While superhero movies have become some of the most profitable films in the world, animation has been an important aspect of many heroes' continued pop culture success. It introduces characters and concepts to a wider audience who may have never picked up a comic book. Mainstream audiences likely know Aquaman not from comics but fromSuper Friendsand his own animated series.
Many animated series, likethe greatThe Spectacular Spider-ManandBatman: The Animated Series,are often regarded as some of the best incarnations of their heroes. Both the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and X-Men exploded into popularity with animated series, which helped build their franchises and brands into becoming viable live-action film franchises. Cartoons have also turned obscure characters like Static Shock into fan favorites and, in many ways, set the template for how an audience perceives a certain character or concept, like how John Stewart was Green Lantern to a generation of kids because of his role inJustice League.Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, Silver Surfer, and many other characters have led their own animated series. While the days of Saturday morning cartoons might be over, various streaming services are launching more animated superhero properties.
Update June 19, 2025: This article has been updated with even more comic book superhero characters we want to see get their own animated series.
With howmany superhero TV showsthere have been (and how many more there likely will be, probably with popular characters like Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and the X-Men), there are still plenty of heroes and teams who have never been given an animated series. They have made appearances in animated form as supporting players or guest spots but never had a chance to lead their own series. These five superheroes who have never led their own animated series deserve to get the spotlight.
Sgt. Rockmight not be your traditional superhero, but he is a great character from DC Comics. A classic World War II comic series, Sgt. Rock has plenty of potential as an animated series. Not only could it introduce him, but many of DC’s classic World War II characters like The Blackhawks and the original Losers.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2023, in a roundtable for the filmJustice League: Warworld, Executive Producer Butch Lukić revealed he alwayswanted to do a Sgt. Rock animated movie or series, and it sounds like a great idea, given there is a fan who truly wants to make it happen. With Max, Warner Bros. has the chance to make a grounded, serious adult animated series about the horrors of war.
Wonder Woman
In the DC universe, the three most important characters are Superman, Batman, andWonder Woman. They are the pillars of the universe and are often referred to as the DC Trinity. However, while Superman and Batman have been the leads of many animated series, Wonder Woman has never gotten her own. She has been a featured player in many, but never the star. It feels like an even bigger crime when one considers Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Teen Titans, and Krypto the Super Dog have been given animated series all before Wonder Woman.
Not only is a Wonder Woman animated series long past due but there is also plenty of material to make for an animated series. Wonder Woman’s rich comic book history means she has a wide variety of stories to adapt that fit many genres that can span from science fiction to mythic fantasy. She has a great roster of villains and an even bettersupporting character castthat includes multiple Wonder Girls who could have the spotlight. Given the success of 2017’sWonder Womanfilm, it is almost baffling that Warner Bros. animation didn’t try to cash in by launching an animated series at the same time, similar to how Marvel did with Guardians of the Galaxy following that film. As Max begins to invest more in DC material, an animated Wonder Woman series seems long overdue.
The Question
The Questionis an iconic character that appears in the DC Comics. A vigilante detective and protector of the city, his real name is Vic Sage, and when he is not busy saving the Hub City, he works as an investigative reporter. Appearing as a faceless man thanks to his Pseudoderm mask, Question has also been a member of the famous Justice League for some time. This character has a great storyline and an amazing character arc that would be great as an animated series.
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Even though Vic Sage was the first and original Question, later in the comic books, he also trains Renee Montoya to be his successor. He did this because he was dying of lung cancer and needed someone to continue his work. Montoya does become the next Question after Sag and continues his vigilante journey. This story can become a very heartwarming and action-filled animated series that fans across the world would enjoy. At San Diego Comic-Con 2023, during hisFatman Beyondpodcast, filmmaker Kevin Smith said he would like to write The Question as a comic book character, and with how well Smith has worked on theMasters of the Universe: Revelationsseries on Netflix, he would be a great pick for The Question.
Hellboyis one of the most popular and iconic superheroes not created by Marvel or DC, and has been the star of three live-action films yet has never had his own animated series. Two animated films were produced, 2006’sHellboy: Sword of Stormsand 2007’sHellboy: Blood and Iron,which were set in the same universe as the Guillermo Del ToroHellboyfilms and were showcases for the rich world of theHellboycomics and how well they lend themselves to an animated series.
The artwork of theHellboycomics by Mike Mignola is iconic, and the style was already translated into animation as Mignola designed the iconic look for Mr. Freeze inBatman: The Animated Series. An entireHellboyseries done in the style of Mignola’s artwork drawing from the character’s rich, vast history in the comics with multiple supporting characters, seems ideal for an animated series, in many ways more so than a live-action film.
Young Avengers
The Young Avengersare a teamthat Marvel Studios is heavily investing in, peppering various members of the team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe across various films in Phase 4 and likely will continuethrough Marvel’s Phase 5and 6. With that in mind, a great way to raise the status of the various characters, as well as the concept of The Young Avengers, is with an animated series. While animation is a rich art form that appeals to everyone, it is primarily aimed at younger viewers, particularly children.
A superhero series focused on a group of heroes close to the age of the target audience is an easy sell, and combine that with being connected to the legacy of one of the most popular superhero teams in popular culture, it seems like an easy slam dunk. Animated shows focused on young heroes have been something DC has turned into massive hits with bothTeen TitansandYoung Justice, and Marvel has the ultimate group of young heroes to fill the void.
Not only could the series include popular mainstays like Wiccan, Stature, Patriot, Hulkling, Kate Bishop Hawkeye, Iron Lad, Speed, and America Chavez, but they could also bring in other popular young heroes to the series like Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, and X-23 as well as feature guest appearances by various Avengers.
Justice League Dark
Even though theJustice League Darkhave their own animated movie, it isn’t enough. An animated series focused on various mystical characters in the DC Universe, like Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, Swamp Thing, and Etrigan the Demon, would be a fun starting place for a television show. It has the fun scope of a massive team-up series likeJustice LeagueorYoung Justicebut highlightsdarker corners of the universethat would make it a spookier superhero outing than audiences typically get.
With how popular horror and supernatural series are, an animated Justice League Dark is a great way to tap into a market that might not like the traditional superhero stories of Superman and Batman but want something with a few more monsters.
Justice Society
TheJustice Societyhas gotten more spotlight in recent years thanks to their appearance onStargirlandBlack Adam, yet an animated series could truly give the team the spotlight they really deserve. Justice League Unlimited introduced an entire generation to obscure heroes like Vigilante, Shinning Knight, and The Question, and Justice Society has the chance to do that with plenty of other characters. It would be a great time to put a spotlight on the original Alan Scott Green Lantern and Jay Garrick Flash while also spotlighting other obscure heroes like Judo-Master, Liberty Bell, and Sandman and giving them the chance to truly be stars.
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It could also touch on generational appeal, as many members of the Justice Society, like Wildcat and Alan Scott’s Green Lantern, have children who are part of the team or other heroes who inherit the legacies from previous Justice Society members. It is a rich roster and history to explore in an animated series. The Justice League, Teen Titans, the Legion of Superheroes, and noweven the Creature Commandoswill have all gotten their own animated series so it stands to reason that the very first superhero team should as well.
Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld
WhileAmethyst: Princess of Gemworldtechnically has already been adapted into animation, it was on a series of shorts for the DC Nation block on Cartoon Network in 2013. However, the character feels like the perfect fit for a full animated series. Instead of traditional superheroics, this is an epic sword and sorcery fantasy series. That has been particularly popular in animation, most recently with Netflix’sShe-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
DC essentially has its own version of a He-Man/She-Ra-type series they are just sitting on and not doing anything with. While she might not be the most well-known character, the concept is strong enough that it could introduce her to a wider audience if thecomic isn’t turned into a movie. Animation has often been the gateway to introducing an obscure character to a wider audience, andAmethyst: Princess of Gemworldcould be the next big DC franchise.
Spider-Punk
If you watchedSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, then you already know who Hobie Brown is. Hobie Brown isSpider-Punk, who has made several comic book appearances and even recently wowed audiences audience alongside Miles Morales in the recent Spider-Verse movie. Spider-Punk might be a relatively recent comics character, but he is already a fan favorite.
Sony is trying to expand their Spider-Man franchise into television with plans for Silk and Spider-Man: Noir. The studio should consider an animated Spider-Punk series that follows the incarnations introduced inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Audiences could see more of their new favorite Spider-Man but also get a chance punk rock-inspired takes on various Spider-Man characters.
The Inhumans
The Inhumanswere created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby during their groundbreaking run onFantastic Fourand were introduced right before Galactus, the Silver Surfer, and Black Panther. They have been one of the most interesting concepts in the Marvel universe and one that writers have had plenty of fun exploring over the years. There was a time when they were set to be the next big Marvel franchise.
While the character’s mythology was explored inAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the disastrousresponse to the 2017Inhumansseriesdid a lot of damage to the brand. Despite Anson Mount reprising his role as Black Bolt inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it appears the Inhumans will be taking a backseat in the MCU to both the Eternals and the X-Men, with the traditionally Inhuman Kamala Khan, akaMs. Marvel being changed to a mutant.
While the characters might not have an immediate future in the MCU, the Inhumans have potential, particularly in the form of an animated series. It features a colorful cast of characters with unique powers and an entire history and relationship with one another that could be explored. There are multiple runs from the Inhumans comics that the series could draw from, even including the recent developments that were done as a way to push the Inhumans to the forefront in an attempt to replace the X-Men before Disney had their film rights.
Inhumans could be a big grand sci-fi epic featuring the Inhuman Royal family not only dealing with threats from within like Maximus, but a new batch of Inhumans appearing around the world, threats from other nations, and even cosmic threats like the Kree. Inhumans has such a rich mythology that might be better suited for an animated series, where it can really go big on huge concepts the live-action series was limited to because of budgetary restrictions.
