Gizmodo’s Ultimate Guide To 2019’s Sci-Fi, Fantasy, And Superhero TV

Gizmodo’s Ultimate Guide To 2019’s Sci-Fi, Fantasy, And Superhero TV

And you thought there were a lot of movies coming out this year? Get ready to never leave your couch in 2019, because the amount of TV you’re going to want to watch is truly staggering. Here’s our mega-giant list of sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero shows we’re most looking forward to, with the standard caveat that any and all air dates are subject to change.

Currently airing:

Avengers Assemble: Black Panther’s Quest (second half of season 5)

Disney’s animated Avengers series concludes its Black Panther-themed fifth season, as T’Challa and Shuri find themselves on the run after Captain America seemingly sacrificed himself to stop the sinister Shadow Council from using a dangerous artifact known as the Crown.

Counterpart (season 2): Starz

You all slept on Counterpart season one and we’re still not over it. Get caught up on this outstanding parallel worlds drama starring the superb J.K. Simmons and Olivia Williams.

The Gifted (season 2)

We left off The Gifted as the Mutant Underground took the fight to the Purifiers, leading to the Strucker family learning that Andy’s time with the Inner Circle has pushed him onto a radical path. As the Strucker kids try to hone their powers further, can Andy be brought back from the edge he finds himself on?

Gotham (season 5)

Gotham is back for one last roller coaster ride of pure madness. After the last season saw the city torn asunder by earthquakes, it’s time for lil’ Brucie Wayne to finally take those steps to become the Dark Knight the city needs. Expect batshit insanity.

Memories of the Alhambra (season one)

The Spain-set, South Korean import about a mysterious AR game that starts to bleed into reality has been releasing two new episodes per week since the beginning of December.

The Orville (season 2)

The crew of Seth MacFarlane’s clever Star Trek homage continues to explore the galaxy while also confronting all the workplace issues (both hilarious and surprisingly serious) that come with sharing close quarters in deep space.

Outlander (season 4)

Outlander’s American adventure continues, as Jamie and Claire try to make a life for themselves in the New World, while Brianna’s timey-wimey trip back to meet them goes terribly awry.

Steven Universe (season 5)

Steven and the Gems have finally met the sinister White Diamond at the heart of the Gem Homeworld empire. Steven’s legacy as Pink Diamond can’t protect the group’s attempts to progress Homeworld society, so a battle for the heart and minds of the Diamond authority and Homeworld itself is on the cards for the Crystal Gems.

Young Justice: Outsiders (season one)

After waiting ages hoping, dreaming of the chance Young Justice could return, in 2016 we finally got the news that a third season was coming—and now it’s here, at least in the U.S., thanks to DC’s streaming service. Catch up with Nightwing and friends as a tumultuous time for Metahumans sees the Justice League caught up in an international quagmire that threatens to tear it apart.


Coming soon, in chronological order:

The Good Place (season 3)

With just a few episodes left to go this season (and a fourth-season renewal already secured), the excellent Ted Danson-Kristen Bell afterlife comedy returns after a holiday hiatus to finally show us exactly what the fork is going on in the actual Good Place.

Future Man (season 2)

Season one saw Josh Hutcherson’s janitor character defeating a video game called Biotic Wars, then being yanked into the real Biotic Wars by two of the game’s heroes. Season two of the Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg-produced comedy brings a new timeline and even more time travel shenanigans.

Star Wars Resistance (season one)

Star Wars Resistance started just a few months before the events of The Force Awakens. Will the end of season one finally catch up to the movie? And if not, will Kaz’s mission be complete? We’ll find out soon enough.

The Passage (series premiere)
Elseworlds shenanigans with Oliver and Kara. What on Earth is Nora doing, and why hasn’t she learned anything from the multiple time travelling mistakes of her father’s past? Sigh.

Roswell, New Mexico (series premiere)

A reboot of the 1990s series about teen aliens, teen humans, teen drama (mostly pertaining to inter-species romances), and understandably curious government agents, this new Roswell looks like…more of the same, to be honest.

Deadly Class (series premiere)

School’s in, but it might kill you. Rick Remender brings his comic book series with artist Wesley Craig to the small screen with Deadly Class, a series about a high school for assassins-in-training. New student Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth) has to navigate totally normal school activities, like school dances, homework assignments, and murder—with the help of his principal and mentor Master Lin (Doctor Strange’s Benjamin Wong).

Riverdale (second half of season 3)

Just when you thought Riverdale couldn’t get any wackier, along came season three—complete with demons, LARPing, flashbacks, some weirdly inspired musical choices, and more. The question now isn’t will the show stay weird and wild, it’s how much weirder and wilder will the adventures of Archie, Jughead, Veronica, and Betty get as season three goes on?

A Discovery of Witches (U.S. series premiere)

Based on the book trilogy by Deborah Harkness, this series has already aired in the UK. It stars Matthew Goode (Watchmen) and Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies) as a vampire and a witch, respectively, as well as Doctor Who’s Alex Kingston.

Star Trek: Discovery (season 2)

Though we had mixed feelings about Discovery’s first season, we enjoyed the hell out of the “Short Treks” mini-episodes that were released in the lead-up to season two. We’re hoping the show’s new adventures, which will introduce a young Spock, will keep that energy (and sense of humour!) going.

Supernatural (second half of season 14)

Yup. Still going. The Winchesters will never run out of wind for their sails!

Carmen Sandiego (series premiere)

Like it or not, nostalgia is king and Carmen Sandiego is ready for another romp around the world. Annihilation’s Gina Rodriguez will voice the character in this new educational animated series (as well as a live-action film). The show will feature both adventures in the present day as well as some time spent in the past discovering what led Carmen to her international life of crime and her evolution into a more Robin Hood-like character. Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard co-stars as her accomplice and friend.

The Punisher (season 2)

The biggest question going into season two of The Punisher isn’t what Frank Castle will be up to, now that he has to take on Jigsaw. Instead, it’s will the character live on after this second season, considering the fates of most of the other Netflix Marvel characters?

Charmed (second half of season one)

More nostalgia! The reboot of the late ‘90s series got off to a bit of a rocky start, but it did start working in some intriguing plot devices. Let’s see if the Power of Three can help Charmed finish out the season strong and get that renewal.

Supergirl (season 4)

Kara had some fun time on another Earth for the Elseworlds crossover but now it’s back to the daily grind in National City. She’s no longer working for the DEO, but that doesn’t mean she’s done saving the day—plus, new heroes are rising and you don’t want to miss anything and everything Brainy does.

Arrow (second half of season 7)

With Elseworlds behind him and the multiverse firmly intact (for now), Oliver Queen’s returning to Star City and settling into his new job working with the city’s police force as the Green Arrow. Things are set to become a little complicated, though, when Oliver ends up crossing paths with his long-lost sister Emiko, who’s been operating as the new Green Arrow in the time since Oliver’s been in prison.

Black Lightning (second half of season 2)

While the Pierce family has been busy trying to bring Jennifer back into the fold, the larger world of metahumans has been growing right before Black Lightning and Thunder’s eyes. But as more metas begin to come into their powers and flock to Freeland, the city’s heroes are going to be faced with all sorts of new challenges the community’s never dealt with before.

The Magicians (season 4)

Just as The Magicians’ Questers managed to finally restore magic to the greater world and save Fillory in the process, the show’s third season left them all wiped of their memories of their former lives and reborn as completely new, magic-less people totally unaware of their true identities. With the mysterious Blackspire monster set free and lurking in the bodies of everyday people, it’s going to be up to the Brakebills students to get their wits about them and take the creature down.

Kingdom (series premiere)

Period epic meets royal intrigue meets zombie horror in this lush-looking South Korean drama set during the Joseon Dynasty. Colour us very intrigued.

Into the Dark (ongoing monthly series)

Blumhouse and Hulu’s monthly, holiday-themed horror anthology has thus far turned out some very entertaining episodes (including standout Christmas and New Years Eve installments). Next up is part five, “Down,” which somehow involves Valentine’s Day and office workers trapped in a stuck elevator. It’s directed by The Last Exorcism’s Daniel Stamm.

The Walking Dead (second half of season 9)

A genuinely scary mid-season cliffhanger back in November hit pause on an uneven series of episodes that were mostly concerned with setting up Rick’s departure—and the much-anticipated arrival of the Whisperers, who should be a big presence going forward.

Miracle Workers (series premiere)

Steve Buscemi is an out-of-touch God with some unpleasant plans for Earth in this workplace comedy, which also stars Daniel Radcliffe and Deadpool scene-stealer Karan Soni as heavenly underlings. The trailer looks very promising.

Doom Patrol (series premiere)

No one ever could have imagined that Warner Bros. and DC would fast-track a live-action Doom Patrol series so soon, but that’s just the kind of world we live in today—one in which a show about a living robot, a gelatinous woman, and a being made of negative energy is something one can just pull up on the digital device of their choosing. The team isn’t going to be the most glamorous force to ever keep the world safe from things that go bump in the night, but they’re sure to be one of the most interesting.

The Umbrella Academy (series premiere)

When you’re a young person born with incredible superpowers living in a kind of luxury halfway house for the gifted, it’s almost all but certain you’re destined to become some kind of superhero. After growing up as famed heroes, Sir Reginald Hargreeves’ six special pupils went their separate ways in an attempt to try to live relatively normal lives, but when their adoptive father suddenly dies, the siblings find themselves pulled back together just in time to save the world from the apocalypse.

Hanna (series premiere)

Yep, Amazon pressed ahead with its series reboot of Joe Wright’s 2011 thriller about an ex-CIA agent, his teen daughter (that he’s raising to be a badass), and the current CIA agent who’s trying to find them. The cryptic first trailer contains…none of that, but we do know Altered Carbon’s Joel Kinnaman plays the father and he’ll be joined by his former The Killing co-star Mireille Enos.

American Gods (season 2)

Behind-the-scenes turmoil notwithstanding, we’re still very jazzed about the long-awaited return of the Neil Gaiman adaptation about Old Gods going head to head with New Gods (with some humans, living and dead, along for the ride) in a fanciful version of contemporary America.

Game of Thrones (season 8)

The fantasy juggernaut bids farewell with a six-episode season that will include White Walkers and the armies of Westeros engaging in the show’s ultimate, all-out epic battle—plus, we hope, some semblance of closure for everyone (everyone who survives, that is).

Legends of Tomorrow (second half of season 4)

Though the Legends didn’t participate in this year’s big CW crossover, the team is coming back to television with a vengeance in “Lucha de Apuestas,” a wrestling-themed episode that’ll pit its heroes against even more magical threats they’ve got to use their wits to overcome. Will there be masks? Will there be flips? Will Constantine make out with more people? Almost certainly.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (second half of season 1)

We had certain mixed feelings about the first half of season one, following the staunchly Satanic adventures of the teenage witch as she navigates high school and the world of magic. But we’re hoping the show will correct its biggest faults as it finds its footing.

NOS4A2 (series premiere)

Joe “Son of Stephen King” Hill’s 2013 best-seller about vampires—yeah, read that title again—comes to AMC. Zachary Quinto plays the main villain, an ancient creature who’s been preying on children (and has a vanity plate on his vintage Rolls…can you guess what it says?) for generations, but runs into trouble when he meets a high-school girl (Ashleigh Cummings) with Buffy tendencies.

Agents of SHIELD (season 6)

Given how much closer to the events of Marvel’s films Agents of SHIELD has been compared to the studio’s other live-action shows—and how the last season came painfully close to touching on the Infinity War Snap—the series’ return to ABC is automatically something to get more than excited about.

Stranger Things (season 3)

At last, we’ll be able to return to Hawkins, Indiana to see what supernatural horrors will torment our favourite Demogorgon slayers during the totally tubular summer of 1985. Of course a shopping mall is involved.

My Hero Academia (season 4)

With a live-action movie currently in development, the popular anime has a fourth season due out in October, though it’s not yet clear exactly where it will be broadcast or streamed in the U.S.


Also coming in 2019…we just don’t know exactly when:

American Horror Story (season 9)

After the triumphant Apocalypse revived our formerly waning love for the long-running show, we’re more than excited to see what Ryan Murphy cooks up next. Post-Apocalypse, maybe?

Archer: 1999 (season 10)

Archer: Danger Island was overall a little underwhelming, but the animated secret agent adventure (that became an anthology show about drug kingpins, 1940s gumshoes, 1930s artifact smuggling on tropical islands, etc.) looks to roar back in what could be its final season with a danger zone-ready journey to deep space. That said, there’s no indication if will Archer ever wake up from his coma.

Black Mirror (season 5)

The fifth season of this technology horror anthology may have gotten pushed back because of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, but the series is still set to return sometime this year. No clue what we can expect next from this dark dystopian saga, which has covered everything from singing competitions to Star Trek, although there are rumours that an episode will feature Miley Cyrus.

Cloak & Dagger (season 2)

The first season of Cloak & Dagger opened with a prophecy explaining that a time would come when the Divine Pairing (Tyrone and Tandy in this incarnation) would be tasked with saving their city from destruction, and one of them would die in the process. Obviously, the prophecy wasn’t entirely correct, as both of the show’s teen heroes are still very alive, despite successfully thwarting the Roxxon corporation’s nefarious plans, but when the show returns to air this year, the duo’s going to have an all-new kind of mayhem to deal with.

Craig of the Creek (season 2)

Craig of the Creek is the kind of show that, like summer, always feels as if it’s over too soon and all you want is for it to go on forever while you just the Dragon Prince, bringing them closer to their goal of reuniting him with the Dragons and preventing total war, but things may be more perilous than ever. There’s no doubt that things will probably get worse before they get better for our heroes, though it’s believed the show’s animation will will unveil its next season on Amazon. Season three ended with the reunited crew of the Rocinante setting out to explore uncharted space with some alien assistance, so there’ll be plenty of adventures coming in the future.

Fear the Walking Dead (season 5)

If you haven’t kept up with Fear the Walking Dead, you’ve missed a lot. Many of the show’s original characters are gone, replaced by new characters (played by the likes of Maggie Grace and Garret Dillahunt), as well as the integration of Lennie James’ Morgan (and, new this season, Austin Amelio’s Dwight) from The Walking Dead. Season five will see their story continue on, as the legacy of The Walking Dead continues.

Good Omens (limited series)

Michael Sheen and David Tennant look to be having the best time ever starring opposite each other in this live-action adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s tale of an angel, a demon, and the impending Armageddon.

The Handmaid’s Tale (season 3)

Oh, June, what the fuuuuck? So wondered everyone who watched the anguished main character decide to stay in Gilead in the season two finale. With its initial zeitgeist moment over, it’s sure feeling like season three is gonna be make-or-break for the future of the dystopian Margaret Atwood adaptation.

Harley Quinn (series premiere)

Harley Quinn might be a prankster, but her Legion of Doom — a group previously featured on CW’s Legends of Tomorrow.

His Dark Materials (series premiere)

After the disappointing 2007 film, it was hard to imagine we would ever get a decent adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. But lo and behold, the BBC is turning it into a fantasy adventure series with at least two seasons guaranteed. Set in a parallel world where the human consciousness takes on physical form as a talking animal, the series centres around a young orphan named Lyra, played by Logan’s Dafne Keen, and a prophecy that could change not only her world, but all worlds.

Happy! (season 2)

The proudly batshit Grant Morrison adaptation—about a fucked-up former cop (Christopher Meloni) who hallucinates an upbeat unicorn (voiced by Patton Oswalt)—returns for more pitch-black comedy and grimy crime, though presumably, it won’t be Christmas-themed this time.

Infinity Train (series premiere)

Created by Regular Show writer Owen Dennis, Infinity Train first popped up in 2016 as a pilot that Cartoon Network released online, garnering a huge reaction—and now the show has finally come to fruition. It centres around a girl named Tulip and her dual-personality robot companion, who’ve found themselves trapped on a massive train with cars that contain an infinite number of puzzles, mysteries, and sometimes even entire worlds.

iZombie (season 5)

Undead comedy iZombie is entering its fifth and final season, following Liv’s (Rose McIver) decision to stay on as Renegade (someone who helps sick people become zombies) in a post-apocalyptic zombified Seattle. The U.S. government has pulled its brain supply and things are looking dire, but at least Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be on hand as Seattle’s lone zombie city council member.

Jessica Jones (season 3)

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) lost her mother near the end of last season, and nearly lost everything else, but she seems to be healing. Of course, there are other threats on the horizon in Hell’s Kitchen—but Jess won’t be alone, as a newly superpowered Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) seems to be becoming Hellcat. With Netflix slowly chipping away at its Marvel TV universe, it’s hard to say how this season’s story is going to end. No matter what, it’ll likely feel too soon.

Killjoys (season 5)

It’s the fifth and final season for the wild sci-fi adventure series. We’re going to be sad to see Dutch and the Jaqobis brothers go (not to mention their outstanding group of allies) but something tells us they’ll go out with a bang (or, perhaps, banging?). Thankfully, the creators of this series knew it was ending, unlike Syfy’s other space adventure, Dark Matter (RIP). But we’re definitely looking forward to the premiere after that epic season four cliffhanger finale.

Krypton (season 2)

What we expected to be a normal superhero show about Kal-El’s homeworld ended up being quite the ride, with more twists, turns, and time travel than we could have possibly imagined. The sophomore season of the Superman prequel will introduce an array of new DC icons, including Flamebird and Nightwing (not that one), as well as Emmett J. Scanlan (Constantine) as the galaxy’s favourite cosmic badass, Lobo.

Lovecraft Country (series premiere)

Matt Ruff’s thrilling novel that looks at American racism through a Lovecraftian lens (with the full knowledge that H.P. Lovecraft himself was a known racist) becomes a horror TV series produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams, among others.

Lucifer (season 4)

The Los Angeles-set crime procedural about oft-confused humans and oft-quarreling celestial beings (including Tom Ellis as the jovial title character) screams “guilty pleasure,” so it’s no surprise Netflix swooped in to save it when Fox kicked the show off its roster.

Mr. Robot (season 4)

We’re not gonna lie, the end of season three — what with the Dark Army and Whiterose plotting to move their mysterious plant to the Congo, and Dom and Elliot becoming allies, and Angela learning who her real father is, and Mr. Robot still lurking around causing chaos — was a lot, and we’re gonna probably need to rewatch the whole damn thing in preparation for the groundbreaking show’s final season. But we will do that happily, because all that mindfuckery and plot density is a big part of why Mr. Robot rules.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (streaming premiere)

Netflix’s massive push into anime includes a few titles we’re stoked about, but none more than its decision to bring Hideaki Anno’s highly influential (but notoriously, long hampered by tangled rights issues) anime Neon Genesis Evangelion to the streaming masses.

Stargirl (series premiere)
In one of many DC shows coming to the comics-centric streaming service, Brec Bassinger plays the title character, a young woman who gains a ton of superhuman abilities after she realises her stepfather was a superhero sidekick.

Swamp Thing (series premiere)

Arguably the most highly anticipated and high profile show coming to DC Universe, Swamp Thing brings the murky, cult DC hero to back to the small screen for the first time in decades, with none other than Aquaman director James Wan among its producers.

The Tick (season 2)
We simply loved the first season of Amazon’s reboot of The Tick, and though it’s been quite the wait, we can’t wait to see what season two has in store for the world of Arthur Everest.

The Twilight Zone (series premiere)

Jordan Peele is busy as hell and we’re poised to reap all the benefits. On top of his next horror feature, Us, and the above-mentioned Lovecraft Country for HBO, the prolific creator is also producing and hosting a reboot of The Twilight Zone—a project that’s already attracted some intriguing talent to its cast.

War of the Worlds (series premiere)

H.G Wells’ iconic sci-fi story of invaders from another world gets a new adaptation from the BBC, this time actually set in the original time period of Wells’ novel, as a young couple (Rafe Spall and Eleanor Tomlinson) attempt to start a new life together, only to find themselves on the run in the face of a terrifying alien threat descending upon Edwardian England.

Watchmen (series premiere)

Who watches the Watchmen? We will be! HBO’s first comic book series won’t be a direct adaptation of the classic Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons project, but thanks to producer Damon Lindelof, it’ll tell a new story inspired by that iconic work. We’re beyond pumped.

What We Do in the Shadows (series premiere)

Taika Waititi’s cult mockumentary gets the TV treatment, resetting its vampires-bumbling-through-the-modern-world plot in New York City. The series looks like it’s aiming to replicate the deadpan tone of the movie, which is a very good thing.

The Witcher (series premiere)

Based on the Polish fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski rather than the beloved RPG video game adaptation from CD Projekt Red, Henry Cavill takes on the titular role as Geralt of Rivia, a fabled monster hunter who roams the continent taking contracts until fate sees him cross paths with a beguiling sorceress and a mysterious young Princess.


Shows we’re hoping to see in 2019, but may be coming later:

Bojack Horseman (season 6)
The animated series got a re-up at the end of October 2018, which means there might be enough time to get a new instalment out later this year, fingers crossed.

Castle Rock (season 2)
The Stephen King-inspired chiller got a second-season renewal, but the show’s tight-lipped creators have hinted that the series will likely keep to more of an anthology format as it progresses, which suggests new stories and new characters on the horizon.

Legion (season 3)

Season three is definitely coming and is definitely going to follow an even darker path than what’s come before. But as for when we’ll be seeing new episodes, even David Haller probably couldn’t say just yet.

Living With Yourself (series premiere)

A Daily Show alum created this surreal-sounding comedy, which stars Paul Rudd as a man who undergoes treatment to become a better person but then realises he’s literally created another version of himself. Multiple Paul Rudds? We can get into those Celery Man vibes.

Locke & Key (series premiere)

It’s been nearly a decade of passed-on pilots and other roadblocks for the IDW comic book adaptation about a family working through a mystery involving a series of supernaturally-powered keys, but Netflix—which scored a ghostly hit with last year’s The Haunting of Hill Housefinally ordered up 10 episodes last summer. We may not see Locke & Key this year…but it seems we will finally see it eventually.

Lost in Space (season 2)

Netflix renewed the series reboot last May, but there’s no firm word on when the space-travelling Robinson family will return for more streaming adventures.

The Man in the High Castle (season 4)

The third season just dropped in October, so don’t look for a new barrage of alt-history action until much later this year. Probably.

The Mandalorian (series premiere)

While we’re at it, let’s lump in the Cassian Andor series, the return of Clone Wars, the Loki series, and all the other rumoured MCU shows too. Streaming service Disney+ will have all of these shows and more—so much more—though we don’t know which ones will be arriving in 2019. Frankly, we don’t even know exactly when Disney+ is actually launching, but we’re still ridiculously giddy anyway.

The 100 (season 6)

We’ve had an on-and-off relationship with The 100, but the season five finale did something so jaw-dropping we can’t wait to see what the post-apocalyptic show does when it returns…which will hopefully be later this year.

Raising Dion (series premiere)

This Netflix original series—based on Dennis Liu’s comic—follows a single African-American mum’s quest to protect her superpowered son while also trying to solve the mystery of her husband’s death (who’ll be played by Michael B. Jordan, presumably in flashbacks).

Rick and Morty (season 4)

Truthfully, we have no idea when this show is returning, but the minute any news is released, you’ll know because the internet will explode.

Snowpiercer (series premiere)

Rumour has it this long-awaited, oft-retooled sci-fi drama—for those who haven’t seen the movie, it’s about a train in perpetual motion that’s carrying the class-divided remains of the human race around a frozen Earth—will air in June.

Titans (season 2)
The live-action superhero series was renewed before it even premiered its first episode, and considering how well the team came together at the end, here’s hoping they’ll be back sooner than later. That said, it’s likely that Titans won’t return before spin-off Doom Patrol (see above) wraps up its own first season.

Westworld (season 3)

The good news: Westworld will be back to murder your brain some more after that very intense second season. The bad news: We have absolutely no clue when.


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