10 Best Live-Action Marvel TV Shows, According To IMDb

Stan Lee used to say all the time that Marvel Comics has always been and always will be a reflection of the world right outside our window. That's why their characters are often dealing with the same things that the readers are encountering in the real world. Sometimes it's as simple as Spider-Man getting his homework done or Ms. Marvel navigating her feelings for a boy. At the same time, bigger storylines address civil rights, addiction, and the LGBTQ+ experience through heroes such as the Black Panther, Iron Man, and the X-Men.

However, once the House of Ideas started becoming more active in the realm of feature films, some of the smaller stories began to fall to the wayside. Thankfully, Marvel also began to expand into television, a place where they were afforded more time to let other aspects of their characters' lives breathe a little more. As they did for the fan-favorite films of Marvel Studios, True Believers flocked to their TV screens to watch the heroes of the Marvel Universe save the day and live their lives.

Although, these superhero shows didn't just resonate with Marvel fans. Many gained critical acclaim as well due to their masterful storytelling, stellar performances, and incredible craftsmanship. According to IMDb, these are the ten live-action Marvel shows that stand out as the best of the best.

Following the massive success of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," it was no surprise that Marvel Studios wanted to keep filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton in the fold. It was also no surprise when he became attached to "Avengers: Kang Dynasty" (before plans changed and the film became "Avengers: Doomsday") and "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," in addition to a Shang-Chi sequel. One fairly surprising move, though, was when he signed on to develop a Disney+ series based on Wonder Man.

It's not that there's anything wrong with Simon Williams. He has a storied history as both a powerful Avenger and a prominent actor in the Marvel Universe. It was just a little difficult to see where this hero fit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at first. Well, Cretton and showrunner Andrew Guest were able to find the answer because they didn't try to shoehorn their show into the larger MCU tapestry. Instead, they told the self-contained story of a struggling actor who was trying to win his dream role.

Shortly after "Wonder Man" dropped on Disney+ in January 2026, everybody was talking about the eight-episode first season starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley. What the series lacked in super-powered excitement (though there still was a bit), it made up for in interpersonal drama between Williams and the returning Trevor Slattery, who was previously seen in "Iron Man 3," "Shang Chi," and the Marvel One-Shot short film "All Hail The King." Viewers became enamored with these fast friends, so it's no surprise that the series earned a 7.4 rating on IMDb. Naturally, those same fans were surely pleasantly surprised when Disney announced that a second season would be on the way.

"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." may not have been the first live-action Marvel series, but it was the first one to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the beginning, the show proudly declared, "It's all connected," meaning that the events of the show would be affected by the movies and vice versa.  For a little while, the series created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen did keep pace with Marvel Studios' latest releases, most notably "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." But despite the adventures of the peacekeeping organization straying slightly and only connecting to the movies thematically, fans were still eager to follow along with the agents for seven underrated seasons between 2013 and 2020.

Starring Clark Gregg as a resurrected Agent Coulson (who famously died at the hands of Loki in "The Avengers" and united Earth's Mightiest Heroes to save the world), "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." introduced his hand-picked team of specialists to take on strange and unusual missions that needed to fly under the radar. This would initially include Ming-Na Wen as ace pilot and weapons expert Melinda May, Brett Dalton as decorated operative Grant Ward, Iain De Caestecker as engineer Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as biochemist Jemma Simmons, and Chloe Bennet as the wildcard hacker Skye (who would eventually become the Inhuman hero Quake). The show also introduced a number of comic staples to the MCU, such as the Secret Warriors, the Darkhold, Ghost Rider, and Life Model Decoys.

In the end, while we still haven't gotten a straight answer about the show's place in the MCU canon, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." maintains a dedicated fanbase, who no doubt elevated the show to a 7.5 rating on IMDb.

Considered by many to be in the upper echelon of the Netflix era of the MCU, "Jessica Jones" starring Krysten Ritter boasts an impressive 7.8 rating on IMDb. The show, which draws inspiration from the acclaimed comic series "Alias" by Brian Michael Bendis, followed a failed superhero who rebuilds her life as a private detective in New York City. Though she still wants to help people, Jones does so in her trademark surly and sarcastic, yet caring, manner that keeps fans rooting for this antihero.

Overall, the show has a much slower burn than any other Marvel project from that time. However, that served David Tennant's primary antagonist Kilgrave very well as it reflected his incredibly cerebral approach to his villainous acts of manipulation. It also made it all the more satisfying when Jones found a way to overcome (or at least manage) the literal and figurative demons in her head that serve as the barriers keeping herself and Alias Investigations from thriving.

The third and final season of "Jessica Jones" also served as the finale of the Defenders Saga on Netflix as it was the last show standing on the streamer after "Daredevil," "Luke Cage," "Iron Fist," and "The Punisher" came to an end before migrating all five shows and the crossover mini-series to Disney+ in 2022.

Agent Phil Coulson wasn't the only S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to receive a special mission from Marvel Television. Hayley Atwell reprised her role from the "Captain America" films and the Marvel One-Shot to star in ABC's "Agent Carter." In the series that originally aired during the mid-season breaks of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." in 2015 and 2016, Atwell's Peggy Carter had to find the balance between being a world class secret agent and a strong single woman in 1940s America (first New York City in season one, then Los Angeles in season two). The show also saw the return of Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark and the introduction of James D'Arcy as Stark's butler (and the future mentor/inspiration for Tony Stark's artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S.) Edwin Jarvis.

Even with a 7.8 IMDb rating and loads of critical acclaim, "Agent Carter" was fighting an uphill battle in the fight for ratings. The show was cancelled after only two seasons because viewership fell at some point during its run. Before that happened, in addition to delivering an excellent vehicle for Atwell's stellar performance, showrunners Tara Butters, Michele Fazekas, and Chris Dingess gave True Believers impeccable takes on classic Captain America villains Whitney Frost AKA Madam Masque and Johann Fennhoff AKA Doctor Faustus. They also managed to sneak in a cameo from Cap's best boys, the Howling Commandos, including their fearless leader Timothy "Dum Dum" Dugan as played by Neal McDonough. Honestly, if the MCU was missing anything, it's more opportunities to showcase Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos.

After Marvel Television thrived on ABC and Netflix (as well as Hulu and Freeform), the company entered a new era when it was folded into Marvel Studios. Previously, the film and television branches of the House of Ideas were completely separate entities that occasionally worked together. But as of 2019, the TV side was folded into the movie division under the purview of Kevin Feige. As a result, Disney+'s corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe fell under the creative control of Feige and Marvel Studios. The first fruit of that labor was "WandaVision," which holds a 7.9 rating on IMDb.

Inspired by the family sitcom tropes that she grew up watching as a child, Wanda Maximoff created the ideal suburban life for herself, The Vision, and their blossoming family in Westview, New Jersey. Although, things aren't as they appear since Wanda's state of mind following the events of "Avengers: Endgame" and her chaos powers took the word "created" literally by affecting the world around her.

Head writer Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman crafted such a loving homage to classic sitcoms while delivering a character study in grief and trauma. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany delivered excellent performances as they took their characters from the Marvel films in a bold, compelling direction. Plus, the addition of Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, along with the creation of new roles for previously introduced characters like Jimmy Woo, Darcy Lewis, and Monica Rambeau, was absolutely inspired.

By the end of this limited series, Maximoff was firmly established as The Scarlet Witch for the first time and the groundwork was laid for later projects such as "Agatha All Along," "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," "The Marvels," and the upcoming White Vision spinoff titled "VisionQuest."

Following the end of the Defenders' time on Netflix, Matt Murdock and his vigilante alter ego Daredevil have been very busy. Charlie Cox's version of the Man Without Fear has appeared in the feature film "Spider-Man: No Way Home," as well as "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" and "Echo" on Disney+. However, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen returned home to New York City in 2025 with the highly anticipated debut of "Daredevil: Born Again."

Taking its name from the legendary comic book storyline by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, the streaming series picks up several years after the Netflix series where Murdock has hung up his billy clubs and mask after an unbearable death in his life in favor of fighting injustice solely in the courtroom. But when the former kingpin of crime Wilson Fisk resurfaces to run for mayor with an anti-vigilante platform, Daredevil resurfaces to resume his battle with Fisk. Although, things get much more difficult when Fisk wins the election and uses his Anti-Vigilante Task Force to intimidate citizens and reinforce his criminal activity in the city's ports.

Sitting at an even 8.0 on IMDb, the sequel is just as exciting, brutal, and ultimately satisfying as the original series starring Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, and Wilson Bethel. At the same time, some events of the show are entirely too close to the real life events happening in the United States while the first and second seasons are airing. Again, just like Stan Lee said, Marvel stories reflect the world outside our windows. In this case, it's for better or worse.

"Legion" is a very interesting entry on this list. Not only is it the only series that is not directly connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (yet), but it is also the only show featuring characters associated with the X-Men. Additionally, "interesting" in this case can also mean "weird as hell (in the best possible way)." That's why it has racked up a high score of 8.1 on IMDb.

Born from the mind of Noah Hawley, who also created "Fargo" and "Alien: Earth" for FX, "Legion" follows Dan Stevens' David Haller as he discovers that his schizophrenia is more than a mental illness. Instead, he is a powerful psychic mutant with a parasite known as Shadow King attached to his mind. On his journey to defeat this enemy, David is taken on a surreal superhero adventure that involves battles on different planes of existence, different points in time, and in different bodies.

Ultimately, this story is about facing our demons and finding the proper support to do so. The path to get there though is an incredibly unique, psychedelic, and intimate tale that hasn't been seen before or since in the superhero genre (or maybe any genre) due to events being presented in a distorted view of David's reality. Stevens shines as the son of Charles Xavier, AKA Professor X, but he's also surrounded by phenomenal talent who deliver dynamite performances. Aubrey Plaza as David's optimistic friend Lenny Busker/David's nemesis Shadow King, Amber Midthunder as Kerry Loudermilk, and Jean Smart as therapist Melanie Bird particularly stand out, but the whole cast contributes to the harmonious chaos of this series.

Seriously, you must see "Legion" to truly believe it.

While other Marvel Studios projects have delved into the multiverse before and after this show, "Loki" is the backbone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Multiverse Saga. Tom Hiddleston returns as the God of Mischief, except this time he's playing a Variant of the character that we've come to know and love since his first appearance in 2011's "Thor." Because this version of Loki created a timeline that is not supposed to exist, the Time Variance Authority has taken notice of his activities. Little do they know, this Asgardian is about to become the most important figure in all of space and time.

Loki's time traveling antics begin when he's faced with a choice between being erased from existence or working for the TVA as they hunt down another fugitive. Although, things to prove to be more difficult than anticipated as he learns that his target is a female Variant of himself named Sylvie (played by Sophia Di Martino).

With variants galore, the first season of "Loki" proves to be a fun romp through time. The stakes are raised quite considerably in the second season though. This time around, Loki and Owen Wilson's TVA agent Mobius M. Mobius go on a wild goose chase throughout time in order to figure out how to repair the Temporal Loom and save time itself.

By the end of these two critically acclaimed seasons (that sit nicely at an 8.2 on IMDb) filled with breathtaking visuals, charismatic characters, and the unraveling of the multiverse, Loki finally finds his glorious purpose. Of course, things could be upended by the time we reach "Avengers: Secret Wars," but we'll cross that (time) stream when we get there.

Following his introduction in the second season of "Daredevil," Jon Bernthal's version of Frank Castle spun off into his own Netflix series called "The Punisher." The show starts with Castle killing the remaining gang members with connections to the horrific death of his family. Soon after he gets his revenge, the Punisher teams up with former NSA analyst David Lieberman AKA Micro (played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who would go on to play The Thing in "Fantastic Four: First Steps") to uncover the wider conspiracy that threatened Castle and the rest of his former military unit.

With his business seemingly complete in New York, Castle hits the road with his unique form of justice for season two. During this roadtrip, he meets a young girl who is on the run from a group of dangerous Russians. His past meets his present when all roads lead back to NYC due to Billy Russo AKA Jigsaw escaping from the hospital that Frank left him in at the end of the first season. Now tasked with taking out his own demons on top of the girl's, the Punisher prepares for an all-out war.

Some will say that the second season of "The Punisher" isn't as strong as the first because Bernthal's typically charismatic antihero doesn't have as much to sink his teeth into. However, both seasons contain some excellent action sequences that really showcase the actor's physicality. Also, Ben Barnes delivers an excellent performance as Russo in season two that makes the character stand out from other portrayals we've seen before. Clearly the criticisms weren't enough to deter the fans of this series as IMDb still gave the show an overall score of 8.4.

Marvel Television was chomping at the bit to depict a darker side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there were elements of this in some shows, things were taken to a whole new level when Marvel and Netflix announced "Daredevil." In fact, even though the sequel series is gaining acclaim, the original show that ran on the popular streamer from 2015 to 2018 still stands as the standard bearer for the House of Ideas' grittier offerings.

Featuring Charlie Cox as the blind lawyer by day and the super-powered vigilante by night, the show took every step to adapt Daredevil in the best way they possibly could. The fight choreography (particularly the hallway fights), the costumes, the writing, and the cinematography were all top notch and then some. Plus, the performances have become the quintessential depictions of Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Frank Castle, and Elektra Natchios. IMDb's 8.6 rating is certainly well-earned all around.

The creative minds behind the three seasons of "Daredevil" on Netflix managed to find a solid balance between a cerebral procedural, an action-packed thrill ride, and a superhero origin story. If only those in charge of "The Defenders" took the same care with crossover event, maybe it wouldn't have been as disappointing. However, with the Man Without Fear's story continuing on Disney+ in the same spirit as the original, hopefully True Believers will get a chance to see the team together again.