Today, I want to know who you think has been the best live action TV series based on a Marvel comic book
Pop Culture Theme Time is a feature where I put a question to you to see what you think about a particular theme. I might later revisit the theme for a future Drawing Crazy Patterns or Top Five.
Marvel has been in the news recently for attempting to overhaul its TV production amidst a general sort of fan malaise about Marvel’s TV shows, so I thought it would be interesting to see what you folks think has been the height of live action TV based on Marvel Comics up until this point. I’m talking just overall, so it can older series, as well, not just since the Netflix and Disney+ era.
For me, as much as I loved The Incredible Hulk TV series, I think I have to go with WandaVision. I had some issues with the series at the start (I think the slow burn to start was a bit TOO slow), but at the end of the day, Elizabeth Olsen gave a movie star level performance, which, when translated down to the small screen, elevates material well beyond the material itself, and the material in WandaVision was good to begin with, ya know? She was given a meaty role, and she crushed it. Paul Bettany is an excellent actor, as well, so he was big, as well.
Okay, that’s my answer. How about you?
And feel free to suggest future Pop Culture Theme Time topics to me at brian@poprefs.com!
Are we allowed to say animated stuff or only live action? Animated I’d say it’s a tie between X-Men and Spider-Man from the 90s. Live action, the one I’ve enjoyed the most is She-Hulk, the one with the best acting, writing, etc is probably Wandavision. But I also loved FATWS. And Moon Knight. And Loki. And Ms Marvel…
The slow burn at the start could have been even slower and I’d have loved it. All of the problems with this show were with the payoffs (or lack of them), not the build-up.
But honestly the only unforgivable mistakes this show made was trolling us with Evan Peters.
Let’s do live action for now, and I can do an animated question some time in the future!
Legion is the only answer. I’m still baffled it’s not a bigger or more well known thing. It was to Marvel what Andor was to Star Wars before Andor.
“The Boys” is my vote.
Not sure why this second rate property is able to make its special effects, stories and characters so much more interesting than Marvel and DC usually produce.
I have to go with Daredevil on Netflix
Daredevil. I have a couple major quibbles with season 1 (and even more with subsequent seasons, but the couple from season 1 were so WTF?! out-there) but overall it was next-level good.
I think WandaVision is a very good choice. I liked the slow burn with just enough drama in the early “sitcom” episodes to hook me to keep watching.
I would also nominate the first two seasons of “The Flash” up to the Season 2 finale that undid the excellent Season 1 finale. Man, Flashpoint is the horrible gift that just keeps on giving horribly.
Oh, geez. And there I go and miss the “Marvel” in the question. Never mind my second paragraph, please.
Cloak and Dagger. It’s the most I ever cared about the characters and it told a relevant and meaningful story. It’s also the only show I don’t have to like despite some problems.
‘Legion’ by a wide margin, followed by ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘Wandavision’.