Ranking every Marvel TV show, from worst to best
In October 1939, Martin Goodman, then-editor of Newsstands Publications Inc., published Marvel Comics #1, an anthology of superhero stories that featured characters like the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner. That same year, he hired his wife's cousin, a young man named Stan Lee, as an assistant. Two years after that, in 1941, the eager young writer would publish his first story, "Captain America Foils the Traitor's Revenge," and the rest, as they say, is history.
Flash-forward to today and Marvel owns not only some of the most recognizable superhero characters of all time but the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. Since releasing "Iron Man" in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has netted a jaw-dropping $26.9 billion at the box office (worldwide). As of 2021, nine of the 30 top-grossing films of all time are Marvel properties.
In recent years, Marvel has brought many of its stories to the small screen as well. Over the last decade, they've partnered with streaming giants and cable networks to bring some of their lesser-known properties to a wider audience. Like all mega-franchises, some of these efforts have fared better than others.
Stacker looked at IMDb data for every Marvel TV series and ranked them by user rating, with ties broken by votes. This includes all Marvel series on ABC, Hulu, Freeform, Disney+, and Netflix. From "Inhumans" to "Daredevil," read on to see where your favorite Marvel shows land on this list.
#19. ‘Inhumans’ (2017)
- IMDb user rating: 4.9
- On air: 2017
Black Bolt and the rest of the Inhuman Royal Family must fight to protect themselves, and humanity, after a military coup threatens to tear their group apart. Despite fans’ eager anticipation, “Inhumans” was a critical and commercial flop (thanks, in large part, to the fact that it centered around a character who can’t speak—a characteristic that didn’t translate well on-screen), lasting only a single season.
#18. ‘Ms. Marvel’ (2022)
- IMDb user rating: 6.1
- On air: 2022
This Disney+ miniseries follows a 16-year-old superhero superfan who struggles with fitting in until she realizes she has powers of her own. The show received praise for how authentically it portrayed both Pakistani American culture and the realities of life for modern Muslims.
#17. ‘Iron Fist’ (2017-2018)
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- On air: 2017-2018
Finn Jones stars as Danny Rand, a man with impressive martial arts skills and the ability to wield a mystical force known as the Iron Fist. While critics dragged the show for its lack of originality, fans were willing to overlook its formulaic setup in order to see the lesser-known hero get his story.
#16. ‘Cloak & Dagger’ (2018-2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- On air: 2018-2019
Two teenagers from wildly different backgrounds explore their new powers and the bond that those abilities creates between them in Freeform’s “Cloak & Dagger.” Two relatively unknown actors, Olivia Holt (Dagger) and Aubrey Joseph (Cloak), portrayed the superheroes for the series’ two seasons.
#15. 'Helstrom' (2020)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- On air: 2020
A stand-alone story within the MCU, "Helstrom" followed two siblings, the children of a serial killer, who utilized their unique powers to track down the worst members of humanity and take them out. The Hulu series struggled to find an audience at first thanks to a lack of marketing, but has developed a cult following since its cancellation in 2020.
#14. ‘Runaways’ (2017-2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- On air: 2017-2019
Following the runaway success of the Avengers movies, Hulu ordered the first season of “Runaways,” a show that followed another group of heroes, albeit much younger and more inexperienced ones. The series follows six runaway teenagers from various backgrounds who work together to atone for their parents’ (a group of supervillains known as the Pride) actions.
#13. ‘The Defenders’ (2017)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- On air: 2017
This Netflix miniseries was a crossover event that brought four heroes (all of whom previously had their own series) together to defend New York City against a common enemy. Charlie Cox plays Daredevil, Krysten Ritter reprises her role as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter is Luke Cage, and Finn Jones stars as Iron Fist.
#12. ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- On air: 2021
Following the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” sees the two eponymous heroes team up to deal with the anti-patriots who would like to see life return to the way it was during the Blip. Critics raved about the Disney+ miniseries (which saw Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie reprise their roles) applauding the actors’ obvious chemistry and the way it dealt with an abundance of social issues.
#11. ‘Luke Cage’ (2016-2018)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- On air: 2016-2018
A convict turned hero, Luke Cage wrestles with his newfound powers while attempting to outrun his old life and save the soul of the city he’s always called home. Mike Colter stars in the immersive and socially conscious series that ran for two seasons on Netflix.
#10. 'What If ...?' (2021)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- On air: 2021-present
In a nutshell, "What If…?" explores alternate timelines of the multiverse. The animated Disney+ series, which is narrated by the Watcher, takes pivotal MCU moments and turns them on their heads, creating an extraordinarily fun and unique anthology series.
#9. ‘Moon Knight’ (2022)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- On air: 2022
Darker in tone than many other Marvel TV series, “Moon Knight'' follows a mild-mannered man who realizes he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with a mercenary named Marc Spector, who, in turn, is embroiled in a mystery that involves powerful Egyptian gods. The show was one of the first Disney+ series to introduce an entirely new character into the universe and has been praised by fans for its adherence to its source material.
#8. ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ (2013-2020)
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- On air: 2013-2020
Joss Whedon, the writer and director of the first two Avengers films, co-created this ABC series. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” follows a spy agency, comprised of individuals with a range of supernatural abilities, that strives to maintain the peace within the greater MCU.
#7. ‘Hawkeye’ (2021)
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- On air: 2021
Jeremy Renner reprises his role as Hawkeye in this Disney+ miniseries that sees the hero team up with the next iteration of the Hawkeye persona, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), in order to take down old enemies. The show gave fans almost everything they wanted—a look at an antihero searching for redemption, closure for an old favorite, and an origin story for a new one.
#6. ‘Agent Carter’ (2015-2016)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- On air: 2015-2016
“Agent Carter” is a unique Marvel offering in that it follows a side character, Peggy Carter, who most often appears in “Captain America” material, rather than a mainstream superhero. Its two seasons saw the 1940s secret agent uncover government secrets and unravel sinister plots while traipsing around America.
#5. 'Jessica Jones' (2015-2019)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- On air: 2015-2019
With more adult content than many of the other Marvel series, "Jessica Jones" follows a former superhero as she deals with the fallout of the incident that knocked her from glory. As she wrestles with PTSD, Jones (played by Krysten Ritter) opens a detective agency, Alias Investigations, that takes cases involving individuals with special abilities.
#4. ‘WandaVision’ (2021)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- On air: 2021
Three weeks after the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” Wanda Maximoff and Vision settle into the suburbs, ready for a more normal, domestic life. But when their surroundings begin moving through various decades, and classic television tropes take root in their lives, it becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany star in this Disney+ series.
#3. ‘Loki’ (2021-present)
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- On air: 2021-present
Tom Hiddleston brings Loki, the god of mischief, to life once again in this Disney+ series that follows an alternate version of the Norse god in a different reality. A second season of the show, which, as of July 2022, is the most-watched Marvel series on the platform, is currently in production.
#2. ‘The Punisher’ (2017-2019)
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- On air: 2017-2019
A spinoff of the “Daredevil” series, “The Punisher” follows vigilante Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) as he unravels the larger conspiracy surrounding the death of his family. More of an action-packed thriller than strictly a superhero series, fans loved the Netflix drama for its uniqueness.
#1. ‘Daredevil’ (2015-2018)
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- On air: 2015-2018
In “Daredevil,” a blind lawyer by day uses his heightened senses to fight crime in NYC by night. The Netflix series, which starred Charlie Cox as its titular character, proved so popular with fans that rumor has it Disney+ is working on a revival, though no official details have been announced.
