Television has flourished during the height of the superhero genre that has brought a variety of different superheroes to life for a vast audience that has embraced their stories. Whether it’s the traditional superpowered heroes like The Flash or Supergirl or the non-traditional, non-superpowered heroes like Green Arrow and Daredevil, fans have embraced these symbols of heroism and hope.
One of the appeals of superheroes has always been their superpowers because that’s always been the distinguishable difference between being a hero in their world and being a hero in our world. But for me, I’ve always been drawn to those superheroes that appear to walk among us – the Arrows and Daredevils of the world.
Don’t get me wrong I love watching Barry Allen break the sound barrier on The Flash and Kara Danvers fly and carry a plane on her shoulders on Supergirl, but for me the superheroes without superpowers have always been the ones that stand tall above the rest in my eyes. They don’t have superpowers – they have super skill, which they’ve developed through training and their experiences in life.
Arrow and Daredevil are perhaps my favorite superhero shows because of the grounded nature of the show’s landscape. Here we have two superheroes without powers that have trained to become the skilled badasses that they are today. All the while this is taking place in a world very much like our own. While they’ve taken different paths – with Oliver Queen starting dark and becoming lighter and Matt Murdock starting light and growing darker – both heroes share certain similarities right down to their trusty team of partners, as well as the groundedness of their nature.
So why is it that Arrow and Daredevil have that certain appeal? I’d like to think it’s because in a world without superpowers it’s nice to believe, somewhere in the back of our minds, that there are heroes among us. That while we might not live in a world where Superman can fly in to save us that perhaps there is someone just like us – who’s willing to sacrifice for the good of the world – out there looking out for us.
And in a way most of these superhero shows on television — even the ones with a central, super-powered hero — have other characters on the shows that are heroes in their own right — no powers in sight. But there’s still a distinction between the more grounded superhero shows that makes them feel more viable in the real world. And in a way it’s easier to connect with a hero that resembles you. They don’t have special powers that make them a hero. They have to earn that status without it.
So while I count myself a superfan of the superhero genre and immensely enjoy watching shows bring these superpowers to life, I’ll always care a little more for those superheroes that resemble us. That remind us that we are the real heroes in our world. Heroes without superpowers. And there’s an immense appeal to the grounded nature of superheroes in a world that can really use them.