For the past couple of decades, while Marvel has risen to become the hottest property in Hollywood, DC has been struggling at the movies. DC has the occasional bona fide critical and commercial hit — Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy being a prime example — but it’s had a lot more disasters than darlings, especially recently. Zack Snyder’s DCEU alienated purists by turning both Batman and Superman into murderers, and James Gunn’s rebooted DCU has stumbled with just its second movie, following the mediocre reviews and lackluster box office performance of Supergirl. Between Supergirl, The Flash, and Joker: Folie à Deux, DC just can’t seem to get it right on the big screen.
But, while DC has struggled to establish a hit movie universe, it’s been thriving on TV. In live-action, we’ve had unexpected gems like Peacemaker and The Penguin — and Lanterns is looking very promising — and there have been a ton of great DC-based animated shows in the past few years, with a wide range of different tones and styles: Harley Quinn, Teen Titans Go!, Batman: Caped Crusader.
Adult Swim has given us one of the best DC superhero cartoons on the air: My Adventures with Superman. When you hear Adult Swim, home of Robot Chicken and Smiling Friends and Rick and Morty, you might be expecting their Superman show to be a vulgar, subversive, twisted self-parody. But it tells Supes’ story in earnest, and it’s a must-see for fans of the character.
My Adventures With Superman Is Western Animation Meets Anime
My Adventures with Superman stars Jack Quaid as Clark Kent. Quaid made his name playing the latest recruit in a vigilante squad going after an evil Superman, and now, he’s actually playing Superman. Quaid brings the perfect aw-shucks everyman quality to Supes; it’s the same thing David Corenswet nailed, but with a bit more Adult Swim edge.
The series follows Superman’s daily life as he balances his superheroics with his burgeoning journalistic career. When he’s not off fighting Brainiac or contending with Task Force X, Clark is working with Lois and Jimmy to break the next big story. My Adventures with Superman leans heavily on the double-life aspect, which was less important in the James Gunn movie, where almost everyone in Clark’s life already knows he’s Superman.
Although it’s not technically anime, My Adventures with Superman has lots of anime elements. The show has that modern western animation look, but it has the soul of anime. Superboy in season 3 is basically just Future Trunks from Dragon Ball Z, with Supergirl being his Master Gohan in a doomed future where Superman (or Goku) died.
Will My Adventures With Superman Season 4 Happen?
So far, My Adventures with Superman has aired three seasons, with the third one currently on the air following a June 14 premiere. Every season has been as strong as the last, combining western superhero tropes with shōnen anime techniques, but is there going to be a fourth? We know there’s going to be a spinoff called My Adventures with Green Lantern, centered around the version of Jessica Cruz introduced in My Adventures with Superman season 3, voiced by Moana star Auliʻi Cravalho.
But, as of yet, there’s still no official word on My Adventures with Superman season 4. It’s possible that My Adventures with Green Lantern will function as a fourth season, shifting the focus from one hero to another, and Superman will become more of a background character in Jessica’s story. Adult Swim might be waiting until the season is over to make a decision on whether to renew it for season 4, or at least keeping that decision under wraps until then. The series is still going strong, so a fourth-season renewal seems like a no-brainer.
My Adventures With Superman
- Release Date
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July 7, 2023
- Network
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Adult Swim
- Showrunner
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Jake Wyatt
- Directors
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Diana Huh, Jen Bennett, Kiki Manrique