5 Best R-Rated Superhero Shows, Ranked – BGR

It’s become clearer over the years that superhero stories don’t have to be polished, chipper tales in which the villain is vanquished and the hero does a victory lap around the world. Now it’s standard fare to see them tackle more realistic and relentlessly brutal storylines. More importantly, though, just because the characters might be wearing cowls and colorful costumes, it doesn’t make them heroes, either.

Nowadays, it’s become common practice for days to be saved through bone-crunching battles, blood-drenched duels between morally gray characters, and, dare we say, even the occasional bit of nudity and foul language thrown in for good measure. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of the best family-unfriendly superhero shows that have either been and gone or are still going strong and deserve more attention.

All of these R-rated superhero shows have gone against the grain and, as a result, set the standard for other unconventional comic book shows to do the same. So suit up, clear out the swear jar, and take a look at some of our best R-rated superhero shows that hold their own against the “Avengers” and world-wrecking villains. We’ll start with one of DC’s finest, and occasionally dumbest.

Some of James Gunn’s greatest storytelling victories have centered on the underdog at the heart of each story. D-tier heroes that casual viewers didn’t know existed until the writer, director, and co-handler of DC Studios pumped life into them, making them more than worthy to share the same space with more iconic cape-wearing warriors. With all that said, Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker (John Cena), could’ve been an even trickier task.

Not only was Peacemaker part of the rejuvenated Task Force X in “The Suicide Squad,” but he also betrayed them in the film’s final act and got a bullet to the throat for his troubles. How do you turn a duplicitous bit of muscle into a hero? Well, after two seasons, Gunn proved it was actually pretty easy when that hero was played by John Cena.

At a time when the DC Universe was a mess, “Peacemaker” added wonderfully organized chaos, courtesy of a lovable crew of misfits and their helmet-wearing leader. The character wields a heart as rough around the edges as Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” but with a lot more swearing. Cena’s take on the forgotten character established a traumatized hero with daddy issues who just wanted to put things right, all with the help of allies just as screwed up as he was. As it stands, Gunn has no plans to revisit “Peacemaker” as we know it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go back to these two incredible seasons that will go down as some of the DCU’s finest.

After three seasons and more on the way, “Invincible,” like its titular hero, has proven it can hold its own not just against the niche, regularly gnarly shows on this list but also against the mainstream superhero genre as a whole. Some viewers might doubt that an animated series could accomplish such a feat, but there’s too much in its arsenal for it to fail.

Firstly, it’s based on Robert Kirkman’s source material (creator of “The Walking Dead”), following Mark Grayson’s (Steven Yeun) venture into heroism. It’s filled with so many twists, turns, and treachery that it would give “Game of Thrones” a run for its money. Gods, monsters, and secret agents all play their part in a universe teeming with great stories and even greater characters you’ll learn to love, hate, and hope make it out alive.

What drives all this drama home — in tears and blood on a regular basis — is the all-star cast bringing it to life, including J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Walton Goggins, and the show’s producer, Seth Rogen. Those are just some of the names who work wonders with characters that can become fan favorites one episode and just another fatality the next. It’s this that allows “Invincible” to rival even some of the MCU’s hair-raising moments with a raw, real depiction of the price that must be paid for the life of a superhero.

Alan Moore’s “unfilmable” comic got an unthinkable sequel series in 2019. Even years later, after cinematic universes have thrived and died, “Watchmen” stands as one of the greatest superhero shows that has stood the test of time in all the wrong ways. Set 34 years after the events of Moore’s groundbreaking tale of flawed heroes and alarmingly cunning villains, we’re now reunited with a world that looks alarmingly like our own. Regina King is Sister Night, a Tulsa police detective trying to deliver justice in a time when other cops are hiding behind masks, and the law is tougher than ever. Meanwhile, a forgotten madman (Jeremy Irons) is attempting to find his way out of the stately cage he’s been held in for decades, while a god is clueless about the prison he’s being kept in as well.

While it might be difficult to digest for the uninitiated, give it a minute, and you’ll quickly realize that “Watchmen” has so much more to say than most comic book stories that have sprung to life. Besides investing time in a history that’s similar to our own and a present that’s even more terrifying, writer Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) creates a remarkable show that has only gotten better with age, albeit in all the wrong ways. Give this a look at least to see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II before he takes on the role of the MCU’s new “Wonder Man.”

Before Matt Murdock achieved full integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Daredevil: Born Again,” he was struggling in the side alleys of Netflix’s 2015 take on the character — antithesis of what audiences had come to expect from the MCU by that point. “Daredevil” didn’t just redeem us from Ben Affleck’s blind guy in a red biker jacket from the 2003 movie; it gave us perhaps one of the most faithful adaptations of a Marvel hero ever.

The casting of Charlie Cox as “The Man Without Fear” should earn as much praise as Robert Downey Jr. getting more iron in his diet or Ryan Reynolds donning the red suit as “Deadpool.” Encapsulating the tortured lawyer battling faith and addiction to violence, pitted against the almost immovable Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, Cox’s Daredevil gripped us for three seasons. It came with a handful of visceral one-shot takes that made us wince every time the “Devil of Hell’s Kitchen” took a beating.

While “Daredevil” might have gradually distanced itself from the larger MCU elements at play before it ended on Netflix, we’ve got to be grateful for what it gave us besides the finely formed and immensely flawed Matt Murdock. Bringing out the devil also teed up Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, The Punisher, and a handful of other heroes that we hope one day get as great a comeback as the one ol’ hornhead was gifted with.

At the time of writing, the final season of “The Boys” is inching ever closer. Whether it sticks the landing or not, there’s no question that Amazon’s uncouth and massively unconventional “superhero” television show has been the best ever.

Eric Kripke’s adaptation of the Garth Ennis comic book series introduced the uninitiated to a world that turned the image of day-saving heroes on its head. Karl Urban plays the troubled off-the-books vigilante who wears a floral shirt and a leather jacket instead of a colorful costume to blow the whistle on those who do. Those outfits are reserved for the secret, murderous villains who hide power complexes behind their capes and often let it slip in a sweary, excessively bloody fashion.

Not so much cutting close to the bone as snapping it into pieces, “The Boys” has done a consistently brilliant job of demonstrating just how much of a nightmare it would be if gods really did walk among us. Not to mention how absolute power leads to ultimate corruption. The scariest of the supers is Antony Starr’s consistently terrifying, award-nominated take on Homelander as the show’s big bad, constantly pushing the buttons of supe-hater Billy Butcher. Plus, punching through any others he has the power to. This is a hilarious, occasionally heinous, but undeniably enjoyable show that has earned the right to spawn spin-offs and future plans. Ultimately, the show has been a brilliant super-sized middle finger to the MCU, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the perfect time to start watching “The Boys.”