Image via The CW
Published Oct 19, 2026, 11:55 PM EDT
Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wonderful wife and precious daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, interviews, and breaking news on select occasion. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own, from supernatural thrillers to historical fiction. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" in 2025 from the Western Writers of America, of which he is a member. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.
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Who doesn't love superheroes? When it comes to characters pulled from the pages of comic books, superheroes typically take center stage for a reason. They're colorful, exciting, and offer plenty of storytelling potential. It's no wonder, then, that superheroes have become such a large part of American culture. Not only have they invaded the big screen, but the small screen as well.
Whether you prefer live-action or animation, there is something superhero-related out there for everybody. And by superhero, we don't just mean "comic book." There are plenty of comic-based shows out there, but these shows are some of the greatest superhero-specific content to ever make it across the airwaves. So, without further ado, here are perhaps the greatest superhero shows (live-action and animated alike) that are worth watching over and over again.
10 'Batman' (1966–1968)
Image via ABCWhen it comes to comic book-accurate superhero television, you probably wouldn't consider Batman to fall under that category. However, if you read Silver Age Batman and Detective Comics, you'll quickly see how this semi-parody-played-straight take on the Dynamic Duo perfectly represents the era. Adam West and Burt Ward were Batman and Robin for generations, and there's a reason that they have been so often associated with the roles.
Batman is campy as all get out, but it's a fun series for those who love the cheesy nature of old comic books as well as classic American television. It's a time-capsule that deserves proper recognition, if not solely for its contributions to superhero media. It may not make the top of your list of favorite Batman TV adaptations, but the three-season classic is a blast that does well with every rewatch.
9 'X-Men: The Animated Series' (1992–1997)
Image via FOXOne of the most important superhero animated series out there, X-Men: The Animated Series established the popular '90s lineup of X-Men in stunning animation that took Fox Kids audiences by storm. The saga follows all your favorite X-Men characters as they encounter every vile and villainous threat, both mutant and non-mutant alike. With a killer theme song that still lives in our heads rent-free, the Marvel Animated Universe installment delivers five seasons worth of stunning superhero material.
Counted as one of IMDb's most favored animated superhero shows, X-Men: The Animated Series is a favorite of '90s kids and mutant fanatics alike. It's no wonder that the program was revived on Disney+ in recent years with X-Men '97, a sequel show featuring some returning cast members that continues the saga. Surprisingly, the revival may even be better, but since it's ongoing, it's hard to tell.
8 'The Flash' (2014–2023)
Image via The CWSpinning off from the CW's Arrow, The Flash brought back live-action DC Comics fare to television with style. Not since the '90s had the Scarlet Speedster had his own television adventures, and for nine years, Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) pushed himself to the limit to save Central City from all invading forces. Alongside his faithful companions at S.T.A.R. Labs, Flash faced off against other speedsters, mad thinkers, and futuristic foes who wanted to unravel his destiny as he was forging it.
While The Flash ran for nine seasons total, it's those first three seasons, especially, that are quite rewatchable. No wonder we got all these episodic masterpieces in those years. Not only was The Flash at its peak as a series back then, but everything wasn't so endlessly connected that the entire Arrowverse bled together. Either way, the Fastest Man Alive more than proved his worth on television, which is why we continue to run back to him.
7 'Loki' (2021–2023)
Image via Disney+Okay, technically, Tom Hiddleston's Loki started out (and starts out) as a supervillain. That's true. However, over the course of Loki, the series lays the foundation of the hero's journey to the titular "God of Mischief," as he slowly realizes that he has a glorious purpose beyond his initial plans to rule both Asgard and Earth. Indeed, Loki becomes something of a superhero himself here — and all without the help of his brother Thor (Chris Hemsworth).
Loki is not only one of the best shows in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it's among the best superhero shows period. It effortlessly blends comic book concepts like time travel and parallel worlds directly with Loki's own personal arc, proving him to be a hero even when nobody sees him. No, he's not the sort of do-gooder who flies around in a cape and catches cats from trees, but he remains a hero in his own right. With only two short seasons, this is one of the greatest superhero shows with under 40 episodes.
Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Superhero Team Should You Join? Avengers · X-Men · Teen Titans · The Boys
Every team is a personality test with a uniform. One saves the world and argues about it the whole way home. One has been fighting for the right to exist since the day it formed. One is still working out who it is while the fighting happens. And one has no powers at all, plus no intention of playing fair. Eight questions decide where you actually belong.
🛡️Avengers(Marvel Studios)
🧬X-Men(Marvel)
🐦Teen Titans(DC)
💊The Boys(Prime Video)
FIND YOUR TEAM →
01
What kind of power would you actually want? The power matters less than what you would be willing to do with it.
ASomething enormous and obvious. I would not hide it. BSomething I was born with, whether I wanted it or not. CSomething still growing that I cannot quite control. DNone at all. I would rather nobody sees me coming.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
Why join a team at all? Nobody puts on the suit for the reason they say out loud.
ABecause some threats are too big for anyone alone. BBecause people like me are safer together than apart. CBecause I did not want to do any of this alone. DBecause somebody has to hold these people accountable.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
How do you feel about the people in charge? Every team has a chain of command. Very few of them survive contact.
AI will follow a good leader and argue with a bad one. BThey have never protected people like me. I expect nothing. CI am still learning who to trust, and getting it wrong. DThey are the problem. That is the entire point.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
What is your role inside a group? Every roster needs the same handful of people to function.
AThe big personality. I take up room and I earn it. BThe one who protects whoever arrived most recently. CThe heart. I keep everybody talking to each other. DThe one who says the uncomfortable thing out loud.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
How do you win a fight you should lose? This is the scene the entire film gets built around.
AOverwhelming force, and a very good landing. BWorking together in a way nobody saw coming. CRefusing to give up long after I should have. DPreparation, leverage, and one extremely dirty trick.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What is this work costing you? Nobody does this for free. The bill just arrives differently for everyone.
AMy private life. Everybody knows my face now. BMy safety. The world is frightened of me. CMy childhood. I grew up faster than I should have. DMy peace. I cannot stop now that I know.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
How should the world see your team? Half of this job is public relations, and everybody knows it.
AAs icons. The team everyone is relieved to see arrive. BAs people. Just people, which is all we ever asked. CAs proof the next generation is going to be fine. DThey should not see us at all until it is done.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
The offer arrives. What makes you say yes? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides your team.
AThe scale. If the world is ending, I want to be there. BThe promise that I would not have to hide anymore. CThe people. I would be joining friends, not an employer. DThe chance to take down somebody who deserves it.
REVEAL MY TEAM →
Recruitment Is Complete Your Team Is…
Four teams, four completely different reasons to put yourself in danger for strangers. This is the roster you actually belong on, what they would want from you, and what it would cost you to stay.
The Avengers
You belong where the stakes are largest and the personalities are loudest. This is a team of people who are all used to being the most important person in the room, which is exactly why it works and exactly why it keeps nearly falling apart.
- The Avengers are not friends who became a team. They are a team that slowly and reluctantly became friends, and you would recognise every stage of that process.
- You can hold your own among big egos without needing to win every exchange, which is the real entry requirement here.
- The arguing is part of the method. This group does its best thinking mid-disagreement, usually at volume, usually in a very expensive building.
- When the sky opens, they are who shows up. You would want to be standing in that line.
The X-Men
You have never had the luxury of being thanked for this. The X-Men protect a world that has never once been comfortable with them existing, and something in you understands exactly why they keep doing it anyway.
- This is the only team on the list whose central conflict is not a villain. It is being wanted gone by the same people they keep saving.
- You know what it is to be the outsider in a room and to decide, anyway, that you will not make yourself smaller so everyone else is comfortable.
- The X-Men are the most genuine found family in comics. People arrive with nowhere else to go and are never once asked to explain themselves.
- You would not be joining for the glory. There has never been any.
The Teen Titans
You do not want colleagues, you want your people. The Titans are the team where the friendship came first and the world-saving turned up afterwards as an inconvenient side effect.
- Every Titan is somebody's sidekick who decided to stop being one. That decision, not the villain of the week, is what the team is actually about.
- You would be joining people who are all working themselves out at the same time as you, which is far less lonely than being the only one.
- The Titans lose regularly. Then they eat together and come back better, which is a more honest model of growing up than any other team here manages.
- The tower would be loud, chaotic, and the first place that ever felt like yours.
The Boys
You are not asking who to trust. You worked out the answer a while ago and it was nobody in a cape. This is where you go once you have decided the people in charge need watching, and that nobody else is going to do it.
- The Boys have no powers, no mandate and no funding. What they have is leverage, patience, and a very high tolerance for consequences.
- You are the person in the room who notices the thing everybody else has quietly agreed not to mention.
- This is not a heroic team and it has never pretended otherwise. It is a group of damaged people doing necessary work in ways nobody would call clean.
- You would not sleep well. You would keep going anyway.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
6 'Superman & Lois' (2021–2024)
Image via The CWInitially intended to be an Arrowverse spin-off, Superman & Lois is so much more. The good news is that you don't have to watch a single other CW show to enjoy Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch's respective takes on Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane. The pair navigate not only the intense world of superheroics and investigative journalism, but also parenting as they raise their twin boys, Jonathan (Jordan Elsass and Michael Bishop) and Jordan (Alex Garfin).
Moving Superman from Metropolis to Smallville, Superman & Lois feels like the natural next step for the Man of Steel. We've seen his origin, we've seen his "greatest hits," and now, this four-season series gives us an introspective look at the later years of Clark Kent's life. Not only did it find creative ways to remix the original comic material, but it did so with genuine care for the Superman mythos. No doubt, this one ranks quite high when all Superman shows are factored together.
5 'Justice League' (2001–2004)
Image via Cartoon NetworkNo superhero team quite outshines the Justice League of America. This is especially true on the small screen where the DC icons have long dominated the screen, especially in animation. Justice League was a venture in the DC Animated Universe that took heroes like Superman (George Newbern), Batman (Kevin Conroy), Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg), and Green Lantern (Phil LaMarr) and smashed them together in cinematic-style adventures that feel ripped from a comic book.
The best Justice League episodes outpace even certain live-action Marvel flicks, devoting time to each costumed hero while fully embracing the world around them. Although Justice League ended its two-season run with an epic three-part finale (later re-edited into a feature-length movie adventure), the seven heroes returned for three more seasons with an expanded roster in Justice League Unlimited. As the final chapter of the DCAU, JLU reminded us why these heroes live at the top.
4 'The Spectacular Spider-Man' (2008–2009)
Image via Sony Pictures TelevisionIt may be surprising that Spider-Man doesn't have more of a live-action television presence, but the wall-crawler certainly has his fair share of animated series. The Spectacular Spider-Man is arguably the biggest among them, following a teenage Peter Parker (Josh Keaton) as he navigates not only high school and several possible romances, but weekly supervillains who would just as soon plaster him onto a wall for good. Of course, "with great power comes great responsibility," so Spidey isn't one to easily back down.
As one of the best animated versions of Spider-Man, Spectacular gives the web-slinger plenty of flare as the series adapts some of the character's most iconic comic book arcs. With plenty of fun twists and innovative takes on the mythology, this two-season animated series reminds us just how complicated Spidey's life gets on a daily basis. Nevertheless, he remains a hero, and there's a reason that this incarnation even made his way to the big screen for a cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
3 'Daredevil' (2015–2018)
Image via NetflixWhen it comes to Marvel television, nothing outshines Daredevil. The three-season Netflix original series translated Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) from the page to the screen with such ease that nobody else could ever compare. Moonlighting as the "Devil of Hell's Kitchen," Matt plays a lawyer by day and vigilante by night to ensure the downfall of the criminal empires that plan to control his corner of New York City, empires masterminded by Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio). And when he shows up, things get wild.
Daredevil is unmatched in the action department, with fight scenes that raise the bar to feature film quality despite being a made-for-streaming program. This Marvel/Netflix series is easily the most rewatchable of them all, even if you add in The Defenders between the second and third seasons. More recently, the series has been revived with its returning cast (and newcomers alike) for the Disney+ drama Daredevil: Born Again, which, while still good, doesn't quite recapture that same intensity.
2 'Smallville' (2001–2011)
"Somebody save me!" When it comes to superhero television, no series (animated or live-action) ran as long as Smallville. For ten seasons, we watched as young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) grew into the Man of Steel, learning how to use and control his abilities and discovering the destiny for which he was put on Earth to embrace. Although he's not Superman for the majority of the show (and it's a full-blown superhero presence until the final three seasons), Clark's journey is worth returning to over and over again.
Smallville not only introduced plenty of DC Comics heroes and villains over the years, but it established perhaps the best Clark and Lois (Erica Durance) dynamic on TV, as well as introducing audiences to the greatest on-screen Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). It may not be your traditional superhero fare, but Smallville is a masterclass in superhero entertainment — here are some essential episodes to get you started.
1 'Batman: The Animated Series' (1992–1995)
Image via Warner Bros. AnimationDid you expect anything else? Not only is Batman: The Animated Series the greatest Batman program to grace the small screen, but Kevin Conroy's definitive vocals as the Dark Knight remain the gold standard for the character. With some of the most psychologically complex Batman tales told on television, there is no series that does better at bringing a superhero from the page to the screen.
Batman: The Animated Series was so popular that it sparked a theatrical feature film, direct-to-video productions, a revival in the form of The New Batman Adventures (sometimes considered the fourth and final season of the show), and an entire DC Animated Universe. The best Batman episodes perfectly capture the heart of this foundational '90s series, and the Caped Crusader has never been better. We only wish it had lasted longer than those three seasons on Fox.
