Entertainment
10 Cancelled Superhero Shows Fans Are Still Begging To Bring Back
One of the hardest things about television is that, sometimes, shows get canceled far before their story is told, or before fans are ready to let it go. This commonly happens in superhero television, and this has led to a lot of shows where fans are desperately wishing to see another season of these shows, as they most rightfully deserve.
Whether it’s a Spider-Man series, or a more niche character like The Tick, there are plenty of superhero shows out there that more than deserve more time in the sun—running for a good four seasons or only one. Series get canceled for plenty of reasons, but regardless of what they are, there’s no denying that some never get what they truly deserve.
‘Cloak & Dagger’ (2018–2019)
Two characters that have not gotten the love they deserve—until they were included in Marvel Rivals, that is—are none other than Cloak and Dagger. However, they did have a great run—a two-season series—in 2018 through 2019 with Cloak & Dagger. Starring the likes of Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph, this show both had great performances, and very cool action.
While it had a lower viewership than the studios and network would have liked, those who did see it genuinely enjoyed it, and were sad to see it die out so soon. Now that shows like the ones from the Netflix era are making a comeback in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s a decent chance that Cloak & Dagger could also make a comeback, and fans of the show are hoping for it. The series provided a fun and unique coming-of-age story that had great writing, especially for the two main characters and their dynamic.
‘The Tick’ (2016–2019)
One of the more niche superheroes who simultaneously has a profoundly dedicated fanbase is none other than that of The Tick. He has had a good few adaptations over the years, but one of the best comes in the form of The Tick from 2016. When The Tick (Peter Serafinowicz) discovers that his city is owned by a supervillain, he and Arthur Everest (Griffin Newman) team up to expose the conspiracy.
This hilarious television series offers a great satirical look at the superhero genre in a way that other shows that do the same, like The Boys, don’t. However, despite how gut-wrenchingly funny it is, The Tick also offers a deep look into trauma and mental health when it takes a moment to bring more drama into the mix. This leaves the show feeling layered and complex. Unfortunately, it only lasted two seasons and should have gotten more recognition when it was airing. Another unfortunate case of low viewership in comparison to a high production budget.
‘Moon Knight’ (2022)
Moon Knight had one of the most inconvenient release eras that it could have. With Bob Chapek being CEO of Disney and enforcing a quantity-over-quality business model, this miniseries wound up being released at a time in which Marvel fans were getting pretty sick of the company’s lackluster performance.
Jeremy Slater‘s Moon Knight, though, is an extremely well-done series. While not perfect, this project explores a corner of the MCU that had never been explored prior and was very unique in comparison to any other MCU movie or television show. The way it explores mental health, however, using the split personalities of the hero and exploring his deep trauma, made Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac) one of the most layered MCU heroes of the post-Avengers: Endgame era.
‘Teen Titans’ (2003–2006)
Of the most beloved DC Comics-based television shows, Teen Titans most definitely lands in the top 5. There were a lot of issues behind the scenes, most likely regarding licensing, financial issues—the typical works—that led to Teen Titans not getting the green light for a sixth season. It’s safe to say, based on any kind of fan discussion found on the internet regarding this show, that people were absolutely devastated at the cancellation.
Teen Titans did a wildly good job with its tonal balancing, being able to go from goofy, anime-style fun to dark and dramatic emotional development at the flip of a switch. Fans genuinely got invested in these characters, and it led to them genuinely hating on Teen Titans Go! for being the show to come after it. For two decades now, audiences have been begging for a revival of this series, and for good reason.
‘Green Lantern: The Animated Series’ (2011–2013)
There’s zero question that Green Lantern has had a rough go in non-comic book media. With his most notorious outing being the 2011 Green Lantern movie, starring Ryan Reynolds. In fact, that exact project is what most likely caused the death of the animated series airing the same year, Green Lantern: The Animated Series. The most unfortunate part of all this is that this animated bout is actually really good. With well-written characters, an engaging plot, smooth animation, and great vocal performances, this series really had something special.
The CG-animated television show was incredibly well-done, thanks to directors Sam Liu and Rick Morales, and the absolutely astounding performance by Josh Keaton as Hal Jordan. Without a doubt, if Green Lantern: The Animated Series was released in any other era of the character, it would have had a much larger chance of success. Of any DC Comics animated show out there, Green Lantern: The Animated Series was the most screwed over, and, therefore, is the most deserving of another chance.
‘The Punisher’ (2017–2019)
If the success of the recent Disney+ special, The Punisher: One Last Kill, is any indication of fan desires, then it’s clear that people want to see more of the character and, specifically, his own series, The Punisher. Even if it’s a somewhat sequel series like how Daredevil: Born Again is for Daredevil, people genuinely want more Punisher (Jon Bernthal).
The Punisher wasn’t as appreciated in viewership as the likes of the other Netflix shows, but it was still incredibly good, belonging right next to them. It’s not perfect, no—having some issues with pacing at some points—but audiences love Jon Bernthal as Punisher (if Spider-Man: Brand New Day is any proof) and want to see more of him. Bringing the original team behind The Punisher back, like they did for Daredevil: Born Again, would be a perfect opportunity to bring forth a whole new group of people to watch Punisher on television that may not have caught its first two seasons.
‘X-Men: Evolution’ (2000–2003)
If there’s any X-Men property that people want Marvel Studios to take from for their upcoming X-Men franchise, it’s X-Men: Evolution, an animated series from 2000 that lasted until 2003. What the four seasons of this X-Men adaptation do is bring the core cast into their younger years, making them students at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters—unlike the most popular iteration of the team from X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ’97.
What makes X-Men: Evolution so special is this change, which supplies the wonderful character drama at play, feeling more like a coming-of-age story with classic teenage drama and angst, rather than a group of adults teaming up. This not only made it more relatable for its younger viewers, but it truly made the team feel so engaging and interesting.
‘The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ (2010–2012)
Of Marvel Animation’s many canceled animated series that deserve a comeback, one of the highest on the list is The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. This is one of two major series that got hit hard by many shifts at Disney around this time, with this iconic show being canned for a new show, Avengers Assemble, which looked like, had characters, and featured plot lines far more in line with the MCU.
Nobody was happy about this, though, as many on the internet have considered The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as one of the greatest adaptations of the Marvel Comics universe of all time. Few series have adapted Marvel comic book stories better than the writers and directors behind The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes did. Many people who worked on the show, like Christopher Yost, Josh Fine, and Thomas Perkins, have spoken heavily about what a third season would have entailed.
‘Swamp Thing’ (2019)
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One of the most underrated comic book shows of all time is easily 2019’s Swamp Thing. This show had absolutely astounding reviews when it was airing on the fledgling DC Comics streaming service, DC Universe, which was quickly demolished for HBO Max. Many attribute this to being why the show ended so soon, but that is not the case. The showrunner, Mark Verheiden, spoke to Multiverse of Color to deny that the show was “too expensive” and rather stated, “There may have just been a fundamental misunderstanding about the show we were making versus the show they were expecting…”
Swamp Thing, as stated, had phenomenal reviews when it was released. This may truly be one of the most well-received live-action DC Comics shows of all time, based off of comparing review numbers. Now that James Gunn‘s DCU is around and kept characters like Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) from the old universe, there’s ample opportunity to bring Swamp Thing back and give this show another chance.
‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ (2008–2009)
If one were to ask pretty much any Marvel Comics fan online what the most beloved modern Marvel animated series is, they’d probably tell you that the most common consensus is The Spectacular Spider-Man. This is for very good reason, too, with the show containing some of the most beloved Spider-Man writing of his many adaptations. With excellent drama, a fun art style, and great voice acting—Josh Keaton back at it once again—this show has gone down in history as one of the best Spider-Man iterations, period. With around five seasons—65 episodes—and some movies supposedly planned, and it only getting two, people were pretty sad to see this one go.
The petition—social and literal—for the third season of this show has been running strong for a whopping 17 years. #SaveSpectacularSpiderMan is a commonly used hashtag that fans have utilized to show their desire for the show’s return. It’s simply not that easy, though, as the cancellation of The Spectacular Spider-Man was that of legality. With Disney getting the short-form television rights for Spider-Man within their acquisition of Marvel Comics in 2009, and Sony Pictures Animation retaining the rights for The Spectacular Spider-Man, the show is legally unable to return. That is, unless the two companies were to come together to make a deal of some sort. The likelihood of that is stronger in the 2020s than ever before, but still a long shot, sadly.
The Spectacular Spider-Man
- Release Date
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2008 – 2009-00-00
- Directors
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Victor Cook, Jennifer Coyle, Dave Bullock, Troy Adomitis, Dan Fausett, Kevin Altieri, Michael Goguen
- Writers
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Greg Weisman, Kevin Hopps, Matt Wayne, Andrew Robinson, Randy Jandt, Nicole Dubuc
- Franchise(s)
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Marvel
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