chose to make this unlikely hero the star of his series, using David's psychological problems to explore the nature of reality itself. Legion is intense, trippy, and incredibly cerebral; the scripts cleverly subvert viewer expectations, and every episode benefits from more than one rewatch. Dan Stevens stars as the infinitely powerful mutant, and his portrayal is top-rate.
2. The Umbrella Academy
The success of biggest digital show in the United States, and it came to a cliffhanger ending. Hopefully it won't be long before Netflix release The Umbrella Academy season 2.
1. Daredevil
The best superhero TV show of the past decade can only be Daredevil. Dark and atmospheric, brutally violent yet never needlessly so, Daredevil is a dark psychological journey into a superhero's soul. Charlie Cox stars as Matt Murdock, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, who's sworn to do good and yet pays a terrible price for his heroism; he's ed by a strong secondary cast, including Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page and Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson. Vincent D'Onofrio is almost a co-star rather than a mere supervillain, portraying Daredevil's recurring nemesis the Kingpin. All three seasons have those customary Marvel Netflix pacing problems, but the quality of the character-work shines through despite that. Daredevil is a worthy winner, and it's a shame the series came to an end when Marvel Television and Netflix parted ways.
