Superheroes have been a mainstream topic, especially since the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” (MCU). Not only movies but also several series are released every year revolving around superheroes. If you’re not interested in youth series, we present to you 5 superhero series for adults.
What are these series? The selected series cater more to adults due to their themes, violence, or action, and also differ in tone from the classic MCU.
In this article, we will only introduce the series and avoid spoilers.
Why isn’t series x
included? Besides those mentioned here, there are indeed other superhero series aimed at adults, even from the MCU. We have tried to find a good mix and selected together with the editorial team.
Honorable Mentions: Moon Knight, Super Crooks, Daredevil
The Boys
Number of seasons: 3 | Episodes: 24 | Episode length: approximately 55 to 68 minutes | Continuation: Season 4 confirmed | Stream: Amazon Prime Video
What kind of series is this? When Hughie Campbell loses his girlfriend due to an accident involving a drunken superhero, he joins a group of people who have made it their mission to take down superheroes.
Behind the superheroes stands the corporation Vought
, which not only commercializes everything around them but also eliminates and covers up all their collateral damage
. Especially Homelander, a Superman copy, instills fear in each of his opponents.
Political and social issues are also addressed in The Boys despite the explicit violence and brutality in a satirical manner.
Invincible
Number of seasons: 1 | Episodes: 8 | Episode length: approximately 42 to 49 minutes | Continuation: Season 2 and 3 confirmed | Stream: Amazon Prime Video
What kind of series is this? Invincible is an animated series based on the comic by Robert Kirkman, who also wrote The Walking Dead. Don’t let the appearance deceive you, as Invincible is also quite brutal.
Mark Grayson’s father is the national hero Omni-Man, essentially a Superman clone. After almost giving up, Mark finally gains his abilities at the age of 17 and begins training to become a great superhero like his father. In parallel, a superhero team is brutally killed, and the public tries to find out who did it.
Invincible is a coming-of-age story about a boy who wants to become a superhero. The fights and the storyline are not timid and explore dark and brutal territories.
The Tick
Number of seasons: 2 | Episodes: 22 | Episode length: approximately 30 minutes | Continuation: After Season 2, the series was canceled | Stream: Amazon Prime Video
What kind of series is this? The Tick is an almost invincible superhero and a muscular man in a blue tick costume. He meets the weak accountant Arthur, who then becomes his sidekick, fittingly dressed in a large high-tech moth costume.
Together they fight evil on the streets until they realize that the presumed dead villain ‘The Terror,’ with whom Arthur has a backstory, is not dead and is still causing mayhem in the underworld. The two try to take down the villain together.
A story focused on blunt humor that mainly showcases its rather unsympathetic hero.
The Umbrella Academy
Number of seasons: 3 | Episodes: 30 | Episode length: approximately 40 to 60 minutes | Continuation: Season 4 confirmed | Stream: Netflix
What kind of series is this? Suddenly, 43 children with mysterious powers are born, and a billionaire tries to adopt all these children. He managed to adopt seven children and trained them at the so-called Umbrella Academy
.
Years later, 5 of these siblings meet again and receive an apocalyptic message from the future. The siblings now want to try to prevent this apocalypse and join forces.
Reminiscent of a wilder version of the X-Men. Quirky characters try not only to save the world but also to manage their everyday problems.
A slightly shorter series can be found in our list of series you can finish in a weekend.
Peacemaker
Number of seasons: 1 | Episodes: 8 | Episode length: 39 to 46 minutes | Continuation: Season 2 confirmed | Stream: RTL Plus
What kind of series is this? The Peacemaker is a character from The Suicide Squad, who joins a new special organization to combat butterfly parasites. John Cena is the highlight here, showcasing his comedic side as the delightfully silly Peacemaker.
Peacemaker acts according to one motto: Peace at any cost. He doesn’t care how he achieves that. His patriotism takes precedence over everything, which is why he even has a bald eagle as a pet.
If you like the humor from Guardians of the Galaxy, then Peacemaker is your series, as James Gunn can go all out here without having to adhere to the rules of the MCU. Also, the intro of the series is simply fantastic.
The series Peacemaker continues the film ‘Suicide Squad’ from 2021.
Do you know any other superhero series aimed more at adults? Then write them in the comments.
If you’re also into anime, we have a list of 5 legendary anime classics that everyone must see.
