Superhero TV Shows Premiering And Returning In 2016

With the end of a new year comes the inevitable midseason return and premieres of several fan-favorite TV shows. With 2016 promising to be the year of the superhero genre, thanks to the cavalcade of movies and series expected to drop, many may need to know how long they have to catch up on their favorites before they return with all new episodes in 2016.

With DC Comics TV universe expanding with the inclusion of shows like “Legends of Tomorrow” and Marvel doing the same both on ABC and Netflix, 2016 promises to be the most dense and confusing year to be a fan of superhero TV shows. However, in order to help establish your TV-viewing schedule in the new year, below is a rundown of when each superhero-themed TV show is dropping in 2016.

“Supergirl” (Jan. 4)

Fortunately for fans of Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist), the show isn’t taking a major break for the holidays. The show premiered episode 8 of the 20 scheduled for Season 1 Dec. 14. With all new villains and debacles for the characters to encounter, fans will no doubt want to be on board when the show returns for its back half of episodes.

“Agent Carter” Season 2 (Jan. 19)

After becoming a surprising hit as a sort-of companion series to “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” on ABC, Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) will return in yet another season of the popular prequel series. Based in L.A., Season 2 will see the return of the founding member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and her intrepid friends as they seek to stop an entirely new threat plaguing the free world.

“The Flash” Season 2 (Jan. 19)

Following an impressive first season, the CW show managed to keep the quality going in Season 2. After a fantastic crossover with “Arrow,” Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) will return to finish off his remaining enemies in the midseason premiere. With new, exciting and downright dangerous villains surrounding him and his team from all sides, there’s no telling how fast the speedster will have to run in order to combat what’s ahead in 2016.

“Arrow” Season 4 (Jan. 20)

After leaving its midseason finale on a massive cliffhanger Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) will return in the new year to hopefully finish off his longtime villain, Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough). However, with a key character’s life hanging in the balance and the season promising that a main character will die by the end of Season 4, many are watching the remaining episodes on the edge of their seat hoping their favorite character doesn’t get the axe.

“Legends of Tomorrow” Season 1 (Jan. 21)

The third in the CW’s line of DC Comics superhero shows (in addition to “Arrow” and “The Flash”), “Legends of Tomorrow” will focus on a plucky group of secondary characters from the other two shows as they travel through time in order to stop an ageless being from inevitably taking over the world. Boasting an all-star cast of heavy hitters from the world of DC Comics, fans will want to make sure they catch the latest in the network’s line of connected superhero TV shows.

“Gotham” Season 2 (Feb. 29)

Although the “Batman” series is very short on the Caped Crusader, it’s certainly heavy on bringing some of his future villains into the fold. While the show seems to have found its stride in Season 2, its midseason return promises the inclusion of yet another comic book villain, Mr. Freeze (Nathan Darrow). Fans will no doubt want to know how the Fox series decides to adapt the high-concept comic book villain for the small screen, meaning they’ll want to tune in Feb. 29 when the show comes back.

“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Season 3 (March 8)

After ending its midseason premiere on a cliffhanger, fans are more than eager to check back in with Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his band of superheroes and agents as they embark on a mission to recruit a band of power-people to fight as “The Secret Warriors.” Unfortunately, things aren’t ever as simple as they seem, and there’s a whole world of nightmarish complications that could stand in the way of the good guys as Season 3 continues to progress.

“Luke Cage” Season 1 (TBD)

Netflix doesn’t like to give too much notice before it drops a new TV show in one full season for fans to gobble up. Luke Cage (Mike Colter) got his start as a secondary character on Marvel’s “Jessica Jones.” Now he’ll be given a stand-alone series all his own that’s set to premiere in 2016. Fans of “Jones” and “Daredevil” will no doubt be tuning in to see the third of Netflix’s “Defenders” come to life.

“Daredevil” Season 2 (TBD)

Although it’s going to hit Netflix on an undisclosed date in 2016, Marvel and the popular streaming giant have made it their mission to tease the new season, as well as the introduction of the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). With the hero poised to be the first one of the “Defenders” to return for a sophomoric season, the pressure is on new show-runners Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez to get it right.