The Film And TV Shows That Helped Define The Superhero Genre In 2016

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4

2016 was a difficult year for Marvel Television, with ABC passing on Marvel’s Most Wanted – even after Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had effectively written two popular characters out in preparation for it – and canceling Agent Carter. That said, the year ended on a high, with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4 effectively reinventing the show when it was moved to a 10pm time slot, allowing for darker, edgier storytelling.

This change in timeslot was accompanied by a decision to avoid overt ties with Marvel’s next movie, Doctor Strange, and instead go for a thematic tie-in. The show introduced Gabriel Luna as Robbie Reyes, the latest incarnation of Marvel’s Ghost Rider, and marked the first time Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had used a character on this scale of importance.

Meanwhile, Marvel teased the existence of Johnny Blaze, hinting at the possibility that the pre-MCU Ghost Rider movies may actually have been absorbed into the canon.