Though a superhero may feel like a modern construct, the concept of a fictional character possessing extraordinary, often superhuman powers or skills has been around since 1936. Lee Falk’s masked fighter The Phantom is widely credited as the first-ever superhero.
Today, however, almost a century since the Phantom’s capers, our on-screen heroes have mostly dispensed with the archetypal boots-and-bodysuit look in favour of a more pared-back appeal. For our new age heroes, intellect and patience are considered just as formidable as strength and size. It’s clear we’re better off for it, and streamer Prime Video is leaning in with its latest roster of champions.
Old school cool
This shift is seen clearly in Prime Video’s upcoming release Spider-Noir, a hard-boiled series set in 1930s New York that proves heroism comes in many forms. The series is available in two visual styles: classic black and white or full colour, and follows private detective Ben Reilly, a retired, down-on-his-luck superhero deftly navigating the scrappy underworld of New York.
Played by Nicolas Cage, whose previous credits include more than a few offbeat heroes, Reilly relies on his steely nerve and street smarts as he faces down scheming mobsters, corrupt politicians and, of course, certain supervillains carrying lifelong vendettas. To navigate a web of lies in a city set against him, Reilly proves that a resilient mindset brings an unbeatable resolve — something you learn after enough experience.
Release date: Out now
Smarts over strength
Jack Ryan has always been the spy who wins with his brain, not his brawn — and Jack Ryan: Ghost War doubles down on that. In the new feature-length outing based on Tom Clancy's expansive universe, we find John Krasinski’s Jack Ryan trading the comparative peace of retirement for the murky shadows of global geopolitics. Forced to untangle a deadly conspiracy that only he can solve, Ryan proves that his sharpest weapon isn't his physicality, but his mind. To come out on top, the analyst-turned-agent must use his acumen and hard-earned instincts to prevail — something we can all relate to. That, and a certain longstanding, trusted alliance between the CIA and MI6.
Ryan is authentic and relatable with the military-grade intelligence to match, the antithesis of the chiselled and borderline immortal action hero; and he’s all the more compelling for it. Undeniable proof that being a little understated might just be the most valuable tool in the locker.
Release date: Out now
Method in the madness
As charming as he is cunning, The Boys' Billy Butcher rounds out our trio of modern superheroes. Central to the eponymous group of vigilantes that lead Prime Video’s explosive series, Butcher is a former member of the British special forces who learns to rely on more than brute strength in his vendetta against enemies who could crush him physically.
Where a conventional hero might throw a punch, Butcher takes a beat and plots a scheme instead; manipulating, outplaying and outmanoeuvring opponents who are, on paper, untouchable. In a genre saturated with godlike physiques, Karl Urban's self-made hero proves you don't need a six-pack to be formidable — just relentless resourcefulness, a talent for improvisation and a certain refusal to be outperformed. Sometimes, sheer drive is a superpower in itself.
Release date: Season 5 out now
Catch all of these everyman heroes in action on Prime Video
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Ed Cooper is the former Deputy Digital Editor at Men’s Health UK, writing and editing about anything you want to know about — from tech to fitness, mental health to style, food and so much more. Ed has run the MH gauntlet, including transformations, marathons and er website re-designs. He’s awful at pub sports, though. Follow him: @EA_Cooper
