Karl Urban as Billy Butcher sits in a car, leaning back with his arm over the chair in The Boys.Image via Prime Video
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Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck
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Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
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For pretty much their entire history, superheroes have been for kids, teaching them life lessons through heroic deeds and good nature. However, as time has gone on, the superhero genre is widely accessible to all ages, with plenty of mature films and comics such as The Dark Knight and Deadpool. So, while superheroes are generally connected to children's media, there are plenty of intense superhero shows.
That is why this list will rank ten of the most intense superhero TV shows that are too much for kids based on their maturity, violence, gore, themes, dark subject matter, sexual content, and overall intensity. These ten shows are magnificent series that everyone should enjoy, but only at a certain age, as they feature too much adult content and intense moments that prove too much for kids.
10 'Peacemaker' (2022-2025)
Peacemaker (John Cena) dancing to "Oh Lord" by Foxy Shazam in the title sequence of 'Peacemaker' Season 2.Image via HBO Max
The DCU has officially started with glowing reviews praising Superman, but the first live-action TV show was also met with positive opinions. Peacemaker follows the titular character, played by John Cena, who wishes to attain justice by any means. But after a crisis of identity and faith, he is unsure of what to do and where to go from. A good start is stopping an alien invasion and traveling across dimensions.
Peacemaker is known to be silly and over-the-top, but that doesn't also mean it isn't intense. With plenty of action, mature themes, personal issues, and complex storytelling, this show has a lot of content unsuitable for younger audiences. It disguises its darkness and goriness through a goofy and funny lens, but it can't hide the underlying intensity that has established it as an adult superhero show.
9 'Invincible' (2021-)
Mark Kills Angstrom Levy in Season 2, Episode 8 of InvincibleImage via Prime Video
Superhero shows and animation are both individually viewed as kids' content. However, a recent shift has seen some of the more mature content coming from animated series. Invincible is the show to watch this decade, following Mark's (Steven Yeun) struggle with his alien heritage and a slew of superpowered aliens hellbent on killing him and destroying the Earth.
Invincible has been the most popular cartoon of the past decade, wowing fans with its riveting story, thrilling fights, and mature superhero content. With all of its gore, violence, blood, and action, this animated series is far too intense for anyone below 18. It may be popular, but kids should avoid this series until they are older, even though Invincible is an unforgettable animated series.
8 'Daredevil' (2015-2018)
Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Episode 9.Image via Disney+
Marvel has had a polarizing run of Disney+ series, but one of their best-reviewed shows is Daredevil: Born Again, which will get another season in 2026. While it is arguably more violent than the original Daredevil, the latter is more intense and gritty. When no one is doing anything to protect this city, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) becomes a lawyer by day and a vigilante at night.
Daredevil may not be as gruesome as its sequel series, but there is something more visceral, gritty, and intense about it. Involving a political plot with gangsters, corruption, and general villains, this series uses them perfectly to create a mature masterpiece. The themes of faith, justice, and a failed system create a complex show and arguably the best Marvel TV show of all time.
7 'Doom Patrol' (2019-2023)
Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane and Brendan Fraser as Robotman in Doom Patrol episode "Nostalgia Patrol"Image via HBO
DC has been at the top of its game in terms of television recently, and while it may not be connected to the main universe, Doom Patrol is still a must-watch series. They may be a team of superheroes, but each of them suffered a tragic accident to gain their powers, and now they live a traumatized life. But together, they may actually be able to get back on track and save the day in the meantime.
Doom Patrol is an underrated superhero show that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves, weaving profound storytelling with intriguing characters. This show is all about trauma, a subject that is a bit too intense for kids, especially how Doom Patrol highlights it. Plus, the psychological exploration of mental health and the body horror aspects make it especially dark and mature.
6 'Gen V' (2023-)
The majority of shows on this list are from Marvel or DC, which makes a third-party addition all the more unique and fun. Gen V is a hit new series set in The Boys universe, following a superhero college where young supes develop their powers. However, a handful of students uncover a dark conspiracy, prompting them to take action.
Gen V is more about shock value, sexual content, and gore, but that is definitely intense, and way too much for any kid to handle. From exploding heads to twisted superpowered orgies to meaningful themes about race and superiority, this series is too intense for many adults, claiming the gore to be too much. Still, Gen V is an excellent series for anyone wanting something not from Marvel or DC.
5 'The Maxx' (1995)
The Maxx is curled up in the darkness in 'The Maxx.'Image via MTV
Anyone reading this list is probably aware of most of the shows on this list, but The Maxx is the most obscure and lesser-known. The titular hero lives as a homeless man in the real world, but in an alternate dimension, he is a powerful protector of the queen. That queen is a normal social worker in the real world, and while she doesn't know of the alternate world, it is integral to her life.
There is reportedly a new series of The Maxx featuring Channing Tatum in the works, but it won't top the original animated series in terms of intensity. This show has an oppressive and claustrophobic tone and a gritty, dark world, creating an uneasy atmosphere that is intense and engrossing. The Maxx also features themes of sexual violence, making it a forgotten, intense superhero show.
4 'The Punisher' (2017-2019)
Punisher and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) confronting each other in prison in 'Daredevil' Season 2.Image via Netflix
Netflix's Marvel shows were some of the best of all time, but the most polarizing was The Punisher. Played by Jon Bernthal, the character is set to return to the MCU in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but nothing will top his performance in his own show. Getting revenge for those who took his family, Frank discovers a darker conspiracy that he must stop.
Even though it may not be everyone's cup of tea, The Punisher has its moments, and most of them are intense. Despite becoming a meme, that scene at the dinner table is pure visceral horror, presenting a bleak and grim moment that, with context, is utterly shocking and intense. The moral ambiguity, primal performance, and exploration of PTSD make this show a mature masterpiece.
3 'Spawn: The Animated Series' (1997-1999)
Spawn stands in a city at night with a large moon behind in the Spawn animated series.Image via HBO
Todd McFarlane is a legendary comic creator, and one of his most famous works is Spawn, and while it has got a couple of film adaptations, fans need to watch Spawn: The Animated Series, also known as Todd McFarlane's Spawn. Set during a battle between heaven and hell, the titular hero uses his dark powers to fight against the forces of evil.
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2 'The Boys' (2021-)
Antony Starr as Homelander in space, looking down on a planet in a promo for 'The Boys' Season 5.Image via Prime Video
With the spin-off on this list, the main series had to make an appearance as well, since The Boys is one of the most popular mature superhero shows of all time. In a world where superheroes are corporatized, a small group of people hunt them down, making them accountable for their actions. However, this boils down into a supremacy war that will decide the fate of humanity.
The final season of The Boys airs this year, making it the most anticipated superhero show in 2026, and also one of the most intense. Like Gen V, The Boys is all about shock value, gore, political themes, and mature content, resulting in an overall adult show that is too intense for most. This show doesn't tone anything down, even when it should.
1 'Watchmen' (2019)
The Seventh Kavalry stand in a church in the pilot episode of 'Watchman.'Image via HBO
Alan Moore is one of the most prolific comic creators, and while he may hate adaptations of his own work, everyone else can appreciate the Watchmen TV show. Set after the original comic, the police are forced to hide their identity as they hunt a terrorist organization. As they both search for Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), strange phenomena begin to occur.
The original comic, movie, and TV show are all intense masterpieces that thrive on a mature focus, discussing important themes while providing thrilling action and a riveting narrative. Watchmen deals with heavy and profound themes such as racism, which it deeply explores with detail and intensity.
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Watchmen
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Crime
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Release Date
2019 - 2019-00-00
Network
HBO
Directors
David Semel, Fred Toye
Writers
Nick Cuse, Carly Wray
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Regina King
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Don Johnson
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