8 Forgotten Superhero Shows That Deserve a Second Life

The boom in superhero stories has defined entertainment in the 21st century thus far, dominating pop-culture markets with its enormous sense of spectacle, its thematic stories of power and responsibility, and its engrossing action excitement. While this trend launched through cinematic blockbusters like The Dark Knight trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it has also engulfed modern television, with series like Daredevil, The Punisher, and The Boys becoming landmark triumphs of small-screen drama.

However, for every monumental hit the genre has seen on television, there have been numerous great superhero shows that flew under the radar, dwindling as underrated gems and soon being forgotten by the masses despite their brilliance. From hidden treasures of animated television that struggled to make an early impact and were soon canceled to engrossing live-action dramas that completed their runs with cult followings but were largely dismissed, these eight series deserve a second chance at success.

8 'Swamp Thing' (2019)

While recent years have seen bold departures from and subversions of superhero tropes become increasingly prominent, 2019’s Swamp Thing is still a noteworthy outlier given its endeavor to combine the drama of the genre with monster horror. It follows CDC doctor Abby Arcane (Crystal Reed) as she returns to her hometown in Louisiana to investigate a devastating swamp-borne virus. As she confronts her past life, she finds refuge in a budding bond with disgraced scientist Alec Holland (Andy Bean), only for him to be murdered as he starts looking into a company’s unethical and illegal practices concerning the swamp. The emergence of a giant creature spawned by the swamp promises to bring a new sense of justice to the world while also indicating Holland may live on in some form.

Honoring the tone and intensity of the source material, Swamp Thing is unflinching in its appetite for horrifying visuals, embracing the dark depravity of the genre with its stunning practical effects and body-horror influences. While many fans were unimpressed with the plot beats of the series, its visual style was faultless, and its cast all impressed in their roles, signaling that the show could easily have become a genre-blending hit had it been granted the opportunity to evolve beyond its first season. While it was axed due to shifting strategies from WarnerMedia and its high production costs, Swamp Thing could soar with a second chance, especially if it was able to sharpen up its storytelling while still thriving with the visual divinity and visceral impact of its practical approach to filmmaking, which is sadly lacking in superhero cinema at large.

7 'Young Justice' (2010–2022)

Producing just four seasons over the course of its 12-year tenure, Young Justice was a treat of animated superhero action that, despite having to endure a tumultuous run across three different networks, delivered compelling drama while entrancing younger viewers with its focus on teenage heroes. Based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, the series follows the lives and exploits of an emerging generation of crime fighters, working under the guidance of the Justice League while overcoming the struggles of adolescence in their personal lives as well.

The sidekick-centric series boldly expands its scope over its duration, with Season 1 set in a world where superheros are a relatively new phenomenon and the young team is still being assembled, while ensuring seasons focus on everything from the defense of Earth-16 from an alien invasion to the trafficking of teenage metahumans, and even intergalactic conflicts like the Justice League’s struggle against Darkseid and planet Apokalips. While the series hasn’t officially been canceled, its fourth season did feel conclusive, focusing on the Season 1 heroes as adults as they usher in a new generation of Young Justice heroes. However, the show never got the credit it deserves and any sign of a second life or even a continuation would be a just reward for the impassioned fanbase.

6 'The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes' (2011–2012)

Perhaps overlooked given its striking similarity to the MCU’s booming popularity and its success with 2012’s The Avengers, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes never really got a chance to excel, coming to an end after just two seasons on Disney XD. The shame in this is that its approach was so pure and engrossing, striving to capture the tone of the original comics written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as it starts with the original Avengers roster before adding in popular heroes like Captain America (Brian Bloom), Black Panther (James C. Mathis III), and Hawkeye (Chris Cox).

Season 1 transpires as the Avengers team up to quell the carnage following a prison break at the Vault that sees a wave of dangerous and immensely powerful supervillains unleashed on the world. Season 2 then sees the squad taking on the Masters of Evil while hinting at a narrative thread in which Surtur escapes his containment. Unfortunately, that final plot line was never given the chance to be fully explored, with the series being axed and effectively replaced by 2013’s Avengers Assemble, which, while entertaining in bursts, never had the passion or punch of its predecessor. Given that the original Avengers squad is less prominent in entertainment today, and fans would appreciate the series’ dedication to the original comics today, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would thrive with a second life today.

5 'Witchblade' (2001–2002)

It is difficult to say if Witchblade was a series that was ahead of its time in terms of its approach, but it does definitely have qualities that are more in vogue today than they were back in 2001. Mixing elements of superhero action, fantasy mythos, and even detective mystery drama, the series follows Detective Sara Pezzini (Yancy Butler), a sword-wielding NYPD officer who combats evil forces while striving to unveil the secret of the Witchblade with help from her new partner.

While the 2001 series has a certain cheesiness that might be endearing to some, its basic premise could be modernized in a variety of ways. Its source material, Top Cow Productions’ comic book series of the same name, runs as an action-packed fantasy adventure, but a series released today could spin the story in several different directions depending on which qualities it wanted to emphasize. The original series ran for just two seasons before being canceled and completely forgotten.

4 'The Spectacular Spider-Man' (2008–2009)

Modern audiences are inundated with Spider-Man stories, be it in the form of Tom Holland’s forays into the character in the MCU, the animated sensation of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequels, and the litany of animated TV shows based on the character. Among the very best of them is 2008’s short-lived series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, which garnered critical acclaim and fan appreciation en masse owing to its faithful yet mature adaptation of its source material, the invigorating art style that imbued the series with a striking visual panache, and the brilliant vocal work from the cast.

Sadly, despite its planned run of five seasons and 65 episodes, The Spectacular Spider-Man was axed after just two seasons due to underwhelming viewership numbers and a range of corporate legal issues following Disney’s acquisition of Marvel and Sony’s pre-existing ownership of the rights to Spider-Man-focused stories. Within all this corporate red tape and logistical issues, a great and budding superhero series was lost to time. Were its planned five-season run to come to fruition, The Spectacular Spider-Man could be viewed among the greatest animated superhero shows of all time. A second life for the series, fueled by audience interest in Spider-Man and Sony and Disney’s ability to cooperate on past iterations of the character’s big screen stories, would be a treat to superhero fans of all ages the world over.

3 'Constantine' (2014)

There seems to be a plethora of superhero stories that are widely loved and universally deemed to be worthy of an adaptation, but never quite work on the screen for one reason or another. DC Comics’ “Constantine” is among them. While the Keanu Reeves movie was okay and the animated series the character appeared in has been rewarding, NBC’s 2014 series showed the most promise in finally realizing the character in live-action with the atmospheric tone and spectacle it deserves. Sadly, it was canceled after just one season due to low live ratings, even though it garnered a more significant following through streaming.

It focuses on John Constantine (Matt Ryan), a demon hunter who dabbles in the occult as he strives to protect the good and innocent from evil supernatural forces while reckoning with his past sins as he strives to redeem his soul. While Season 1 had its flaws, it did showcase enormous potential, with Ryan’s performance wonderfully capturing the irreverent and hard-edged charm of the titular hero working in tandem with the show’s impressionable air of eerie suspense and wry humor. Unfortunately, despite lingering audience interest from its cult following, Constantine has become a largely forgotten series, but it proves the character can be done in live-action, and one that could be far more successful were it to be given a second life.

2 'Gargoyles' (1994–1997)

While it is one of the best series of the '90s boom in animated superhero TV shows, Gargoyles also stands as one of the more forgotten gems of its era. Its titular characters are nocturnal creatures who turn to stone during the day, beings that, after spending a millennium in an enchanted petrified state, return to life in the modern world, where they become the guardians of the night in New York City.

The series was favorably compared to other hit animated shows of the time like Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series, turning the heads of critics with its darker and more mature approach to superhero storytelling while endearing itself to viewers of all ages with its entrancing Gothic fairy tale allure and its powerful focus on notions of friendship, duty, loyalty, and heroism. The series completed its three-season run as planned, and its cult fanbase has endured for nearly 30 years since its completion, but it never infiltrated mainstream consciousness. A renewed spin on the series that adheres to the original run’s striking visual style, thematic heft, and bold storytelling would present an enticing marriage of narrative and tone to many superhero fans today, a rich blending of Gothic intrigue and superhero might that would be in line with the interest audiences have shown in superhero stories evolving beyond the form to incorporate ideas from other genres.

1 'Heroes' (2006–2010)

Season 1 of Heroes stands as one of the best seasons of any series in 2000s television, a contemplative marriage of superhero scale and grounded drama that modernized the basic premise of the genre with the compelling thematic gravitas that became a trademark of small-screen entertainment in the decade. It follows several ordinary people who inadvertently develop superhuman powers, with the individual storylines overlapping as the characters grapple with their newfound abilities while striving to prevent a looming global catastrophe.

It was an instant hit, an engrossing phenomenon that had millions of people eagerly anticipating Season 2. Unfortunately, it coincided with the 2007/08 SAG Writers’ Strike, resulting in only 11 of the planned 24 episodes for the second season being produced, and stripping the series of all its momentum while effectively ruining its ongoing narrative beyond repair. While the circumstances were woeful for the show, it makes Heroes a perfect candidate for a series that deserves a second go, a story idea with plenty of potential that would arguably be even more appealing to audiences today than it was 20 years ago.