The Umbrella Academy, a peculiar comic book adaption about a group of misfit superheroes, recently debuted its third season and quickly rose to the top of the Netflix global television rankings. Despite its intriguing depiction of superheroes and their lifestyles, the show captures viewers' attention with its distinctive dysfunctional family dynamic, which at least once makes them think of themselves.
Due to the strong premise that the Hargreeves would not utilize their superpower to save the world without their siblings, some claim that The Umbrella Academy is a family-centric show rather than a superheroes show. In order to help fans pass the time till the release of season 4, here is a list of similar shows to The Umbrella Academy that contains both supernatural elements and dysfunctional family dynamics (with an honorable mention).
Misfits (2009 - 2013)
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Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama TV show that airs on E4 about a group of juvenile offenders condemned to community service getting otherworldly powers as a result of an odd electrical storm. Following that, they become friends, and on several occasions, they even succeed in saving the day and one another.
Similar to The Umbrella Academy, Misfits also featured a dysfunctional group of young people with superpowers who frequently engaged in conflict with one another. The dynamics of the group are remarkably comparable to what the Hargreeves siblings represent despite not being connected since the Misfits juvenile only have each other. Additionally, the show also stars Robert Sheehan, the brilliant actor who portrays fans’ favorite Hargreeves sibling, Klaus.
Doom Patrol (2019 - )
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Based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, Doom Patrol is an American superhero television series created by Jeremy Carver. The main team of Doom Patrol consists of a group of unexpected heroes who all acquired their powers tragically and are despised by society.
Much like The Umbrella Academy, the team of outsiders with superpowers in Doom Patrol is also pulled together when their leader and mentor go missing and investigate abnormal phenomena. Moreover, perhaps more than any other shows on the list, Doom Patrol centers on a dysfunctional superhero family that is still processing past trauma which can easily remind fans of the Netflix series.
Marvel’s Runaways (2017 - 2019)
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Marvel’s Runaways or Runaways, which is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, follows a group of six teenagers who learn shockingly that their parents are supervillains. The gang decides to find the truth and prevent their parents from committing crimes despite their differences.
The ideas of family in Runaways are similar to those in The Umbrella Academy since it emphasizes how the teens come to form a family with one another over time after a traumatic event. Additionally, the cast's equally outstanding performance is a highlight that deserves a rewatch.
Heroes (2006 - 2010)
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Heroes is a Tim Kring-produced American superhero drama television show that aired on NBC for four seasons. The series centers on the experiences of a group of regular individuals who learn they possess superpowers and shows how these powers affect the characters’ lives as they cooperate to avert disastrous outcomes.
Like The Umbrella Academy, each character in Heroes has distinct objectives and distinct lives, and since they are so skillfully portrayed, the audience cares about them right away. Additionally, Heroes depicts certain dysfunctional sibling dynamics, such as the bond between Nathan and Peter Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia), which is likely to remind viewers of Klaus and Ben Hargreeves (Justin H. Min).
The Vampire Diaries (2009 - 2017)
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The Vampire Diaries is a CW series based on the book series of the same name written by L.J. Smith. The show centers on Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a teenager who lost both of her parents in a car accident, as she develops feelings for a 162-year-old vampire, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), and eventually becomes involved in a love triangle with Stefan’s brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder). The show also features other supernatural beings such as werewolves, witches, and hybrids.
Unlike The Umbrella Academy, The Vampire Diaries primarily concentrates on the love lives of the protagonists and their personal growth rather than exploring the lives of supernatural entities. The CW series, however, also has a lot of problematic sibling dynamics like Damon and Stefan, the Original family, or the Gilbert children that might easily remind fans of the Hargreeves, who always stand up for one other in the end.
Succession (2018 - )
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Succession is a supernature-free honorable mention on the list that centers on the Roy family, the dysfunctional owners of the international media and entertainment empire, Waystar Royco, as the children battling for the company's control while the family patriarch, Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) health deteriorates.
The Roy children, like the Hargreeves children, have a complicated relationship with their father and with one another, which causes ongoing drama and contention. In addition, the father figures in the two shows are strikingly similar in that both Sir Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) and Logan Roy willingly give up their children for the better good.