While superheroes reign king at the box office, they are also taking over the small screen. Characters such as Daredevil and The Flash have discovered newfound life as serial installments that some even deem superior to their big-screen counterparts. Riding off of the the golden age of television, storytellers have been able to explore more taboo and dynamic shades to iconic characters taking risks with each portrayal. This upcoming season of television looks to continue this trend with a handful of superhero TV shows that are oozing with flash, depth and intrigue. Whether it be on a streaming service or broadcast television, it looks likes shows about people running around in spandex with super strength won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
1. "Luke Cage"
Continuing Marvel and Netflix’s dominance in the streaming landscape, "The Hero for Hire" himself will finally be getting his own show alongside favorites like "Daredevil." Although audiences got to see Mike Colter bust some skills in last year’s "Jessica Jones," Cage’s own series looks to up the A with some truly brutal fight sequences. The show also looks to explore the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Harlem and will focus on the social dichotomy of the area through its villain. It will also be interesting to see how Cage is coping with the fallout between him and Jones and whether or not she will feature in the show to some extent. Like all of Marvel’s other Netflix outings, not much information is available before launch, but if it can follow in the steps of its sister shows, then the studio should have another champ on their hands.
2. "Legion"
What is looking like the intriguing love child of Chris Claremont and Ernest Kline, "Legion" is perhaps unlike any superhero show before it. Focusing on the all-powerful son of Professor Xavier, the show looks to explore the psychological and cerebral effects in having the power of telepathy. Headed up by "Fargo" show runner Noah Hawley, the vision on display here is so far profoundly experimental and you’d probably have a hard time believing it was something developed by Marvel if it weren't for that red title crawl. Dan Stevens will play the titular mutant alongside Aubrey Plaza. Details are being left relatively cryptic for now, but it's only a matter of time until all of "Legion’s" secrets are revealed in early 2017.
3. "Rocket and Groot"
Not all superhero TV shows have to be gritty these days — or only for adults. "Rocket and Groot" will run as short films squeezed between programming on Disney XD. The concept itself is rudimentary compared to the other shows on this list, but the style of the idea is what helps it stand out. Taking inspiration from the recent Skottie Young run on the short-tempered mammal and kindhearted tree, the shorts look to bring the comic to life in a beautiful mix of traditional sketches and CGI animation. Although this all seems relatively simplistic, for fans of Young’s work it is an absolute treat and should be a fun diversion from "Gravity Falls" re-runs.
4. "The Tick"
You just can’t keep a good concept down. After a Saturday morning cartoon and live-action sitcom, "The Tick" is set to make a return like you’ve never seen him before. In what is being described as a “darker and grittier” approach to the manic cult hero, Amazon is banking on this competing with Netflix’s Marvel series. Although from recent set photos showcasing the cast’s outlandish costumes, it is safe to say the grit of this new "Tick" will be on par with a Christopher Nolan or Zack Snyder outing. Most likely, this more grounded approach will draw more inspiration from the original comic book series which portrayed the hero as a mental patient. If this is what Amazon is going for, then we are essentially looking at a dark comedic parody of the superhero genre, something that we could really use at this point.
Marvel 5. "The Defenders"
Marvel’s long-awaited small-screen Avengers is finally on the horizon. In a mini-series that will see the team-up of "Daredevil," "Jessica Jones," "Luke Cage" and "Iron Fist" expect for Marvel to go all out to compete with DC’s own "Arrow-verse." Although this series runs the risk of losing the grounded storytelling of each established show, no Marvel fan can resist seeing these beloved characters come together in the same manner their big brothers and sisters had in 2012. Like all of Marvel’s TV efforts, details are relatively cryptic once again, but if it can retain the likeliness of what came before, than Netflix is about to have their own version of a blockbuster on their hands.
From a range of dark fantasy, cerebral mystery and cartoon antics it shows the diversity in storytelling from the superhero genre this upcoming season. Whether it be the brute force of "Luke Cage" or the zaniness of "Rocket and Groot," there's much to be glued to for the next year. With all of this excitement and anticipation, it suggests that if superheroes fall off at the box office, they will always have a home on television sets. In many cases, these small screen heroes might be telling the better stories compared to their counterparts.
