Despite thissuperhero showfalling off after just one season, it would fit in perfectly in the modern superhero landscape, and it probably would have stayed watchable for a little longer. Whilethe heyday of the MCUmay be behind us in 2025, it would be a complete overreaction to say that the superhero era is ending anytime soon. There are still plenty of Marvel projects to come, and it feels like the DCEU has finally found its footing. TV shows likePeacemaker,Creature Commandos, andDaredevil: Born Againhave been instrumental in the genre’s longevity.
Even the TV shows that purport to mock the superhero craze,likeThe BoysandWatchmen, are still superhero shows at the end of the day and can be enjoyed by fans and those who are exhausted by it all at the same time. This was by no means inevitable, though.Superhero TV shows and movies spent a lot of time stumbling around, trying to figure out what it was that audiences wanted to see. One of these shows actually nailed it, at least for one season. If that same show had come out now, it would probably have been even more successful.
The 2008 Writers' Strike Forced Changes Onto The Show
Heroesfirst premiered in 2006on NBC and lasted for four seasons, eventually wrapping up in 2010. An original show,Heroesfollows a group of ordinary people who suddenly discover that they have been granted superhuman powers. Like American superhero comics,Heroesutilizes branching stories of each “hero” while slowly winding the stories back to one central narrative. Those affected by these powers have to deal with the consequences on their personal lives and futures as they’re dragged into a world-altering event.
The first season ofHeroesis a classic, with an 82% onRotten Tomatoes, and it was nominated for two Golden Globes and eight Emmys. The series looked like it was going to be aLost-style hit with mystery, action, and fantastic production. Then the 2008 WGA strike happened, andHeroesmay have been affected worse than any other show. Season 2 was condensed to 11 episodes, and problems regarding power creep suddenly went from small story challenges to major plot-breaking issues. Subsequently, the last three seasons ofHeroesare a dramatic downgrade.
Heroes Would Have Thrived In Modern TV’s Era Of Anti-Superhero Media
Streamers Are More Open To Experimentation Than Networks
Shows likeThe Boys,Watchmen,Invincible, andPeacemakerare both superhero shows and anti-superhero shows, taking risks with the format. These series aren’t beholden to the usual conventions of the genre and are as interested in why we like superheroes as they are in the superheroes themselves. It’s an era of television thatHeroeswould slot into nicely.Heroeswas unique in its approach to superheroes and, originally, was meant to be an anthology series much in the way ofAmerican Horror Story(viaCBR).
Heroes: Rebornis a one-season sequel series that premiered in 2015.
However, network executives realized that fans were gravitating towards the characters introduced in season 1 and, therefore, essentially forced the showrunners to change their story, making it into a more traditional network serial show.IfHeroesdebuted now, streamers would likely be much more willing to experimentand giveHeroesthe space to try something unique that may go against traditional thinking, such as swapping out the cast season to season. Back in 2006,Heroeshad to cater to the powerful networks who saw “unique takes” as risk, and therefore to be avoided.
The Success Of Shows Like The Boys Makes Me Hopeful For The Upcoming Heroes Reboot
Heroes Could Be The Earnest Answer To The Sarcastic Superhero Boom
After over a decade and a half,Heroesis returning,this time asHeroes: Eclipsed. Not much is known about this reboot series except that the original writer, Tim Kring, is returning, and some characters from the original series have been teased to return. Whether it will be a soft or hard reboot is up in the air, but one thing I am sure of is that in this era of superhero TV shows,theHeroesreboot is going to find more success now than it did previously. People love superheroes, but they also love spins on classic superhero stories.
IfHeroesdecides to go with its original plan and be an anthology superhero series, it could be very successful. What’s more,Heroesalways had an earnest ethos, and a lot of the superhero shows out right now are tongue-in-cheek, hyper-violent, or darkly satirical.Heroescould be the superhero show that’s made with modern audiences in mind, both superhero fans and non-fans, but delivers something without the caustic bite of a lot of modernsuperhero shows.
Heroes
Cast
Heroes sees a number of people drawn to each other after a solar eclipse awakens incredible abilities in them. With their destinies seemingly intertwined, these evolved humans use their superpowers to influence the past, present, and future - for better and for worse. When a superpowered killer emerges who is stealing abilities from his victims, they must band together to stop him.
