Superhero shows can get pretty intense. Dark brooding heroes, world-ending threats, and heavy emotional baggage often dominate the genre. But what about when you just want some superpowered fun without all the gloom?
Good news! Not every superhero needs to scowl their way through saving the world. Plenty of awesome shows flip the script, delivering action-packed adventures with a hefty side of laughter. These series prove you can fight evil while still having a blast.
Ready to discover some caped crusaders who actually know how to have fun? Grab some snacks, settle in, and check out these five superhero TV series that perfectly blend action with comedy!
1. Doom Patrol
Where Dysfunction Meets Superpowers
Ever wondered what happens when the weirdest superheroes team up? Doom Patrol answers that question with style. This show follows a misfit group of traumatized individuals who gained strange abilities through tragic accidents. The team includes Robotman (a race car driver’s brain in a metal body), Negative Man (possessed by a mysterious energy being), Elasti-Woman (a former actress who can stretch her body), and Crazy Jane (who has 64 distinct personalities, each with different powers).
What makes Doom Patrol so ridiculously fun is its complete willingness to embrace absurdity. One episode might feature a sentient, gender-queer street named Danny, while another introduces a cockroach with god-like abilities. The show never bothers explaining its weirdness – it simply runs with it.
The series strikes a perfect balance between completely bonkers scenarios and genuinely touching character moments. These heroes don’t just battle strange villains; they’re also fighting their own demons. Yet somehow, the show manages to make this emotional journey hilarious rather than depressing.
Want proof of how wild this show gets? Key storylines involve a farting donkey that opens portals to other dimensions, a rat who becomes a skilled assassin, and an underground society of sentient butts. Yes, really. Doom Patrol commits to its oddities with such confidence that viewers can’t help but come along for the ride.
Fun fact: While Brendan Fraser voices Robotman, he also plays the character’s human form in flashbacks, bringing unexpected emotional depth to a character that’s literally metal and gears.
2. Peacemaker
Justice Has a New BFF
After stealing scenes in “The Suicide Squad” movie, John Cena’s Peacemaker earned his own TV series, and thank goodness for that. The show follows Christopher Smith (aka Peacemaker), a murderous vigilante who genuinely believes he’s fighting for peace – no matter how many people he needs to kill to achieve it.
Peacemaker stands out by combining genuinely impressive action sequences with comedy that ranges from clever wordplay to delightfully juvenile humor. John Cena perfectly embodies this walking contradiction – a musclebound tough guy who’s emotionally stunted and surprisingly vulnerable.
The series hooks viewers immediately with one of TV’s most bizarre yet captivating opening sequences. Without explanation, the entire cast performs a deadpan choreographed dance to Wig Wam’s “Do You Wanna Taste It” at the beginning of every episode. This perfectly sets the tone for a show that blends over-the-top violence with unexpected moments of pure joy.
Beyond the laughs, Peacemaker delivers some genuinely great character development. Watching the protagonist slowly realize his toxic worldview might be wrong creates surprisingly compelling television. Plus, his CGI sidekick eagle “Eagly” steals every scene with perfect comic timing.
Fun fact: Series creator James Gunn wrote all eight episodes of the first season during the COVID-19 lockdown, initially just for fun without knowing if it would ever get made.
3. Misfits
Superpowers Meet Juvenile Delinquency
What happens when a freak electrical storm gives superpowers to a group of young offenders doing community service? Absolute chaos, that’s what. This British series starts with a simple premise – delinquent youth get supernatural abilities – and runs with it in hilarious directions.
Misfits stands out by asking an honest question: what would actually happen if morally questionable teenagers suddenly got powers? Spoiler alert: they don’t immediately start fighting crime. Instead, they use their abilities for personal gain, accidentally kill their probation officers (multiple times), and generally make a mess of things.
The show’s raw, irreverent humor gives it an edge missing from most superhero content. These aren’t noble heroes rising to their calling – they’re confused kids with serious issues who just happen to have powers. Their casual approach to extraordinary events creates genuinely funny moments, like when they nonchalantly bury bodies while discussing dinner plans.
The diverse range of powers also leads to uniquely entertaining scenarios. One character can turn invisible, but only when feeling intense shame. Another can hear others’ thoughts, but can’t turn it off. These limitations create constant comedic complications while still delivering genuine superhero action.
Fun fact: Before becoming internationally famous in “The Boys” and “The Umbrella Academy,” actors Antonia Thomas and Robert Sheehan got their breakout roles in Misfits, showing the series had a knack for spotting rising talent.
4. The Umbrella Academy
Dysfunctional Family Saves the World
Based on comics written by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, The Umbrella Academy takes the superhero family dynamic and cranks up both the dysfunction and the fun. The story revolves around seven adopted siblings with extraordinary abilities who reunite after their father’s death – just in time to prevent an impending apocalypse.
What makes this show so entertaining is how it balances world-ending stakes with hilariously petty family squabbles. These super-siblings might be trying to save humanity, but they’re also arguing about who got the most attention as children. The contrast creates comedy gold, especially when life-or-death situations get interrupted by decades-old resentments.
The Umbrella Academy absolutely shines in its use of music and dance sequences. Few superhero shows would pause for an impromptu family dance party to “I Think We’re Alone Now,” or use Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” to soundtrack a fight scene. These moments bring pure joy and showcase the characters’ personalities better than any exposition could.
The show’s visual style adds another layer of fun, with talking chimpanzees in suits, time-traveling assassins wearing cartoon animal masks, and an interdimensional commission that looks straight out of a 1960s office. Every frame feels like a comic book come to life.
Fun fact: The visual effects team put so much detail into the CGI chimpanzee butler Pogo that they gave him a dental record with individually rendered teeth, even though viewers would rarely see them up close.
5. The Tick
Big Blue Justice With A Smile
In a world overflowing with dark and serious superheroes, The Tick stands out by embracing pure, childlike enthusiasm for justice. The titular big blue hero (who may or may not be an escaped mental patient) teams up with accountant Arthur to battle evil in The City.
The Tick’s charm comes from his complete sincerity in a cynical world. While other characters recognize the absurdity of costumed heroics, The Tick approaches everything with unwavering optimism and a vocabulary that would make a thesaurus blush. His catchphrase “SPOON!” makes absolutely no sense – which is precisely the point.
What makes the show so enjoyable is how it simultaneously parodies superhero tropes while genuinely celebrating them. The Tick delivers grandiose monologues about justice with complete conviction, even in the most ridiculous situations. Meanwhile, his anxiety-ridden partner Arthur provides the perfect foil, trying to apply logic to a fundamentally illogical universe.
The comedic chemistry between the boisterous Tick and the neurotic Arthur creates classic odd-couple dynamics that drive much of the humor. Add in bizarre villains like Chairface Chippendale (a criminal mastermind with a chair for a head) and The Terror (an ancient villain who faked his death to run a secret evil empire), and you’ve got superhero comedy gold.
Fun fact: The character has been adapted for television three separate times – as an animated series in 1994, and as live-action shows in 2001 and 2016 – proving The Tick’s enduring appeal across generations.
Which fun superhero shows would you add to this list? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
