Some of the best live-action superhero TV shows have consistently brought in new fans over the last few years. The success of DC series like Arrow led to an ongoing universe of connected shows on The CW. The Marvel Cinematic Universe's popularity further encouraged creators to tackle other Marvel characters on the small screen. But not every superhero show can be a hit.
Fans have a wealth of options available to them across both DC and Marvel, and new shows are constantly being produced. Since there's no shortage of great, modern superhero series, it's no surprise that some shows have fallen out of the audience's minds.
Updated May 10, 2023 by Daniel Kurland: Superhero series have become the new normal and it’s truly remarkable how every prestige streaming service or channel tries to embrace some variety of comic book adaptation. Superhero fans have never had more options when it comes to genre television. But this hasn’t been an easy journey, and for decades superhero shows were treated like embarrassing experiments instead of tentpole projects. It’s easy to remember the superhero shows that worked, but there are also plenty that have been largely lost to time.
20 No Ordinary Family
1 Season, 20 Episodes
No Ordinary Family was a primetime network drama that aired on ABC in 2010, way ahead of the superhero curve. Co-created by Greg Berlanti, who would become a major player in superhero TV for the CW, No Ordinary Family follows an everyday Californian family who all receive superpowers following a cryptic plane crash.
No Ordinary Family benefited from a strong cast led by Michael Chiklis and a full season of unconventional superhero procedural stories. No Ordinary Family deserves points for originality, but this is also what kept it from breaking out into the mainstream during its debut.
19 Automan
1 Season, 13 Episodes
Automan is highly emblematic of the '80s and the visual influence that was left on the decade following Tron. However, even back then this superhero series wasn't able to make waves and pull in a huge audience.
Automan, short for Automatic Man, is an artificially-created computer program who is able to leave his digital world and help fight crime as a hologram alongside his police officer and computer programmer partner. Automan doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's still a case of style over substance, and the show's cutting-edge special effects have not aged well.
18 Aquaman
1 Pilot
The WB had experienced tremendous success with their Superman origin story series, Smallville. Its conclusion prompted them to adopt the same approach with another DC hero, Aquaman.
Introduced in a backdoor pilot episode of Smallville, Aquaman is a young adult take on the aquatic crime fighter. It was supposed to debut on the WB, but the network's merger with UPN to become the CW Network led to Aquaman becoming a bureaucratic casualty. While Aquaman never technically launched as a series, its finished pilot was made available to download on iTunes and it did air in some international markets.
17 Human Target
2 Season, 25 Episodes
Human Target ran for two seasons on Fox, and most of its limited audience wasn't even aware that it was an adaptation of a fringe DC Comics property. Len Wein and Carmine Infantino's comic follows Christopher Chance, a private contractor and bodyguard who functionally becomes his clients in order to keep them out of harm's way.
In the Human Target TV show, Chance doesn't become his clients, but he seamlessly immerses himself into their lives so that his life is on the line. It's a creative mix of police procedurals and heightened comic book tropes, but its inability to commit too far to either extreme results in a decent but watered-down action series.
16 Generation X
1 Pilot
The early 2000s were an exciting time to be an X-Men fan as live-action feature films turned these comic book icons into cinematic legends years before the MCU kicked off in earnest. Back in 1996, a pilot was developed that was designed as a younger-skewing X-Men spin-off titled Generation X.
Generation X explores the typical oppressed mutant narrative and features famous X-Men characters like Jubilee and Emma Frost. Generation X is a fascinating product of its time and a far cry from modern X-Men adaptations, but it's not impossible that the series could have picked up steam during the '90s with the right support.
15 Shazam!
3 Seasons, 28 Episodes
Shazam! was based on the Golden Age Captain Marvel comics that would later join the main DC universe. The TV series followed the adventures of Billy Batson, a boy who could transform into the heroic Captain Marvel. Unlike the comics, Billy drove around in an RV with a new character called the Mentor. Characters like Mary Marvel and Freddy Freeman never made an appearance.
Shazam! arrived on the heels of the wildly successful Batman show starring Adam West. Batman proved entertaining for both adults and kids, smartly relying on its camp aesthetic. Meanwhile, Shazam! was bright and flashy, but not quite as clever or nuanced as the Emmy-nominated Batman series.
14 The Amazing Spider-Man
2 Seasons, 13 Episodes
The Amazing Spider-Man ran for just 13 episodes between 1977 and 1979 before CBS canceled it. It also became one of the lowest-rated superhero shows on television at the time, since it had to contend with more successful programs like The Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman.
Since The Amazing Spider-Man's cancelation, its Japanese counterpart Spider-Man largely overshadowed its place in pop culture. Toei produced the Spider-Man TV show just one year after the American version. Viewers found it easier to give the Japanese Spider-Man a chance thanks to his unique origin, fun character arc, and giant robot Leopardon.
13 Superboy
4 Seasons, 100 Episodes
Superboy ran for four seasons and followed the adventures of a young Clark Kent in college. Many of Superman's supporting cast from the comics, like Lana Lang and the Kents, found their way into the series. Superboy also featured a few of Superman's comic book villains, like Lex Luthor and Metallo.
Superboy was fairly successful and partially inspired by the Richard Donner Superman film. The series departed from the comics in later seasons when Clark Kent and Lana Lang began working for a government organization. In time, '90s programs like Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Superman: The Animated Series replaced Superboy in many viewers' memories.
12 Swamp Thing (1990)
3 Seasons, 72 Episodes
The 1982 Swamp Thing film was dark, eerie, and very atmospheric. It followed Alec Holland's struggles against the evil Anton Arcane as Swamp Thing, Guardian of the Green. The subsequent 1990 TV series deviated from comic book mythology and introduced new characters like the Kipp family.
Due to a lower budget, the Swamp Thing television series didn't quite match the tone of the movie. Swamp Thing's attempts at horror came off as unintentionally campy, and the costume didn't feel convincing at times. Despite its flaws and poor critic reviews, the series ran for 72 episodes across three seasons. The new Swamp Thing series from 2019 further eclipsed the forgotten original.
11 M.A.N.T.I.S.
1 Season, 22 Episodes
Carl Lumbly starred as Dr. Miles Hawkins, a paralyzed scientist-turned-superhero in the M.A.N.T.I.S. TV series. Hawkins created an experimental exoskeleton known as the Mechanically Augmented NeuroTransmitter Interactive System. This allowed him to become a vigilante who could take down a government conspiracy that extended to the police force.
M.A.N.T.I.S. was an original series, rather than a comic book adaptation. However, the two-hour pilot set a different expectation than what the subsequent episodes delivered. In addition to recasting most actors, the creative team retooled and simplified the premise. The show abandoned the grounded sci-fi elements for more ridiculous fantasy moments, which ultimately doomed M.A.N.T.I.S. and preemptively alienated the fanbase.
10 Night Man
2 Seasons, 44 Episodes
A live-action series loosely based on Night Man from Malibu Comics' short-lived Ultraverse aired in 1997 for two seasons. Night Man followed jazz musician Johnny Domino, who gained the ability to sense evil after he got struck by lightning. He wore a bulletproof costume and used tech that gave him additional abilities like flight and a laser eye.
Night Man was shot with a low budget, which resulted in quite a few cheesy visuals throughout. Marvel eventually bought Malibu Comics, shut it down, and canceled the series. The Ultraverse disappeared and Night Man faded into obscurity, although some fans fondly remember it.
9 The Tick (2001)
1 Seasons, 9 Episodes
The Tick was a sitcom based on Ben Edlund's comic book series of the same name. Before the 2001 sitcom's release, The Tick was a very successful animated series in the early '90s.
Patrick Warburton starred as the wacky superhero in this beloved series. Despite the positive fan and critical reaction, The Tick only had a brief nine-episode run. With the massive success of the earlier animated series and another live-action adaptation released in 2017, fans quickly forgot the 2001 series.
8 Mutant X
3 Seasons, 66 Episodes
While Marvel didn't have the rights to make X-Men adaptations at the time, production forged ahead on a TV show called Mutant X that used similar themes and characters. Mutant X featured a team of experimental test subjects who gained incredible powers as mutants. That said, the series had no connection to the Marvel comic of the same name.
The similarities between the X-Men and Mutant X even led to a lawsuit from 20th Century Fox, who owned the Marvel mutants' film and TV rights. The TV show was canceled after three seasons when one of the production companies shut down, ending the series on a frustrating cliffhanger.
7 Birds Of Prey
1 Season, 13 Episodes
Birds of Prey took place in a Gotham City struggling without Batman. Birds of Prey followed the adventures of Barbara Gordon and Helena Kyle, Batman and Catwoman's daughter. A connection to the original Batman movie franchise was never confirmed, despite footage from Batman Returns appearing in the opening credits.
Birds of Prey featured popular DC villains from the comics like Lady Shiva, Clayface, and Harley Quinn. Even though Birds of Prey premiered to 7.6 million viewers, its viewership and ratings soon fell off. Warner Bros. canceled the series after just 13 episodes.
6 Blade: The Series
1 Season, 13 Episodes
Blade: The Series, also released as Blade: House of Chthon, took place after the events of the Blade film trilogy, with Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones taking over from Wesley Snipes as the vampire hunter. Fans and critics gave mixed reviews, and many felt the new adaptation was more concerned with style over substance. Blade: The Series featured flashy action scenes but underdeveloped characters and plots.
Lukewarm reviews combined with a sizable budget that didn't pay off forced Spike TV to cancel the series after just 13 episodes. The Blade Trilogy helped reinvent the vampire genre, which left pretty big shoes for the show to fill. With a new Blade movie heading to theaters in 2024, fans have forgotten that there was a TV show.
5 The Cape
1 Season, 10 Episodes
The Cape, unlike most superhero TV shows, was an original concept not based on pre-existing comic books. Vince Faraday earned a reputation as a good cop in Palm City before someone framed him for several murders. Presumed dead, Faraday became a vigilante known as The Cape, hoping to clear his name and find those responsible for his situation.
Critics gave The Cape mixed reviews, and it only lasted for ten episodes. The concept was interesting, but the series took itself too seriously. Unfortunately, popular Marvel and DC shows airing at the time overshadowed The Cape, and its ratings quickly dropped.
4 Powers
2 Seasons, 20 Episodes
PlayStation Network launched its first original scripted series with an adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming's Powers. The series followed a former hero-turned-detective and his partner as they investigated crimes involving superpowered individuals.
Powers bounced back from a troubled pilot to deliver two celebrated seasons that featured great world-building and a range of dynamic characters. However, due to the streaming series' limited reach and some mixed reviews from critics, it had little-staying power and eventually faded away.
3 The Gifted
2 Seasons, 29 Episodes
20th Century Fox finally got its own live-action X-Men series in 2017. The Gifted followed a family of young mutants who joined the resistance against anti-mutant forces within the government, including the deadly Sentinel Services.
While The Gifted definitely took place within the X-Men universe and featured a few recognizable characters, it didn't actually include the X-Men themselves. The Gifted initially developed a strong fanbase, but it started to fade by the second season. Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox led to the program's cancelation, leaving fans of The Gifted with some unanswered questions.
2 Powerless
1 Season, 12 Episodes
The premise of Powerless was interesting — employees at Wayne Security create products for victims of superhero/villain clashes throughout the DC universe. The connection to DC Comics was appealing and the impressive cast featured popular actors like Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi, and Alan Tudyk.
Powerless proved to be charming, humorous, and fast-paced. Some episodes were better than others, but the ratings rapidly declined and the series lasted only 12 episodes. Despite its short run, it was a fun, unique show that DC fans should revisit.
1 Marvel's Inhumans
1 Season, 8 Episodes
The Inhumans play a significant role in the Marvel Universe. The Inhumans series announcement excited fans, especially since the characters were in the spotlight in Marvel Comics at the time. However, Inhumans' connection to the MCU felt ambiguous at best.
Inhumans fell short for critics and audiences. It suffered from bland characters and dull narratives that seemed to hate the source material. Marvel fans have largely pushed aside their memories of the show. However, Anson Mount's return as Black Bolt in the Doctor Strange sequel briefly reminded fans of the failed Inhumans series' tie to the broader MCU.