Long before Prime Video’sThe Boyssatirized and deconstructed the superhero genre’s overwhelming cultural influence, NBC’sHeroeschanged how Hollywood and audiences viewed and interacted with the comic book media landscape. Prime’s streaming adaptation ofThe Boysis the antithesis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC’s all-consuming grip on superhero media. Eschewing the PG-13 rating that most on-screen superhero stories are restricted by,The Boyssatirically examines a version of our world in which the government and corporate oligarchs become involved in creating and curating people’s superpowers.
The Boysoften references and even mocks the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC’s approach to superhero storytelling, parodying the movies, shows, and costumes, and examining the genre’s black-and-white approach to the age-old battle between good and evil. WhileThe Boys’success directly responds to Marvel’s and DC’s grip on the superhero genre, NBC’sHeroesshowed Marvel and DC what the superhero genre could be, especially in a TV format.
Heroes Did Superhero Deconstruction On TV Before The Genre Was Popular
Heroes Was A Character-Driven Drama First, A Superhero Show Second
Heroes' first season debuted on NBC in 2006. This was pre-Iron Man, the movie that kickstarted the behemoth that would soon become known as the MCU.Heroesinstead followed in the footsteps of superhero films like Fox’s originalX-MenandFantastic Fourmovies and Tobey Maguire’s first two outings as Spider-Man. Most major comic book media of the early aughts, with the exception of Christopher Nolan’s grounded take on Batman with 2005’sBatman Begins, were strongly influenced by their source material, leaning into the more gimmicky, sometimes even goofy, aspects of superhero comic books.
That approach was, and still is, incredibly effective; some of those films were undeniably groundbreaking, combining clever storytelling with the expected comedy and fantastical fights that have always been hallmarks of the genre. In the early 2000s, though, comic book storytelling was confined to the big screen, with just a few animated series produced for television, and superheroes had nowhere near the same cultural clout as they did in the 2010s and now.Heroes' premiere on NBC changed everything, though.
Not only didHeroesprove that superhero stories could work in an entirely different narrative format, but it also proved that superpowered characters didn’t need to be limited to being caped crusaders or your run-of-the-mill comic book villains. Season 1’s 23-episode run allowed creator Tim Kring to deconstruct what it means to be a superhero. These characters lived normal lives for years, even decades.Heroesquestioned how an ordinary person would react to gaining powers.Would those opportunities make them greedier, more selfless, or something even more volatile? How do those people change society as a whole?
To a certain degree,Heroes’superpower system had plenty in common with the X-Men – certain individuals have extraordinary underlying abilities activated at different points in their lives and are blamed or persecuted for something they have no control over – butHeroestook that to another level. Using sci-fi as its primary genre,Heroesasked, “What if superheroes were real?” and both Marvel and DC have been asking themselves that question ever since.
Heroes Might Have Been A Very Different Show If It Came Out Today
The Superhero Market Has Never Been So Saturated
SinceHeroesfirst premiered, the superhero genre has become almost unrecognizable. Superheroes permeate every corner of today’s media landscape, from film to TV, and have changed how audiences interact with and respond to major franchises. Every installment pushes the overarching narrative forward. Every character can potentially pop up in a different film or episode. There’s little room for something new, and when something new does come along, those new (or underexplored) characters and stories are not always met with the enthusiasm they arguably deserve.
Heroes’originality would have been lost if it had been released more recently, much in the same way it feels different to watch Zack Snyder’sWatchmennow than when it first premiered three years before the MCU’s originalAvengersfilm was released. It’ll be interesting to see how the upcomingHeroesreboot,Heroes: Eclipsed– the franchise’s second reboot overall – will navigate this era of superhero media. Will it have anything new to say? How will it differentiate itself from the MCU, the DCU,The Boysfranchise, and even other superhero-like properties such asThe Umbrella Academy?
Heroes' Disappointing Sequels Don’t Change The Fact That Season 1 Was Great
Season 1 Changed How We Viewed Network TV
There’s no denying thatHeroesfell off after a phenomenal first season. This was in large part due to the writers' strike of 2007 and 2008, which delayed development and forced the writers to cut off certain storylines before they’d been resolved. As a result of the much shorter season length – 11 episodes rather than 23 – the returning characters' development was brought to a screeching halt in favor of a fast-paced, convoluted plot and new superpowered individuals, and the show’s subsequent seasons and reboot never recovered from the shocking change of pace.
Heroeswas a trailblazer in creating character-driven superhero storytelling, especially in season 1.
Despite the show’s wonky legacy,Heroes: Eclipsedhas a real shot at redemption. One of the main complaints about superhero stories today is that they feel too similar to one another, vehicles for spectacle rather than depth. Superhero productions that feature more grounded character drama, likeDaredevil: Born Again,Thunderbolts*,WandaVision,Peacemaker, andThe Boys, in turn, feel fresh and exciting.
The characters and their relationships are the stars, rather than massive, third-act battles.Heroeswas a trailblazer in creating character-driven superhero storytelling, especially in season 1. The superpowers were simply a way of exploring and deconstructing these characters' psyches, their choices, and their motivations. If the upcomingHeroesreboot can recapture that magic, audiences could be in for something truly special.
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.
The Boys
The Boys is a gritty and subversive take on the superhero genre, focusing on a group of vigilantes who confront powerful superheroes abusing their abilities, exploring themes of corruption and moral ambiguity in a world where heroes are not always what they seem.
