A slew of new comic book TV shows have been released in recent years, with varying degrees of success. Series set in the Arrowverse (which expands each year) and in the Netflix corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have found a solid base of viewers, and this has prompted the studios to announce ever greater numbers of shows.
Fan interest in such properties is clear. Last year alone, DC reportedly earned over $1 billion with the Arrowverse, as well as with other shows, such as Gotham and Vertigo's Preacher. On the other hand, the Netflix/Marvel collaborations are regarded as the best comic book TV adaptations. When it debuted in 2014, Daredevil was second on the list of most pirated shows. Each series is basically a 13-hour movie, and critics love them as much as the fans, with the exception of Iron Fist.
Check out ten newly announced series, in no particular order!
The Watchmen
We’ve known for some time that Zack Snyder and HBO would team up for a Watchmen series. While the 2009 Watchmen movie had its fans, it can't be argued that a series would better serve the acclaimed (and complex) Alan Moore novel. And HBO has already found a showrunner for the series, so that’s good news.
After all, HBO is home to popular titles that include Game of Thrones, Westworld, True Detective, and The Leftovers (we're counting just the ongoing series).
At this moment, we just know that HBO intends to make a TV show called Watchmen and that Zack Snyder is no longer involved. So we don't know whether the series will follow the novel or the prequels, when the pilot will be aired, or any other essential details.
But, if we were to bet, we'd say that, at the soonest, we might see the Watchmen on the small screen in late 2019, or even 2020.
Inhumans
Despite the fact that it was originally announced as a big screen film, Inhumans will be released this fall as an ABC TV series. A mammoth project that reportedly cost Marvel $200 million, the first two Inhumans episodes will be released on IMAX on September 1, 2017. The ABC debut will follow on September 29.
Half of that giant budget went to the special effects needed to depict the superpowers of the Inhuman Royal Family.
The series’ first trailer was recently released, following a low-quality version that was previously leaked online. Some MCU fans liked what they saw, but the majority can’t get behind the minor (or major, depending on your point of view) details, such as Medusa's hair and a mask-less Black Bolt.
But Lockjaw looks great, right?
New Warriors
ABC Studios and Marvel Studios have greenlighted Freeform’s New Warriors, to be released in 2018. Based on a team of mutants, the series will begin with ten 30-minute episodes. What’s most interesting is that New Warriors is described as a comedy, a new genre among successful comic book TV shows.
Sure, this year's Powerless (DC Comics) made an attempt, but we know how that ended.
Described as a series about superpowered young adults, New Mutants will reportedly focus on Doreen Green/Squirrel Girl, Craig Hollis/Mister Immortal, Dwayne Taylor/Night Thrasher, Robbie Baldwin/Speedball, Zach Smith/Microbe, and Deborah Fields/Debrii.
With its 2018 release date, we have no information about this series beyond these rumored characters.
The Defenders
We’re really excited about this show, which unites all of the major Netflix superheroes, including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist to fight the threat of Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra. We don’t know much about Alexandra, except that she possesses some awesome superpowers.
Besides the leads, several characters from the solo series will also appear in The Defenders, including Claire Temple (who appeared in all of the solo series), Elektra (we believe she’s the Hand's weapon in Defenders), Foggy Nelson, Misty Knight, Trish Walker, and even Madame Gao.
The first trailer got us all pumped to see the show. We can’t wait to see the hallway fight scene, which will certainly be the highlight of the first season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h3m7B4v6Zc
The Defenders will be released on the 18th of August, so we won’t have to wait too long to watch!
Black Lightning
DC Comics’ Black Lightning is another highly anticipated series. After hanging up his superhero cape for almost a decade, high school principal Jefferson Pierce is forced to become Black Lightning again after The One Hundred starts terrorizing his hometown.
Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil, who penned the script, first went to Fox to pitch the project. However, the studio declined, saying that the market was already overloaded with comic book TV shows. So the duo went to CW, who welcomed them and greenlighted a first season.
If you’re thinking that the Arrowverse is expanding, you’re not alone. However, Salim Akil said that, for the moment, Black Lightning won't share the universe with Green Arrow and the other CW superheroes.
But that could change, especially if the show proves to be successful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZpJeuXo2CY
Black Lightning, starring Cress Williams, will be released sometime in 2018. The pilot episode will be screened at this year’s Comic Con!
The Punisher
The second season of Netflix's Daredevil had its slower moments, but it introduced Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, who became the Punisher by the end of the season. Bernthal’s superb portrayal of Castle stole the show every time he appeared on screen, no matter who was with him in the scene.
Netflix and Marvel both said that the only solo shows they planned to release would feature the Defenders, so we were surprised when they announced a spin-off! And it will arrive this year, so the studios moved really quickly in this case!
Of course, they haven’t announced a specific date, but rumor has it that the show will premiere in November.
We don't know much about the first season, but we believe that Castle will keep digging to find the individual who was responsibility for the death of his family.
We don't know about you, but we’re glad that Karen Page is returning, since her interactions with Castle were formidable during Daredevil’s second season.
Titans
We’ve known since 2014 that a Teen Titans TV series was on its way. At that time, it was announced that TNT ordered the show and Akiva Goldsman was set to write the script. The show was expected to begin with Robin emerging from his mentor's shadow to establish his own team as Nightwing.
However, by 2016, the project was scrapped.
The new series, with Goldsman again writing the script and Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti producing, was announced this year. According to that announcement, the series is set to debut on DC's new direct-to-consumer digital service in 2018.
So far, Teen Titans Dick Grayson, Starfire, and Raven are the only confirmed characters.
Runaways
Before The Avengers, The Runaways was expected to be Marvel's first ensemble movie. The script, written by Drew Pearce, was apparently very good, as Pearce was asked to write for Iron Man 3.
Rumor has it that while it was never used, Hulu’s new Runaways series is based on Pearce’s script.
In Marvel's Runaways, a group of teenagers with superpowers discover that their parents are a group of supervillains known as the Pride. In order to atone for their parents' deeds, they unite to form the Runaways.
Scheduled for a 2018 release, the new show hasn’t put out a trailer, although there’s been a leaked first look. But there’s still plenty of time for a trailer to pop up.
Krypton
If you haven't had enough of the pretty awesome Krypton since Man of Steel, we have good news! A full series set on Superman's home planet will air on SyFy sometime in 2018. Producer David S. Goyer revealed that the show will take place 200 years prior to Krypton's destruction. Subsequent rumors said that Kal-El’s grandfather would be a main character.
This is one very ambitious project, especially since Goyer originally said that Krypton would be a prequel to Man of Steel (those involved in making the show later refused to confirm this). So there’s every chance that it will be spectacular!
A leaked teaser trailer featured a grave voice talking about the show:
What do we lose when a civilization falls? We lose its knowledge"¦memories"¦legends of conquest"¦and enduring love. It's our good fortune that one of our own survived. You might know of us and wonder. But this is not the story of how our world died. This is the story of how we lived (via Screen Rant).
Cloak and Dagger
Lastly, we should mention Cloak and Dagger, which is one of Freeform's most anticipated 2018 releases (again, we don’t have a specific air date). However, we know that it will focus on two teenagers from different backgrounds who discover that they have superpowers. This discovery also serves as the basis for a romantic relationship.
Along with The Defenders, Punisher, and Inhumans, it will be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Aubrey Joseph will portray Cloak, and Olivia Holt will play Dagger.
The show’s first trailer has already been released, and fans gave it a warm welcome. It introduces the main characters and their motivation. It remains to be seen whether the show will maintain the origins of the characters' powers, particularly Cloak’s.
Check out the trailer below (again)!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5hrFVQiGyk
