8 Black TV Superheroes Reflect on What Their Characters Mean to Them
It’s a good time to be a superhero, especially on TV.
Though the last year had us saying goodbye to WandaVision, Black Lightning and Supergirl, there’s still plenty of superhero content to enjoy. Between Batwoman, The Flash, Stargirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Doom Patrol, Titans, Superman & Lois, Watchmen, The Boys and CW’s new addition Naomi, there’s something for everybody—an ever-growing rainbow of role models, anti-role models and powerful badasses to inspire and entertain us. This Black History Month, we’re celebrating the fact that more of those superheroes are Black than ever before.
In 2020, Batwoman welcomed Javicia Leslie, a Black bisexual woman, as its new lead. Black Lightning wrapped up its impressive run in 2021 after having introduced one of TV’s first Black lesbian superheroes with Thunder (Nafessa Williams). And, on the wildly successful WandaVision, a new Marvel hero joined the fold in the form of Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and if the comics are any indication, she’s about to be a real force to be reckoned with.
Even as the world is still mourning the loss of Chadwick Boseman, who played the incomparable Black Panther and died in August 2020, there are a lot of heroes to celebrate.
