If you consider yourself a die-hard superhero fan, there’s a fair chance you’ve already binge-watched everything Marvel and DC have to offer. After all, these two studios have earned their place in the entertainment industry. But what happens when a fan has devoured all their shows and is still hungry for more superheroes, supervillains, superpowers, costumes and gravity-defying action? If you are one of them, this article will guide you towards the best TV shows that are not Marvel or DC.
Over the decades, Marvel and DC have become virtually synonymous with superheroes. But quite a few others have also contributed to this genre’s popularity.
For instance, The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024), the acclaimed superhero comedy TV series adapted from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comic book series, is based on a title from the independent comic book publisher Dark Horse Comics.
Similarly, The Nevers (2021–2023), an HBO TV series, is another great example of a superhero show not created by Marvel or DC. Sadly, the show was cancelled before it could be renewed for a second instalment, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Amazon Prime’s The Boys (2019–2026), a dark satirical take on the superhero genre has also gained a massive following. With it’s series finale coming this month, it is set to be an epic finale for the franchise.
If reading about these superhero TV shows has piqued your interest, you would love to keep scrolling and learn more about them, along with nine other series that fall outside the Marvel and DC universes.
11 action-packed superhero TV shows that do not belong to the Marvel or DC universes
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The Boys (2019–2026)Created by: Eric Kripke
Cast: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 40
Runtime per episode: 55–60 minutes
IMDb rating: 8.6
Synopsis: Set in a world where superheroes, known as Supes, are nothing more than a group of corrupt celebrities, Billy Butcher’s (Urban) vigilante gang, known as The Boys, take it upon themselves to expose and bring down these influential figures, including the all-too-powerful Homelander (Starr).
About the show: Based on the comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, The Boys offers a dark and satirical take on superhero culture. The series centres on the conflict between two groups: The Seven, a team of the world’s most corrupt superheroes managed by the powerful Vought International, and The Boys.
The Boys was initially published by WildStorm, an imprint of DC Comics, but was cancelled after the first six issues. The comic series then moved to Dynamite Entertainment in 2007.
As one of the best non-Marvel or DC superhero TV shows, The Boys has received strong critical acclaim and has also earned multiple Emmy nominations.
Also read: Our ranking of the best superhero suits in movies and TV shows
Watch The Boys on Prime Video2 /11
Misfits (2009–2013)Created by: Howard Overman
Cast: Joe Gilgun, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Iwan Rheon, Robert Sheehan, Lauren Socha, Antonia Thomas
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 38
Runtime per episode: 45 minutes
IMDb rating: 8.1
Synopsis: Nathan Young (Sheehan), Kelly Bailey (Socha), Curtis Donovan (Stewart-Jarrett), Simon Bellamy (Rheon) and Alisha Daniels (Thomas) are five young offenders serving community sentences for various petty crimes. On their first day of community service, however, a supernatural thunderstorm strikes, granting each unique superpowers.
About the show: According to a report by The Guardian, Misfits received four nominations at the British Academy Television Awards in 2010. It ultimately won in the Best Drama Series category.
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The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)Created by: Steve Blackman
Cast: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Colm Feore
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 36
Runtime per episode: 45–50 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.8
Synopsis: Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Feore) is an eccentric billionaire who decides to adopt seven children to train them to save the world. Together, they are known as The Umbrella Academy.
About the show: The Umbrella Academy is a Netflix superhero drama based on the comic book series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá. It follows a dysfunctional family of adopted siblings who were among the 43 infants born simultaneously to women who showed no signs of pregnancy.
Watch The Umbrella Academy on Netflix4 /11
I Am Not Okay With This (2020)Created by: Jonathan Entwistle, Christy Hall
Cast: Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, Sofia Bryant
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 7
Runtime per episode: 20 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.5
Synopsis: Sydney Novak (Lillis) is a grieving teenager navigating the sudden loss of her father while also dealing with the struggles of high school. As if that were not enough, life tests her further by giving her dangerous telekinetic powers that are tied to her emotions.
About the show: I Am Not Okay With This is based on the graphic novel by Charles Forsman. Although this superhero TV show received significant praise, Netflix never renewed the series after its first season due to “circumstances created by COVID”.
Watch I Am Not Okay With This on Netflix 5 /11
Heroes (2006–2010)Created by: Tim Kring
Cast: Hayden Panettiere, Jack Coleman, Milo Ventimiglia
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 78
Runtime per episode: 40– 45 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.5
Synopsis: Peter Petrelli (Ventimiglia) is an ordinary man living a seemingly ordinary life until the day it changes dramatically when he discovers that he possesses extraordinary abilities. He soon finds out that he is not the only one with this newfound gift, and so he joins forces with other superheroes to prevent a catastrophe.
About the show: The NBC superhero TV series received notable recognition at its peak, earning multiple Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Also read: 13 movies with the most Golden Globe wins
(Image: Courtesy of IMDb)
Watch Heroes on JioHotstar6 /11
The Nevers (2021–2023)Created by: Joss Whedon
Cast: Laura Donnelly, Ann Skelly, Olivia Williams
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 12
Runtime per episode: 50– 60 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.4
Synopsis: Amalia True (Donnelly), a mysterious yet formidable widow, and Penance Adair (Skelly), a brilliant inventor, lead and protect a group of women who develop unsettling powers after a strange aerial phenomenon “touches” them in 1896.
About the show: The Nevers is a science-fiction drama set in late Victorian London.
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Ragnarok (2020–2023)Created by: Adam Price
Cast: David Stakston, Jonas Strand Gravli, Herman Tømmeraas
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 18
Runtime per episode: 40– 50 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.3
Synopsis: Magne Seier (Stakston) is an ordinary high schooler who returns to his hometown in Norway, where conditions are less than ideal. His life takes a strange turn after an encounter with a mysterious old lady leaves him with the shocking realisation that he possesses the superhuman ability to manipulate the weather.
About the show: Ragnarok is a Norwegian fantasy drama that offers a modern retelling of Norse mythology.
Watch Ragnarok on Netflix 8 /11
Alphas (2011–2012)Created by: Zak Penn, Michael Karnow
Cast: David Strathairn, Ryan Cartwright, Warren Christie
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 24
Runtime per episode: 40–45 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.2
Synopsis: Dr Lee Rosen (Strathairn) is a renowned neurologist and psychiatrist who leads the Alphas — a group of people with special abilities who help him solve cases that agencies such as the CIA and the FBI are unable to crack.
About the show: Alphas is an American superhero drama that offers a grounded, more procedural take on the genre.
(Image: Courtesy of IMDb)
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Raising Dion (2019–2022)Created by: Carol Barbee
Cast: Alisha Wainwright, Ja’Siah Young, Jason Ritter, Michael B. Jordan
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 17
Runtime per episode: 40–50 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.1
Synopsis: After the mysterious death of her husband, Mark (Jordan), Nicole (Wainwright) struggles to raise her young son, Dion (Young), on her own. But her already difficult life becomes far more complicated when Dion begins to display a range of strange superpowers.
About the show: Raising Dion is a Netflix superhero drama based on the 2015 comic book by Dennis Liu.
Watch Raising Dion on Netflix10 /11
The Tomorrow People (2013–2014)Created by: Phil Klemmer, Greg Berlanti, Julie Plec
Cast: Robbie Amell, Peyton List, Luke Mitchell
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 22
Runtime per episode: 40– 45 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.1
Synopsis: Stephen Jameson (Amell) is a teenager who believes he has an ordinary sleepwalking problem until he discovers that everything he thought he knew about himself was a lie. It turns out that Stephen is part of a genetically advanced species known as Homo superior. After learning this life-altering truth, he decides to join a secret underground group known as the Tomorrow People, all of whom possess unique superpowers.
About the show: This non-Marvel, non-DC superhero TV show is a remake of the original British science-fiction television series of the same name, created by Roger Price, which aired from 1973 to 1979.
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Jupiter’s Legacy (2021)Created by: Steven S. DeKnight
Cast: Josh Duhamel, Ben Daniels, Leslie Bibb
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
Runtime per episode: 40–50 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.7
Synopsis: Sheldon Sampson (Duhamel) is an ordinary man until his life changes dramatically after he receives god-like superpowers, helping him become the leader of a legendary superhero team known as the Union of Justice. But his life as a superhero begins to falter when his own children defy his strict moral code.
About the show: Jupiter’s Legacy is one of the prominent superhero TV shows that fall outside of Marvel and DC. It is adapted from the comic book series written by Mark Millar.
Watch Jupiter's Legacy on Netflix (Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of © Amazon MGM Studios via IMDb)This story first appeared here.Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
