Nailing the first episode can be hard for any TV show, let alone ones with such vibrant worlds, but these 10 superhero projects absolutely aced their pilots. While bad openings don’t guarantee failure, it’s certainly not easy to overcome a disappointing premiere since it’s a crucial part of gaining an audience and making them stick around.
Therefore, with the superhero subgenre being so stacked and competitive these days, it’s never been more important to get off to a strong start. Fortunately, these 10 hits all had pilots that could be considered masterpieces, and they offer a perfect blueprint for modern projects to follow if they want to have success and longevity.
Jessica Jones
“A.K.A. Ladies Night”
Of Jessica Jones‘ three seasons, the first was undoubtedly the best, and while this was helped by a great villain and a fresh plot, the pilot episode also did a lot of heavy lifting. “A.K.A. Ladies Night” saw Jessica Jones stand out from other Marvel projects and fit perfectly into Netflix’s world that Daredevil expertly set up half a year prior.
The opening episode had a distinct style and atmosphere that would become synonymous with the show while also introducing the audience to Jessica and all her flaws, alongside some of the great supporting cast.
Likewise, season 1’s antagonist was flawlessly teased throughout the pilot, which allowed Killgrave to become one of Marvel’s best live-action villains ever. As debuts go, Jessica Jones started off incredibly strong, making it no surprise the first season turned out so well and remains great a decade later.
X-Men: The Animated Series
“Night of the Sentinels”
X-Men: The Animated Series‘ two-part opening may be some of the first X-Men media many people consumed, and it was the perfect way to get invested in this group. The episode featured the likes of Jubilee, Storm, Rogue, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Morph, just to name a few, wasting no time in familiarizing viewers with the main cast.
“Night of the Sentinels” also contained a compelling conflict with the classic X-Men antagonists while simultaneously showing what made Marvel’s mutants such great heroes. Adding plenty of emotion to this already gripping plot only allowed the pilot to stand out more, which set up a bright future for the ’90s series that is still inspiring X-Men media today.
The Flash
“Pilot”
It may feel like a classic superhero origin story type episode, but The Flash does a better job than most at fleshing out Barry Allen and who he is as a person. We get an insight into his life before gaining superpowers, while also seeing how quick he is to throw himself into danger just to save lives.
Understanding Barry’s tragic past is an important part of appreciating his character, but The Flash also doesn’t spend too long dwelling on this. By the end of episode 1, the protagonist already feels like a proper superhero — albeit an amateur one — without his journey feeling rushed, making the pilot a great way to kickstart the series.
Gotham
“Pilot”
The Batman universe has received all kinds of great adaptations over the years, but while many are praised time and time again, Gotham often goes under the radar. It had some truly unique adaptations of characters, and Gotham even provided one of the best live-action Jokers to date, making it severely underrated.
However, its pilot is where the show really shines, as it does the typical Batman origin story, but from a completely different lens. Jim Gordon feels like the main character, and being the respondent to Martha and Thomas Wayne’s death sets up a whirlwind of events that plays out more like a movie than an opening episode.
Likewise, The Penguin also gets a great showing thanks to Robin Lord Taylor’s unorthodox take on the character, and with Gordon and Cobblepot’s journeys both overlapping in the conclusion, the premiere masterfully set up a fascinating road ahead for these two contrasting figures.
WandaVision
“Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience”
WandaVision‘s pilot cleverly offers plenty of clues to what the true plot is actually about while maintaining its disguise as a 1950s sitcom. Fans of the MCU were probably puzzled by the initial trailer and only became more confused when they saw familiar characters like Wanda and Vision suddenly acting wildly out of character.
However, the show made it clear that something was off right away, and while it takes several episodes for the truth to be revealed, the pilot still does its job perfectly.
Many people may not have appreciated it at the time, but WandaVision is a superhero show that you need to watch twice to fully admire its genius, and once you have, it’ll become clearer just how well-executed “Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience” really is.
Young Justice
“Independence Day”
Although Young Justice is filled with interesting, fleshed-out characters, I personally feel the show worked best with the smaller group in season 1, which “Independence Day” set up perfectly. Despite the likes of Miss Martian, Artemis, and Zatanna all being absent in this episode, the group’s dynamic is introduced organically in season 1’s premiere and shows their instinctive heroics.
After being advised by their mentors to stay put, Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad all refuse, opting to investigate Project Cadmus on their own, where they take on menacing villains to free Superboy. It’s not until the next episode that this conflict is resolved, but even on its own, “Independence Day” acts as a wonderful first episode.
It proves that these three young heroes were willing to risk their lives for a stranger, and this bond becomes crucial to everything that makes Young Justice so successful, cementing this pilot as an episode that’s always worth revisiting.
Daredevil
“Into The Ring”
Most superhero fans are well aware of just how great Daredevil‘s reputation is, and it started from the very first episode. The series wastes no time in establishing exactly what audiences can expect, as, alongside dressing up in a make-shift costume and fighting criminal factions, Matt Murdock also works on achieving justice legally as a talented lawyer.
We quickly meet Foggy and Karen, who provided a lot of heart to Daredevil while bringing balance to Matt’s life. “Into The Ring” also captures the project’s gritty and complex tone extremely well while showcasing a very strong personality, and this flawless episode put Daredevil on a path to becoming one of the best superhero shows of the last 10 years.
Batman Beyond
“Rebirth”
As two-part intros go, they don’t get much better than Batman Beyond. Batman fans usually don’t love it when anyone other than Bruce Wayne takes on the mantle of the Dark Knight, but Terry McGinnis felt like a worthy successor, thanks to an action-packed premiere.
The series instantly offers a unique take on Gotham, as the futuristic city is like nothing fans have seen on-screen before. In addition, “Rebirth” does a great job of showing why Bruce retired as Batman in Part I before explaining why Terry stole the suit and chose to take up the mantle in Part II.
Everything about Batman Beyond‘s premiere just feels fresh, and with some great writing, visuals, and a new protagonist worth rooting for, “Rebirth” does everything a pilot should do, hence why the superhero series has since become a classic.
Invincible
“It’s About Time”
Despite being a popular comic series, Invincible was a relative unknown to most superhero fans when it premiered on Prime Video, meaning it had to nail its opening episode. Fortunately, it did. The fictional universe became easy to get invested in, and at first glance, it didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary.
Mark is a young prodigy who finally gets his powers; there’s a knock-off version of the Justice League, and there are villains constantly looking to cause trouble. However, the deeper into “It’s About Time” we get, the clearer it becomes that Mark’s story is far from traditional.
The shocking ending capped off what remains one of Invincible‘s best episodes, and it’s borderline impossible not to get hooked and be curious about what comes next, proving that the outing deserves its status as an all-time great superhero premiere.
Arrow
“Pilot”
Arrow may not be everyone’s favorite superhero show, but it’s hard to deny that it had one of the most impactful pilots in the entire subgenre. Oliver Queen’s transition into Green Arrow is darker than many viewers would have expected, as the first episode shows how being shipwrecked for five years changed the protagonist.
Previously a rich playboy, Oliver becomes much more violent and vengeful upon his return to Starling City, killing his kidnappers, threatening corrupt businessmen, and transforming into a true vigilante. “Pilot” may not be cheery or uplifting, but it’s a great welcome into this complex televised universe.
Even though not everyone loves the Arrowverse, it is undoubtedly a super popular universe regardless, and it all started with Arrow‘s premiere. Therefore, whatever your opinion is on the show, there’s no disputing that Arrow‘s first episode changed superhero TV forever, thanks to this ambitious and well-executed introduction.
