15 TV Shows To Watch If You Like The Boys – TVLine

One of Prime Video’s biggest shows since its premiere in 2019 is the ultraviolent superhero series “The Boys.” Adapting the comic book series by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the story is set in a world full of super-powered individuals, led by the superhero team The Seven. Backed by the immoral megacorporation Vought International, The Seven are revered as global celebrities, though the world is initially unaware that its leader Homelander (Antony Starr) is a murderous sociopath. Meanwhile, keeping super-powered individuals discreetly in line are The Boys, a misfit ensemble headed by the gruff Billy Butcher (Karl Urban).

“The Boys” stands as a sharp subversion of the superhero genre, and there are plenty of shows that similarly bring a conscious deconstruction of its tropes. Whether played for comedy or offering a more grounded take on the genre, these are shows that carry a self-awareness in their approach. Here are 15 TV shows to watch if you like “The Boys” and want to keep the postmodern superhero stories coming.

Given the prominence of cockney hero hunter Billy Butcher in “The Boys,” it felt right to kick things off with the British superhero series “Misfits.” The show focuses on a group of five young delinquents who are tasked with community service for various crimes. After a freak electrical storm hits, they each develop superpowers reflective of their individual personalities. Starting out using their powers selfishly, the motley crew begins using them against even more dangerous figures, including some who were also empowered by the storm.

“Misfits” has its own decidedly British but no less dark sense of humor about a society of morally flawed superhumans. The stakes are quite grounded compared to other shows on this list but, in a recurring gag, remains consistently lethal. Bringing this superhero deconstruction to life is a stellar cast of British actors, including several figures who star in other shows across this list. A darkly comic take on superhumans run amok, “Misfits” offers a subversive perspective on the genre.

Another dark superhero show where super-powered individuals are treated like modern celebrities with corporate backing is the 2015 series “Powers.” Based on the comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, the story follows former superhero Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley), who became a police detective after losing his superpowers. Along with his partner Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward), Walker investigates violent crimes involving superhumans around Los Angeles. The duo’s first case together involves the disturbing murder of a superhero, unraveling a larger conspiracy in the City of Angels.

Everyone’s forgotten that PlayStation made the superhero show “Powers” as part of its short-lived effort to make original content through the PlayStation Network. Despite this relatively obscure initiative, the comic book adaptation still produced two full seasons before ending in 2016. Developed for television by Bendis and Charlie Huston, the show offers hard-hitting superhero neo-noir where the major players just happen to be superhuman, fueling the action. Several years ahead of its time and on the wrong platform, “Powers” remains a notable entry in the genre for what it brought to the table.

While “Daredevil” brought a brutal, street-level take on New York-based superheroics, its 2015 follow-up “Jessica Jones” went even more grounded with its stakes. The titular protagonist, played to the hilt by Krysten Ritter, is a former superhero who retired after a traumatic incident involving the mind-controlling supervillain Kilgrave (David Tennant). Starting her own business as a private investigator, Jessica self-medicates with hard liquor and sex as she takes cases around New York. However, Jessica’s worst nightmare is realized as she finds herself face-to-face against a resurgent Kilgrave determined to subjugate her again.

The unhealthy ways that emotional pain and trauma are addressed forms the thematic undercurrent of “Jessica Jones.” Ritter is a natural in guiding audiences through this more raw look at superheroes, concealing her character’s troubled psyche with wry humor and sharp observations. This focus becomes less defined after the show’s stellar first season, but Ritter’s performance remains a winning constant. Krysten Ritter returned as Jessica Jones in “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2, reminding viewers what they’ve been missing for years.

Before he co-created “The Boys,” comic book writer Garth Ennis created the supernatural Western “Preacher” with Steve Dillon. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg co-developed “Preacher” for television, alongside Sam Catlin, before the duo went on to executive produce “The Boys.” The story follows Texan preacher Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), who gains the power to compel others to obey him. Joined by his girlfriend Tulip O’Hare (Ruth Negga) and their vampire friend Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun), Jesse sets out to find God while evading dangerous people hunting him.

In terms of narrative tropes, “Preacher” isn’t so much a superhero story as it is a neo-Western fantasy, but it shares key sensibilities with “The Boys.” The pitch-black sense of humor in both shows is evident right from the first episode, along with plenty of gratuitous violence. But “Preacher” is ultimately a story about faith and redemption in its many complicated forms. One of the most ribald and irreverent comic book stories adapted for the screen, “Preacher” won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but what it does, it does very well.

The superhero parody character the Tick has been a cult classic figure spoofing the genre in comics and television on-and-off for decades. Creator Ben Edlund developed a new live-action show for the streaming age with “The Tick,” which debuted on Prime Video in 2016. Peter Serafinowicz stars as the Tick, a large superhuman clad in a bright blue tick suit who fights crime. Joining the Tick in defending the city is his sidekick Arthur Everest (Griffin Newman), a nervous man who wears a moth costume.

The tongue-in-cheek comedy of Edlund’s characters is apparent right from the opening episode of the 2016 iteration of “The Tick” and only escalates from there. Serafinowicz delivers a perfectly deadpan portrayal of the titular hero, almost playing it like a workplace comedy. He’s joined by an effective ensemble cast, including future “The Boys” actor Valorie Curry as Arthur’s sister Dot. An underrated superhero comedy, “The Tick” 2016 reboot poked fun at superhumans before it was cool.

David Haller, the powerful psychic son of X-Men founder Charles Xavier, takes center stage in the FX superhero series “Legion.” David is played by Dan Stevens, who appears to have schizophrenia and has been committed to various psychiatric hospitals for most of his life. After meeting fellow patient Syd Barrett (Rachel Keller), David realizes his mental health is linked to a vast array of potent psionic abilities. These powers make David a target for numerous factions, the most nefarious being the malicious psychic entity known as the Shadow King, who also takes on various forms, including Lenny Busker (Aubrey Plaza).

Created by Noah Hawley, “Legion” is an exhilarating delight, even for non-comic book fans looking for something visually inventive and off-kilter. To call it a superhero show almost feels inadequate given the uniqueness of the series and how it approaches and reinvents what the genre can be on television. Hawley crafts a tale not just about the burden of having psychic powers but also a surrealist exploration of the genre’s tropes through the lens of mental health awareness. Running for three seasons from 2017 to 2019, “Legion” is one of the most original comic book shows of its generation.

The first Marvel live-action series created for Hulu was “Runaways,” which aired for three seasons from 2017 to 2019. The show focuses on a group of six teenagers who discover their parents are the villainous members of an organization known as the Pride. Using their own unique abilities, the kids thwart the Pride’s latest plot before going on the run as their parents begin targeting them. Beyond their dealings with the Pride, the Runaways face threats from across space and time as they defend the world as its latest heroes.

Led by a likable young cast, “Runaways” offers its own young adult superhero team approach to the genre. This is a coming-of-age story centered on opposing parental and institutionalized authority with a super-powered action twist. That said, the parents aren’t presented as shadowy antagonists but are given their own clear character arcs over the course of the series as well. A fun and at least initially grounded superhero show, “Runaways” benefits tremendously from its complicated family drama premise.

One of the strangest superhero teams in the DC Universe is the Doom Patrol, which made its live-action debut in the 2018 series “Titans.” The team got a standalone spin-off set in a separate continuity with 2019’s “Doom Patrol,” though some of the core cast were maintained. The show follows its tragic heroes as they move into the mansion of mysterious benefactor Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton), who they eventually learn had a hand in how they gained their powers. Using their various abilities, the heroes take on equally bizarre threats to reality while they contend with their individual traumas.

“Doom Patrol” is a delightfully weird superhero show, even arguably more off-kilter than “The Umbrella Academy.” There are episodes where the team encounters a sentient street, a superhero whose flexing triggers different actions, and an assassin targeting bearded individuals. The show boasts an eclectically talented cast bringing its zany adventures to life, including Brendan Fraser and Matt Bomer, with April Bowlby a revelation as Elasti-Woman.

Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comic book series “The Umbrella Academy” was adapted into a Netflix original series in 2019, running for four seasons. The show follows a group of super-powered individuals spontaneously conceived across the world, with the mysterious Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) adopting seven of them. Trained to work together as superheroes, the seven reunite after Reginald’s death and commiserate over their unusual upbringing. This coincides with the ensemble facing a new threat that could spell the end of the world, with the group’s actions affecting the timeline.

“The Umbrella Academy” doubles down on the quirkiness of its source material, including a wild “Footloose” dance sequence for the Season 3 premiere. The show feels like a superhero story by way of Edward Gorey, before escalating to time-bending proportions. The ensemble cast handles their wonderfully wacky roles well, with Robert Sheehan a noteworthy standout as the chaotically self-destructive Klaus. A story of misfit families coming together to overcome their inner demons and save the world along the way, “The Umbrella Academy” balances its oddness with emotional vulnerability.

The landmark comic book “Watchmen” by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons was adapted into a television series in 2019, created by Damon Lindelof. Set approximately 34 years after the events of the comic, the vigilante Rorschach has inspired a white supremacist group of domestic terrorists, known as the Seventh Kavalry. As police detective Angela Abar (Regina King) fights back against the Seventh Kavalry, she learns of shadowy forces searching for the omnipotent Doctor Manhattan. This prompts her to launch her own hunt, putting her on a collision course with figures from the cataclysmic events of the comic.

Telling a complete and satisfying story over the course of nine episodes, as intended, “Watchmen” delivers on that promise. Lindelof manages the tricky feat of creating a worthy follow-up to Moore and Gibbons’ masterpiece while crafting an accessible standalone story. The show also feels notably prescient, with its social commentary striking closer to home in 2026 than it did in 2019. A single season triumph, “Watchmen” carries the baton from Moore and Gibbons in its juxtaposition of superheroes with the grim realities of the modern era.

Prime Video’s other big original superhero series is an animated adaptation of “Invincible,” which premiered in 2021. Based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, the show opens with teenager Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) developing superpowers. Following in the footsteps of his superhero father Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons), Mark creates his own superhero persona, Invincible, only to learn his dad was sent to conquer Earth. After Omni-Man leaves the planet in disgrace, it falls on Mark to defend Earth as its most powerful protector from other super-powered threats.

“Invincible” is actually the second television adaptation of the comic, following an unwatchable MTV animated series, and presents a much more daring version of the story. On Prime Video, the show is able to lean into the deliriously gory violence and soaring spectacle as it explores familiar genre tropes. The show also deviates slightly from the comic book source material, with Kirkman serving as a co-showrunner and executive producer, adding new twists to his story. One of the best superhero shows currently on the air, “Invincible” has fun with the genre while winking at its usual elements.

After memorably appearing in filmmaker James Gunn’s 2021 movie “The Suicide Squad,” the gun-toting antihero Peacemaker received his own HBO Max series. Created by Gunn and with John Cena reprising the titular role, the show follows Peacemaker as he accepts a mission investigating an alien infiltration of Earth. Meanwhile, Chris Smith, the nuanced civilian behind the Peacemaker persona, confronts his unresolved childhood trauma and guilt over his lethal actions. This is exacerbated when Smith discovers a doorway into a parallel world in “Peacemaker” Season 2.

“Peacemaker” offers Gunn a wider and more richly realized superhero storytelling canvas than he had with his film projects. The popular filmmaker is able to go deeper with his characters and the implications of their actions and development across two seasons of television. The show also provides John Cena with a career-best performance, capturing the deep-seated emotional pain behind the buffoonish character. A heartbreaking and hilarious look at the cost of being an antihero, “Peacemaker” is a surprisingly raw take on the genre.

The first spin-off series from “The Boys” was the animated show “The Boys Presents: Diabolical,” which premiered in 2022. The series features eight self-contained stories linked to the main series, some considered canonical to its continuity, with several actors reprising their roles. The stories range from different individuals dealing with their own experiences with the power-granting Compound V to an early adventure after Homelander (Starr) joins The Seven. There’s even an episode written by “The Boys” co-creator Garth Ennis set within the continuity of the comic book source material.

“Diabolical” boasts an all-star ensemble of talent, not just for the show’s voice cast but also its writers. Even in animated form, the show feels like a gory and darkly funny outgrowth of “The Boys” and particularly entertaining for fans of the main series. According to the main Prime Video series creator Eric Kripke, several of the stories in the animated spin-off aren’t canonical, though its series finale is. This loose connection to continuity shouldn’t put off curious viewers, however, because “The Boys Presents: Diabolical” is still a stellar time.

The world of “The Boys” is expanded with the 2023 spin-off series “Gen V,” set in a university for aspiring superheroes. Controlled by Vought International, students compete for the top rank in their class and potentially join The Seven upon graduation. After the private school’s star pupil Luke Riordan (Patrick Schwarzenegger) suffers a public, deadly breakdown, new student Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair) investigates the shadier aspects of the university. Vought’s control over the school and its sinister true purpose accelerates when Homelander (Starr) asserts his growing power.

Right from the twisty premiere of “Gen V,” the spin-off proves itself more than worthy of being connected to the legacy of “The Boys.” The violence and dark humor run just as readily as the preceding series, with the story not pulling its punches for its younger characters. The spin-off also feels like a natural extension of “The Boys,” carefully weaving in major plot developments and characters from the main series to build up its stakes and world. One of the best sci-fi shows streaming on Prime Video, “Gen V” mixes coming-of-age drama with super-powered mayhem effectively.

South Korean television, or K-dramas, has taken the world by storm for years, buoyed by the success of shows like “Squid Game” and “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” One K-drama offering its own twist on the superhero genre is the 2024 series “The Atypical Family,” keeping a family-centric approach to its narrative. The Bok family, including protagonist Bok Gwi-ju (Jang Ki-yong), each have their own distinct powers but their respective traumas and personal demons have taken a toll. As Gwi-ju emerges from his longstanding grief over losing his wife, he and the family begin to tap into their various superhuman gifts once again.

“The Atypical Family” is a more grounded superhero story for an audience more focused on mental health and personal issues. The show still includes slapstick comedy, as well as both romantic and family drama, but with enough super-powered antics to set the show apart. At its core, this is a story about how claiming one’s agency and self-acceptance draws out what makes everyone unique. An underrated K-drama that should be on your watchlist, “The Atypical Family” offers a fascinating South Korean variation on the genre.