Copyright © 2023 Rick and Ruth Coy

MARVEL TELEVISION

This will include both MCU shows and others. Marvel unlike DC didn’t get a show until 1974 and it really wasn’t a superhero show as a kiddy show on PBS. Until we got Disney Plus, Marvel TV was hit and miss and in the early days way more miss. But now with the MCU tie-ends, WOW…

With MCU shows a few are sort of fringe, but close enough to be considered MCU.

Non-MCU Television Shows

SPIDEY SUPER STORIES Electric Company

This wasn’t a stand alone show, it was part of Electric Company between 1974 - 1977 Starring Danny Seagren as Spider-man in 390 episodes. This wasn’t a Superhero show, but a children educational show, but it was the first Marvel live action hero on TV.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

1977 - 1979

Starring: Nicholas Hammond, Robert Simon, Chip Fields, Ellen Bry, Michael Pataki

CBS

TV-PG

The one plus was that it wasn’t campy like Batman. It also wasn’t Spider-Man. Yeah we have Peter Parker who get bit by a radioactive spider - that about it for being like the comics. The bad guys were just normal bad guys and Peter was a grad student, not in high school. Stan Lee didn’t like it. Ah yes it had JJJ who liked Spider-Man.  I personally Don’t remember it.  I could have been working on the nights it was on and it was pre-vcr (cheap VCR) So I may have never seen it, or it was so bad I’ve blocked it out.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK

1977 - 1982

Starring: Bill Bixby, Jack Covin, Lou Ferigno

Created for TV by Kenneth Johnson

CBS - 82 episodes

TV-PG

This was not the comic book Hulk. It was Dr. David Banner , not Bruce, who became the Hulk. Ruth loved the show, one of her all time favorite comic book related TV shows. She is a big Bill Bixby fan, liking all the series he has been in.  We do have the complete Hulk series on DVD including the five made for TV movies. Two of the movies starred other Marvel Heroes, Thor (very badly done) and Daredevil (Just badly done). The show itself was very good, but it was more like the fugitive than it was the comic. I just felt they could have made it a little more like the comic.

BLADE THE SERIES

2006

Starring: Sticky Fingaz, Jill Wagner, Nelson Lee, Jessica Gower, Neil Jackson, Paulette Victor-Lifton, Larry Poindexter

Created for TV by David S. Goyer

12 episodes Spike TV

TV-14

As with the movies, didn’t see. Was not a fan of the comics. More horror than Superhero

LEGION

2017 - 2019

Starring: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Bill Irwin, Jeremie Harris

Created for TV by Noah Hawley

27 episodes FX

TV-MA

This takes place in the FOX X-men universe. I was interested in it, but I had to work to watch it, it sucked. I had not read a lot of the comics he was in. He was usually a bad guy and he was Professor X son. Professor X doesn’t show up in the series. I didn’t watch them all, but saw way more than I wanted, hoping that we would have something interesting. Now I have friends who like Xmen that though it was great. So you need to watch one to see how you like it, and if you don’t - it doesn’t change.

THE GIFTED

2017 - 2019

Starring: Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Sean Teale, Natalie Alyn Lind, Percy Hynes White, Coby Bell, Jamie Chung, Blair Redford, Emma Dumont, Skyler Samuels,

Created for TV by Matt Nix

29 episodes FOX

TV - 14

Also in the FOX Xmen universe - this time in an alternate future. Loved this one.  Had known heroes and talked about other known heroes. Sadly it only lasted 29 episodes.

THE MCU TV SHOWS

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

2013 - 2020

Starring: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Iain DeCaestecker, Henry Simmons, Brett Dalton, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Adrianne Palicki, Joel Stoffer, Adrian Pasdar, Gabriel Luna, Maximilliano Hernandez, Jaimie Alexander, Hayley Atwell, Samuel L. Jackson

Created for TV by Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon

136 episodes ABC

TV-PG

This was the start of Marvel TV shows that were in the same universe as the MCU movies. The same actors would play the roles. Because of this a lot of heroes were talked about, but were not in the show. Fury only shows up in two episodes. Most of the series stayed with what was happening in the movies, having them effect the show. But when they started their time travel saga - it went away from the MCU sort of. The show on the whole was very enjoyable.

AGENT CARTER

2015 - 2016

Starring: Hayley Atwell, James D’Arcy, Enver Gjokaj, Dominic Cooper Neal McDonough, Leonard Roberts

Created for TV by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

18 episodes ABC

TV- PG

In the MCU we do not have the white WWII Nick Fury (Grandfather to our current Nick Fury) so who started S.H.E.I.L.D.? This was to be a three season series (maybe more) and it only lasted two. And it was really good, but it may only been a fan favorite, not drawing enough others? But this showed her as an underused agent after WWII. It was laying the foundation for the founding of S.H.E.L.D. Since it only lasted for two wonderful season we never get to see this - - - - - if you have Disney+ - check out MARVEL One Shots with the Peggy Carter one. It is a LOT of FUN. And it ties everything up.  Now if Disney+ would just give us Agent Carter and S.H.I.E.L.D. Series with the Capt. America project. (In the comics in the 50 was a Capt. America series that once it ended was mostly forgotten about - they bring Cap back in Avenger #4 after being frozen since WWII, and once fans asked Stan about the 1950’s Cap he came back that he was a government agent working as Cap and wasn’t the real one. So, how about S.H.I.E.L.D deciding on a Project Capt. America with Peggy in charge. If need be they could have most of the series about them trying out different people for Cap and then Steve comes back in time from Avengers Endgame and wins the role!!! Be great for a Disney + MCU mini series.

DAREDEVIL

2015 - 2018

Starring: Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal

Created for TV by Drew Goddard

39 episodes Netflix

TV-MA

This was the first of the Netflix MCU shows - the “B” team sort of. I was happy how they did Daredevil - it was fairly true to the comics. Now it had one problem, and all the Netflix MCU show had it. Too much padding. Each season could have been done with half the episode and still been just as good by taking out the padding. Now these shows are all moving to Disney+.  D’Onofrio makes a great Wilson Fisk.

JESSICA JONES

2015 - 2019

Starring: Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Eka Darville, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Tennant, Mike Colter

Created for TV by Melissa Rosenberg

39 episodes Netflix

TV-MA

A fun fact, her friend Trish Walker is a major marvel star starting as Patsy Walker a teen romance comic, she latter became the superhero “HellCat”. Jessica Jones is a good. David Tennant made a great Kilgrave. The netflix MCU has given us really good bad guys…

LUKE CAGE

2016 - 2018

Starring: Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Theo Rossi

Created for TV by Cheo Hodari Coker

26 episodes Netflix

TV - MA

Not a bad Luke Cage, a little bit of retelling of the story - and a few easter eggs towards the comic version.

IRON FIST

2017 - 2018

Starring: Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Jessica Stroup, Simone Missick

Created for TV by Scott Buck

23 episodes Netflix

TV - MA

Like this better than I liked the comic.(When I talk about comics I didn’t like, I am referring to when they first came out) It tied into the MCU that was being made on Netflix.

THE DEFENDERS

2017

Starring: Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Elodie Yung, Jessica Henwick, Scott Glenn, Sigourney Weaver, Elden Henson, Simone Missick, Rachael Taylor, Deborah Ann Woll

Created for TV by Douglas Petrie, Marco Ramirez

8 episodes Netflix

TV-MA

INHUMANS

2017

Starring: Anson Mount, Serinda Swan, Ken Leung, Eme Ikwuakor, Isabelle Cornish, Iwan Rheon, Mike Moh

Created for TV by Scott Buck

8 episodes ABC

TV-PG

The Inhumans were cast right, but the script was much to be desired.  If only they had waited until the FF became part of the MCU, it could have worked out so much better. This may not be consided part of the MCU (it was when it came out, but they may want a redo of the Inhumans)

THE PUNISHER

2017 - 2019

Starring: Jon Bernthal, Amber Rose Revah, Ben Barnes, Jason Moore

Created for TV by Steve Lightfoot

26 episodes NetFlix

TV - MA

The Netflix show stayed pretty close to the originals. The Punisher is one of the anti-heroes, you like what he does, but you wouldn’t want him for a friend.

RUNAWAYS

2017 - 2019

Starring: Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta, Angel Parker, Ryan Sands, Ever Carradine, James Masters, Elizabeth Hurley, Brittany Ishibashi

Created for TV by Stephanie Savage, Josh Schwartz

33 episodes HULU

TV-14

Really enjoyed this show, sadly I never read any of the comics. So I have no idea how true they are to the original. Had a very nice Marvel taste to it.

CLOAK AND DAGGER

2018 - 2019

Starring: Olivia Holt, Aubrey Joseph, Gloria Reuben, Emma Lahana

Created for TV by Joe Pokaski

20 episodes Freeform

TV-14

This was alright, but it was more of a teenage coming of age story, than Superhero. If they removed the coming of age story, it would have been a really good show. It showed more back story into Ty and Tandy than the comic ever did (or at least when I was reading it). Ruth was a fan of the comic and disappointed in the show. Now it was originally set up to be part of the NetFlix shows and when rerouted to Freeform, it became TV-14 instead of TV-MA and this could be why all the back story was added. They did reverse the backgrounds on Ty and Tandy.  And they never used their Cloak and Dagger names in the series.

2020

Starring: Tom Austen, Sydney Lemmon, Elizabeth Marvel, Ariana Guerra, June Carryl

Reated for TV by Paul Zbyszewski

10 episodes HULU

TV-MA

This really wasn’t part of the MCU, nor was it anywhere true to the Son Of Satan comic.  Only watched a couple of episodes hoping it was going to be at least a little bit like the comic. I guess having a serial killer dad instead of the Prince of Darkness for your Dad can change things around a lot.

WANDA VISION

2021

Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Julian Hilliard, Jett Klyne, Evan Peters

Created for TV by Jac Schaeffer

9 episodes Disney+

TV-PG

This starts the MCU mini-series on Disney+. They have the actors from the movies playing their parts on TV. Wanda Vision is a almost six hour movie shown in 9 parts. It ties in with Dr.Strange 2. We are at a point where the MCU is really taking shape.  Whats nice is that people without Disney+ can buy the entire series on disc.

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

2021

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Erin Kellyman, Daniel Bruhl, Emily VanCamp, Don Cheadle

Created for TV by Malcolm Spellman

6 episodes Disney +

TV - 14

This takes place after “Avengers:Endgame” and tells the story who will replace Steve as Cap. Again we get everyone from the movies.  Again we have an almost six hour movie. It is well done.  It one of those things , if you like them from the movies, you will like this. Now we had a little yelling of censorship on social media because it seems they made a few editing changes after the first showing…now even the people yelling censorship said they didn’t censor anything, they just re-edited a few scenes.  In other words they felt something they did that didn’t work got by them and they re-edited it before coming out with the disc and made the changes to the streaming edition, so all would be the same.

HAWKEYE

2021

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Vincent D’Onofrio

Created for TV by Jonathan Igla

6 episodes Disney +

TV - 14

This helps tie the NetFlix shows with the MCU as it also has the King Pin in it. This introduce the next Hawkeye. Very well made.

WHAT IF….?

2021 -

Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Samuel L. Jackson, Chadwick Boseman, Mick Wingert, Lake Bell, Jeremy Renner, Benedict Cumberbatch, Josh Keaton, Tom Hiddleston, Alexandra Daniels, Hayley Atwell, Jon Favreau, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Bettany, Chris Hemsworth, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Sebastian Stan, Seth Green, Kurt Russell, Natalie Portman, Michael Douglas, Benedict Wong, Tilda Swinton, Dominic Cooperz

Disney+

TV-14

True, this is not live action, but it is part of the MCU…including many of the stars doing the voices of the heroes they play on the big screen. At the end of season one we learn these are not fictions told by the Watcher but alter universes. And this sets up Spider-man No Way Home and Dr. Strange and MultiVerse of Madness. They may be animated but like I said this had to be included since it is such a part of the MCU.

LOKI

2021 -

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson, Jonathan Majors,

Created for TV by Michael Waldron

Disney +

TV - PG

The first season takes place right after Avengers Endgame (or maybe during it). It about a new universe created by the Avengers going back in time. Which sort of puts Loki in the wrong time stream and the ones who protect the multi-verse and Loki have a major mis-understanding (They felt just killing Loki, could take care of the timeline problem), well season one ends with Loki, still alive, and looking like he may be running things? And we do have a lot of Loki’s in this.

MOON KNIGHT

2022

Starring: Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, May Calamawy, Michael Benjamin Hernandez, F.Murray Abraham, Ann Akinjirin

Created for television by Jeremy Slater

6 episodes Disney Plus

TV-14

Moon Knight was not bad - Ruth who has always liked the comic, felt it was done justice. Even though it is part of the MCU - it is sort of alone. Now that the Netflix shows are at Disney + we could end up with a new Defenders show on Disney + and have a line up more like the comic.

MS MARVEL

2022

Starring: Iman Vellani, Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff, Yasmeen Fletcher, Aramis Knight, Brie Larson

Created for TV by Bisha K. Ali

Disney Plus’

TV - PG

This is more juvenile than the other Marvel Disney Plus series, but then it is about a young girl and thankfully they didn’t go the route they did with Cloak and Dagger.  This is an enjoyable show and it is leading up to the Marvels Movie. From what I understand they have change her origin a lot from the comics and her powers a little bit. Having only read a couple of comics with her in them, I found the show acceptable. An interesting side note - I had a friend at work who last name was Khan and he came from the same place that Kamala did. In fact she looks like she could be related to him and he has told some stories about Jinns and I think the changes they made, was to make her more realistic.

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW

2022

Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Mark Ruffalo, Ginger Gonzaga, Jameela Jamil, Steve Coulter, Tim Roth, Benedict Wong, Charlie Cox,

Created for TV by Jessica Gao

Disney Plus

TV-14

As I’m writing this I’ve only seen episode one and have decided this is by far the best Marvel Comic related TV show ever.  She looks good as She-Hulk and the Show is fun.  We will be seeing more of the HULK and Daredevil and Wong. It is funny without being campy. And they dropped a lot of Marvel Easter Eggs in episode 1. And make sure to watch the credits. I would say with they type of humor they have, they are pushing their TV-14 rating as much as they can and still keep it under the TV-MA… This is worth getting Disney Plus for by itself.

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