Superhero TV in the 2010s: Ranked
Update 6/18/21 — Added final season of Black Lightning & Arrowverse series shuffle around!
The year is 2008. And everyone is watching superheroes…on the big screen.
Marvel & DC are finally finding success — The MCU is underway with Iron Man & The Incredible Hulk and people are going nuts over the game-changing The Dark Knight. Lesser-known quantities are popping up too — Hancock, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Watchmen, The Spirit, The Punisher and more. With more Avengers, X-Men & Batman announced for the coming years, it’s looking more and more like the 2010s will mark a new Golden Age for Superheroes.
And that’s what happened.
What was not expected was the rise of superheroes on television. There were precious few shows in that genre in the 2000s — most notably NBC’s Heroes and the CW’s Smallville. But as 2010 loomed large, Smallville was well on its way out and Heroes was running itself into the ground. It appeared that movies were where these characters belonged and that TV was superhero Kryptonite.
But then a few things happened: The Avengers. Arrow. And Netflix.
—
Over. 10 years later, and almost every network — from NBC, FOX & CBS to Netflix, Hulu & Amazon to HBO, FX & EPIX — has joined the game. Now more than half of the CW’s shows belong to the Arrowverse, Marvel is moving many of their movie characters to Disney+ and a new superhero-only streaming service has arisen in DC Universe.
It appears the Age of Super TV has just begun.
As we enter a new decade — set to bring us small-screen versions of Green Lantern (HBO), She-Hulk (Disney+), Superman & Lois (the CW) and more — let’s look back at the 2010’s and see which shows were worth watching & which are better left forgotten.
Being the mathematical person that I am, I used a ranking system to grade the shows. Each is graded 1–10 from a list of 11 categories.
The categories are:
*Writing (strength of dialogue)
*Heroes (likability, relatability, uniqueness)
*Villains (are they worthy adversaries to our heroes?)
*Tone (consistent mood and feel to the show)
*Uniqueness (degree it is unlike anything else on television)
*Action (fight sequences, chase sequences, etc.)
*Twists (unexpected developments, surprises)
*Special Effects (practical, computer-generated)
*Technical (camera, editing, music, production design, etc.)
*Consistency (overall quality season to season)
You’ll find a full list at the bottom of the article.
Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I am missing a few shows, but will add soon.
31. THE GIFTED: 47
NETWORK: FOX
SEASONS: 2 (1) Note: This means I have seen 1 of 2 seasons.
YEARS: 2017–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Special Effects
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Uniqueness
What The Gifted doesn’t seem to understand is that its concept has already been done to death. About a dozen X-Men films and a handful of imitators have already explored this topic in depth (and with better characters). It doesn’t help that the show is poorly written and overacted to boot. It’s difficult to make a superhero show boring…and yet in this area, this show is truly Gifted.
Best Character: No one.
30. INHUMANS : 49
NETWORK: ABC
SEASONS: 1
YEAR: 2017
GREATEST STRENGTH: Technical
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Twists
ABC took one of Marvel’s best superhero teams and immediately destroyed them — they cut off Medusa’s hair (her superpower), killed Trigon, limited Black Bolt’s involvement, gave Karnak a brain injury (eliminating his power), etc. It’s easily Marvel TV’s biggest disaster — luckily it wasn’t given a full season. There are rumors that these characters will be rebooted in a future show or film.
Best Character: No one.
29. HEROES: REBORN : 51
NETWORK: NBC
SEASONS: 1
YEARS: 2015–2016
GREATEST STRENGTH: Special Effects
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
Attempting to capitalize on the reboot boom, NBC brought back Heroes, its successful super-powered drama from the 2000s as a “special television event”. Failing to bring back the full cast (stars like Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia and Zachary Quinto were now quite busy), they introduced new characters who felt more like placeholders rather than original ideas. Failing to learn from its past problems, Heroes: Reborn blew its chance for a full revival.
Best Character: Luke Collins (Zachary Levi)
28. RUNAWAYS : 53
NETWORK: HULU
SEASONS: 3 (1)
YEARS: 2017–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Action
A group of students who find out their parents are in an evil magical cult and run away together is an interesting premise, but too much time is spent getting them to that point — they only become “runaways” in the final seconds of the last episode of the first season. Despite a variety of hormones, powers and parents to create drama, there’s no real sense of urgency, making this a show that’s hard to get excited about.
Best Character: Gert Yorkes (Ariela Barer)
27. THE TICK : 55
NETWORK: AMAZON
SEASONS: 2 (1)
YEARS: 2016–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Consistency
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
The Tick is fun when it’s Arthur trying to teach the inept Tick social cues, but unfortunately it gets way too bonkers when cheesy villains, giant naked men and horny AI systems get involved. What was innovative in 2001 is no longer groundbreaking in 2016.
Best Character: Arthur Everest (Griffin Newman)
26. BATWOMAN: 58
NETWORK: THE CW
SEASONS: 2
YEARS: 2019-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Consistency
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Twists
The rookie super series suffered a massive blow when star Ruby Rose exited the series, leaving Batwoman without a Batwoman. But the writing team has been able to explain the change and keep the show afloat with Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder, who takes up the cowl after the original Batwoman goes missing. While the change is not as jarring as it might have been, the new character is still stuck picking up the pieces of Season 1’s plot, keeping the story stuck in a loop that goes nowhere (see Black Lightning). The show would be much better exploring the massive Bat-catalogue (obviously the big names are not going to be usable) and duplicating Arrow’s villain-of-the-week approach.
Best Character: Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson)
25. BLACK LIGHTNING : 59
NETWORK: HULU
SEASONS: 4
YEARS: 2018–2021
GREATEST STRENGTH: Villains
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Story
Black Lightning suffered from “Gotham Syndrome”, meaning that despite having a 4-season run, almost nothing important has happened. There’s very little Black Lightning kicking butt, which is what I showed up for. This show focused too much on messy plotlines involving a citywide quarantine, a foreign hostile attack & magical street drugs and not enough about the growth and relationships of the Pierce family.
Best Character: Jennifer Pierce / Lightning (China Ann McClain)
24. SUPERGIRL: 62
NETWORK: CBS / THE CW
SEASONS: 6
YEARS: 2015-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Technical
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Twists
Over the years, the show has added many fun characters from the comics to Kara’s team, including (but not limited to) the Martian Manhunter, Guardian, Dreamer, Brainiac 5 & Mon-El, giving her a unique team to work with. But the show often gets bogged down in painfully overt political messages that are always echoed by Supergirl, who has little to no character flaws or struggles. The recent addition of Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor is the best thing to happen to the show, finally providing a formidable antagonist. The show is starting to run out of juice, so here’s hoping they end on a high note.
Best Character: Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh)
23. THE DEFENDERS: 63
NETWORK: NETFLIX
SEASONS: 1
YEARS: 2017
GREATEST STRENGTH: Heroes
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
A fun concept, but somehow it doesn’t work. Perhaps it’s because the team-up feels forced; after all, these four largely prefer to work alone. Like many of these shows, The Defenders suffered from poor villains for our heroes and an “ultimate sacrifice” we knew wasn’t going to last.
Best Character: Stick (Scott Glenn)
22. TITANS : 63
NETWORK: DC UNIVERSE
SEASONS: 2
YEARS: 2018-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Special Effects
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
Titans is perhaps the most befuddling show on this list, as it started off with a solid batch of dark and gritty episodes before lapsing into just another overdramatized superhero soap opera. Seasons 1 & 2 are night and day, so its average score of 67, while representing both, essentially represents neither. Like so many other superhero shows, Titans gets greedy and invites a half-dozen new heroes into season 2, resulting in too many cooks who all need origin stories and things to do, which takes away from the development of the previously-established quartet.
Best Character: Rachel Roth / Raven (Teagan Croft)
21. IRON FIST : 66
NETWORK: NETFLIX
SEASONS: 2
YEARS: 2017–2018
GREATEST STRENGTH: Special Effects
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
Sadly, Iron Fist will always been known as “the worst one” when it comes to the short-lived Marvel-Netflix partnership. While this is not untrue, it is by no means a “bad show”. It was also undoubtedly the most difficult concept of the five to execute, involving magical lands, expert-level martial arts & glowing body parts. And the creators handle these three aspects admirably. It’s the “easier” things that cause trouble — such as making Danny’s romantic relationship believable and creating villains that aren’t cartoony. The show struggled to find itself but seemed closer than ever in the closing minutes of the show’s final episode. If only that was the opening scene of Season 1. Alas, it was too late.
Best Character: Ward Meachum (Tom Pelphrey)
20. CLOAK & DAGGER : 68
NETWORK: FREEFORM
SEASONS: 2 (1)
YEARS: 2018–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Heroes
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Action
Cloak & Dagger is a well-acted show completely devoid of fun or humor. (Come on — even the Nolan trilogy had a few jokes!) The show has all the other pieces — thrills, kills, powers, problems, and a unique relationship between the title characters — and yet, it’s hard to get excited about this show.
Best Characters: Tandy Bowen/Dagger (Olivia Holt) & Tyrone Johnson/Cloak (Aubrey Joseph)
19. UMBRELLA ACADEMY
NETWORK: NETFLIX
SEASONS: 1 (2)
YEARS: 2019-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
One of the weirdest shows on this list is excellent in execution, but lacks the magic of some of the other shows from the decade. Perhaps it’s because instead of focusing on fighting supervillains, our heroes spend their time arguing with each other. And after a while, it gets old. Slow pacing, a useless B-plot following 2 assassins and characters who are always miserable, makes Umbrella Academy a dreary and forgettable show. I’ve heard good things about its second season, so may give it another shot.
Best Character: Klaus Hargeeves/Number Four (Robert Sheehan)
18. KRYPTON: 72
NETWORK: SYFY
SEASONS: 2 (1)
YEARS: 2018–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Action
Krypton, a prequel focusing on Superman’s decidedly uninteresting grandfather, starts off way too slow, exploring the eponymous city suffering from imperial rule. The show gets better about halfway through when the creators realize they should stick to the comics, and so cleverly find ways to bring in characters we know — namely Brainiac, General Zod & Doomsday — who inject life into what was previously a snoozefest of a show.
Best Character: General Zod (Colin Salmon)
17. LEGENDS OF TOMORROW : 72
NETWORK: THE CW
SEASONS: 6
YEARS: 2016-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
The show where the “extra” Arrowverse characters go has been wildly different season to season, but has evolved more than any show I’ve ever seen — starting out as a dark melodrama, moving to cheesy comedy, and finally settling in as a perfect blend of action, fun& adventure. But through it all, it’s admittedly very entertaining. What I admire most about the show is its bravery & boldness.The show has included musical episodes, animated episodes, and even an episode where everyone is a puppet. If the writers feel a character’s arc has been wrapped up, they will give them a proper sendoff and write them out of the show. Each season features a completely new threat (time-traveling villains, magic, aliens, etc.) and at least one new major character. And finally, after a few rough seasons, the show has managed to develop great chemistry between its characters. The recent addition of Matt Ryan’s Constantine to the team was a major step in the right direction, as his cocky and sarcastic attitude fills in the gap left by Wentworth Miller’s Leonard Snart. It is really fun to watch the show grow and figure out what it is along the way. It gets better every season, but to fully appreciate that fact, you have to start at the beginning. Okay, maybe season 2.
Best Character: John Constantine (Matt Ryan)
16. GOTHAM: 73
NETWORK: FOX
SEASONS: 5
YEARS: 2014–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Tone
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Consistency
This Batman prequel series realized too late that a they should not wait multiple seasons before transforming their characters from nobodies into supervillains. Once Penguin, Riddler, Poison Ivy & the rest began seizing their destinies, the show became infinitely more interesting and exciting. Gotham deserves the most praise for its excellent world-building, creating a Gotham that exists somewhere in between Nolan’s bleak crime-ridden metro and Schumaker’s colorful demented circus. It also deserves praise for balancing two leads (Gordon and Bruce) as well as an ever-increasing cast of characters.
Best Characters: Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor)
15. FUTURE MAN: 79
NETWORK: HULU
SEASONS: 3
YEARS: 2017–2020
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Consistency
Josh, a nobody janitor, has no idea that the video game he’s been playing is actually a test sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future & when the video game characters appear in his bedroom to tell him this — hilarity ensues. Keep in mind this show is executive produced by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, so the humor is anything but clean. But it’s a fun time travel piece, featuring excellently-casted Eliza Coupe and Derek Wilson as two hardened warriors of the future. But the show significantly drops in quality in the second and third seasons. Perhaps it should have remained a one-and-done show, a la Watchhmen...
Best Characters: Josh Futterman (Josh Hutcherson), Tiger (Eliza Coupe) & Wolf (Derek Wilson)
14. THE PUNISHER: 80
NETWORK: NETFLIX
SEASONS: 2
YEARS: 2017–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Action
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Uniqueness
A perfectly-cast Jon Bernthal leads this Daredevil spin-off that follows our antihero as he fights bad dudes in the most brutal ways possible. But The Punisher thrives when Frank Castle is paired with unlikely allies such as a nerdy computer geek, a troubled federal agent & a runaway teen. The show also boasts one of the best supervillains of the decade in Ben Barnes’ Billy Russo, who steals the show with his cold, creepy, and unstable yet somehow likable character. Netflix’s take on the vengeful antihero is better than all three film adaptations combined.
Best Characters: Frank Castle/The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) & Billy Russo/Jigsaw (Ben Barnes)
13. AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: 77
NETWORK: ABC
SEASONS: 7
YEARS: 2013–2020
GREATEST STRENGTH: Twists
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Tone
Throughout its run, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has changed more than any show on this list, adapting a new formula for each season. The heroes have fought terrorists, super-villains, robots & aliens. They’ve gone to space, been sucked into a virtual world, and travelled through time. Its plots are very high-concept and, while admittedly they don’t always turn out great, you have to applaud them for trying. Wisely abandoning its MCU tie-ins early on, the show instead opted for more minor Marvel storylines, including the introductions of Inhumans, Kree & H.Y.D.R.A. Thinking its days were numbered, the show pulled out all the stops for the last few episodes of Season 5, creating a satisfying end, but was renewed for 2 more seasons! Unlike Toy Story 4 and the final seasons of Community, AOS continued to tell action-packed and engaging stories until the very end. It’s a long series, but overall a highly satisfying watch.
Best Character: Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker)
12. ALPHAS: 81
NETWORK: SYFY
SEASONS: 2
YEARS: 2011–2012
GREATEST STRENGTH: Heroes
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Villains
This little-known show appeared on the SYFY channel in 2011, shortly after Heroes ended its initial run. A similar setup — ordinary people with extraordinary abilities — is given a new spin, as the group is actually hired by the government to help them deal with “unusual” problems (read: superpowered villains). Adding to the “realness factor”, our heroes all have limits with regards to their abilities — they each have a significant weakness. The character with super-strength can only use it for a limited time before his heart gives out, the one with heightened senses can only use one sense at a time, & the technopath has Asperger’s (and he is the highlight of the show)! Oh — and their government liaison? A pre-Moonlight Mahershala Ali!
Best Character: Gary Bell (Ryan Cartwright)
11. THE FLASH: 84
NETWORK: THE CW
SEASONS: 7
YEARS: 2014-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Technical
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Tone
Moreso than any other show of the decade, The Flash feels like a comic book come to life. Lighter than Arrow, but more serious than Legends of Tomorrow, it’s a great blend that has appeal for most audiences. The Flash draws heavily from the comics, bringing in all sorts of fun faces from Barry Allen’s extensive rogues gallery — from Weather Wizard and Rag Doll to Doctor Alchemy and Peek-a-Boo. In fact, the show has used so much of Flash comic book canon that they’re actually running out of characters! The show never backs down from new challenges, regularly introducing new technology, new Flash powers, and new concepts, such as inter-dimensional travel (which becomes a huge part of the Arrowverse.) However, in recent seasons, the show seems to have lost its way, perhaps due to the conclusion of the “Flash disappears” mystery. It has also lost a number of longtime cast members, including Carlos Valdes, Hartley Sawyer & Tom Cavanagh.
Best Character: Cisco Ramon/Vibe (Carlos Valdes)
10. JESSICA JONES: 85
NETWORK: NETFLIX
SEASONS: 3
YEARS: 2015–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Tone
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Consistency
Krysten Ritter is perfect as troubled detective Jessica Jones, who would like nothing more than to drink herself into oblivion, but is stuck dealing with some major mysteries. Its first season is darker and more disturbing than most television shows, let alone anything by Marvel, which makes it a refreshing take on the genre. Its noir-inspired narration, music and lightning create an excellent atmosphere for our alcoholic sleuth. The two follow-up seasons are watchable but fail to live up to the show’s remarkable debut.
Best Characters: Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) & Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Ann Moss)
9. CONSTANTINE: 88
NETWORK: NBC
SEASONS: 1
YEARS: 2014–2015
GREATEST STRENGTH: Consistency
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Twists
Sadly, NBC’s adaptation of Constantine was a one-and-done season. A perfectly-cast Matt Ryan gives an electric performance as the titular spell-caster, and he successfully carries each episode with his unusual personality. The show follows a villain-of-the-week format, although it hints at a larger universe and a larger story. Luckily, the CW acquired the rights to the show and characters, bringing in John Constantine as a guest star in Arrow and then, eventually, as a regular in Legends of Tomorrow, where his unfinished storylines are being addressed. Ryan also recently expressed interest in reprising this character on HBO’s Justice League Dark.
Best Character: John Constantine (Matt Ryan)
8. THE BOYS: 90
NETWORK: AMAZON
SEASONS: 2 (1)*(an asterisk means a season is currently in progress)
YEARS: 2019-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Tone
Welcome to a world where superheroes answer to no one…except their employers. Despite the colorful costumes, the show is a nightmarish what-if scenario for those who dream of a real-life Justice League. The Boys refers to a small group of rebels who strive to bring down a corporation who sells the services of its superheroes for a pretty penny. It’s a fascinating concept never before explored on television, and Amazon knocks it out of the park. It’s as dark a show as any on this list, however, and is not for everyone.
Best Characters: Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) & Homelander (Antony Starr)
7. ARROW: 89
NETWORK: THE CW
SEASONS: 8
YEARS: 2012–2020
GREATEST STRENGTH: Action
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Consistency
Fresh off a successful Smallville run, the CW decided to invest in a lesser-known hero — the Green Arrow. Approached Dark Knight-style, Arrow debuted as a dark and gritty take on the Emerald Archer. Scarred and tortured, Oliver Queen returns home after being presumed dead & proceeds to take out his anger on the criminal underworld. Throughout the show, he grows from unhinged vigilante into a true hero. A strong supporting cast, consisting of bodyguard John Diggle, computer hacker Felicity Smoak, a number of Black Canaries and more, helps Oliver in his journey to save his city. The seasons range in quality, but its final episodes wrap up the show in a neat little “bow”.
Best Character: Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Stephen Amell)
6. SWAMP THING: 91
NETWORK: DC UNIVERSE / THE CW
SEASONS: 1
YEARS: 2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Tone
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Action
Mysteriously cancelled during the filming of its first season, Swamp Thing takes one of DC’s most unusual superheroes, and creates a marvelously creepy show set in the haunting world of a small Louisiana town. Full of interesting characters overflowing with secrets, there’s never a dull moment on this show that’s more horror/thriller than action/adventure. The CW recently acquired rights to the show and it will air on their network during the Fall of 2020. Here’s hoping that the show, like Supergirl, gets new life on the network that has pumped out 7 superhero shows already, with at least 2 more on the way (Superman & Lois and Stargirl).
Best Character: Avery Sunderland (Will Patton)
5. WATCHMEN: 92
NETWORK: HBO
SEASONS: 1
YEARS: 2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Writing
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Action
The rare sequel that wasn’t necessary but actually works perfectly, HBO’s Watchmen starts slowly, with a multitude of bizarre and seemingly unrelated storylines. But if you stick with it and trust the process, you are in for a wild ride. It’s a wacky world we’re dropped in, but Watchmen effortlessly eases us into this reality, all while weaving interesting characters in increasingly strange situations. While you don’t need to read the comics or see the movie first, I highly recommend doing at least one of those, as there are quite a few nods in there to fans of the original Alan Moore story.
Best Character: Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson)
4. LUKE CAGE: 93
NETWORK: NETFLIX
SEASONS: 2
YEARS: 2016–2018
GREATEST STRENGTH: Writing
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Technical
Even though Luke Cage never embraces the role of hero, Mike Colter fully embraces the role of Luke Cage. He just wants to be left alone, but the people in Harlem are not about to let him do that. Neither are its villains, who include some of the decade’s best — from Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali) to Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard) to Shades (Theo Rossi), Luke Cage boasts a solid lineup of big bads played by big talent. A solid script boosted by a hip-hop & soul-infused soundtrack make Luke Cage the crown jewel of the Marvel-Netflix Universe.
Best Characters: Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard) & Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali)
3. LEGION: 98
NETWORK: FX
SEASONS: 3
YEARS: 2017–2019
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Action
Before Doom Patrol flipped superhero TV on its head, there was Legion, an FX gamble on an X-Men character few had heard of. But creator Noah Hawley (FX’s Fargo) took that character and created a show unlike anything ever seen on television — a psychedelic experimental horror series focusing on David Haller, a mental patient who starts to realize that he may be more than just a guy with psychiatric problems. While it features super-powers, the genre is so unique and bizarre that it’s hardly recognizable as a superhero series. With Legion, literally anything can happen, which is part of the reason it’s so addictive.
Best Character: Amahl Farouk (Navid Negahban)
2. DOOM PATROL: 99
NETWORK: DC UNIVERSE
SEASONS: 2
YEARS: 2019-Present
GREATEST STRENGTH: Uniqueness
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Action
Like the Inhumans, the Doom Patrol is one of the best comic book superhero teams that no one knows about. But unlike ABC’s Inhumans disaster, DC Universe has carefully concocted a bizarre, mind-bending series, featuring not a team of traditional heroes but a group of troubled accident victims, each struggling to come to terms with their past. The group includes a cheating racecar driver, a closeted pilot, a megalomaniac actress, a guilt-ridden football player & a young woman with a severe case of dissociative identity disorder. And three of them — rendered ageless by their conditions — are living in a world that’s moved on without them. The first season consists of the team searching for their missing leader, which leads them to encounter beings even stranger than themselves, such as a prophetic cockroach, a detective who eats hair & a sentient cross-dressing street. And the second season is even wilder than the first. It’s a crazy ride worth taking.
Best Characters: Rita Farr (April Bowlby)
1. DAREDEVIL: 100
NETWORK: NETFLIX
SEASONS: 3
YEARS: 2015–2018
GREATEST STRENGTH: Writing
GREATEST WEAKNESS: Tone
Daredevil not only had the task of bringing a blind superhero to the small screen, but it had to erase the bad taste left in audiences’ mouths from the Ben Affleck-led 2003 film of the same name. But Netflix’s first foray in their partnership with Marvel was a rousing success. A solid cast of relative unknowns - Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Hensen - rounded out by Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin/Wilson Fisk, a role he was born to play, helped prove to audiences why Daredevil is such an excellent character. With moody red-tinted lighting, a haunting score & brutal fight sequences (including an annual jaw-dropping one-take shot), Daredevil allowed Matt Murdock’s story to be told over 39 episodes rather than in just 2 hours. Despite the appearances of Elektra and Punisher in Season 2, which made things a bit too crowded, the show got back on track for its final season.
Best Character: Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio)
TO BE ADDED IN A FUTURE UPDATE:
PENNYWORTH (EPIX)
AGENT CARTER (ABC)
THE CAPE (NBC)
THE TOMORROW PEOPLE (SYFY)
LUCIFER (FOX/NETFLIX)
RAISING DION (NETFLIX)
HUMAN TARGET (FOX)
What do you think? What is your favorite of the decade? Post in the comments!
