Published Mar 19, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT
Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who frequently covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, horror, and superheroes. Their specialty is onscreen book adaptations.
They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Their articles have also been shared by professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale. Their review for Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer.
In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18.
Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity.
These seven new and returning animated TV shows stand out among the rest as ones you absolutely cannot miss. In the past, Hollywood animated TV shows were seen as lesser, with most of them being children’s shows. Luckily, we’ve long passed those days.
This format has grown in popularity, and it’s finally seen as on par with live-action. Animated adult shows are just as successful as children’s cartoons. Anime has also become a worldwide phenomenon, widening the scope of animation.
While many great animation projects are on the horizon, these seven have the most potential. Their great stories and impressive creative teams make them shows you won’t want to miss.
7 X-Men '97 season 2
via MovieStillsDBDisney+’s X-Men ‘97 is a revival of the X-Men: The Animated Series, which ran from 1992 to 1997, and the show quickly gained the title of the best X-Men adaptation. It only gets better with each episode, and X-Men ‘97 season 1’s finale left the X-Men scattered through time, raising the stakes for season 2.
They’ve added three epic villains from the comics. We’ll meet Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, and Omega Red. The first two might be unlikely allies for the X-Men, which is an interesting twist. Some of the most exciting heroes joining the cast are Polaris, Havok, Danger, and Warlock. All four of these new additions are deeply underrated.
Colossus will also join the roster. He was a part of the original animated series, but X-Men ‘97 season 1 didn’t include him. It will be great to see the iconic metal man back with the animated X-Men.
6 Death Stranding Isolations
The first Death Stranding game really connected with audiences throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world caused by a phenomenon called Death Stranding. Humanity is fractured and disconnected due to explosions that occur when the living and the dead have direct contact.
Disney+ announced in 2025 that they will create an anime set within that world but separate from the video game story. Not a lot is known about the exact storyline. The vague description explains that a young boy and a girl set off on an adventure together on the precipice of the world’s end.
The 2027 Disney+ animated TV show Death Stranding Isolations has the potential to be cathartic and healing after the collective trauma of fear of dying and isolation caused by COVID-19. Additionally, it’s expected to be a visual spectacle, as the art will be hand-drawn in a traditional 2D animation style by some of Japan’s top animation artists.
5 Something Is Killing the Children
The horror production company Blumhouse has set itself apart when it comes to making top-notch horror, and now they’re working on one of the most exciting animated TV shows coming up. Blumhouse is working with Boom! Studios to adapt the Eisner Award-winning comic book series Something Is Killing the Children as both a live-action movie and animated TV show.
In the comic, children are the only ones who can see monsters. In Archer’s Peak, they suddenly start disappearing. Most never return, and those who do have wild stories about the monsters. While most adults dismiss these tales, Erica Slaughter, a mysterious woman, arrives to hunt the monsters. Unbeknownst to others, she is also part of a secret society with hidden motives.
Not only is the story compelling, but it’s packed with violence and gore that’s perfect for horror lovers. The simultaneous development of the two projects also promises that the onscreen adaptations will explore the world and characters in much more depth. What’s more, Boom! Studios confirmed Blumhouse’s commitment to faithfully adapting the vision of authors James Tynion IV and Wether Dell’Edera.
4 Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2
Disney+ debuted the latest animated Spider-Man series in 2025, and it received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a fun reimagining of the story, just like the TV show What If…? The series exists in a parallel world with many similarities to the MCU, but it isn’t held to that continuity since it isn’t the same Earth.
The freedom of the storyline allows for some fun twists, like Nico from Runaways becoming Peter Parker’s best friend. Luckily, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man just keeps getting better ahead of season 2’s return in Fall 2026. They’ve already announced that two of the most iconic Spider-Man characters, Venom and Gwen Stacy, will join the upcoming seasons.
The last time Doc Ock, Venom, and the Green Goblin appeared in the same scene together was 2013, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2 could reunite them. Plus, two of Peter’s biggest allies right now are villains in the comics. The second season has been teased as darker, so we could see Tombstone or Gobby going fully evil.
3 Firefly Animated Series
Everett CollectionAfter 21 years, the cast of Firefly is finally getting back together, bringing their characters back aboard the Serenity spaceship. Nathan Fillion has teased the project for weeks now, and he finally confirmed it on March 15, 2026, at AwesomeCon in Washington, D.C. Although the decision to make the project animated has been controversial, it’s realistically the best way to bring the show back.
Two decades have passed, and the actors look older. They either had to use CGI to de-age them, which would have been disastrous; set the story 20 years in the future, which would have been too far out from the original story; or make it animated, allowing the characters to look the same age while keeping the original Firefly cast.
The story will bridge the gap between Firefly season 1 and the Serenity movie. There’s plenty of story to explore there, which is exciting. On top of that, the Firefly animated series isn’t one to skip, if only out of appreciation for the cast, who still dedicated themselves to bringing back the beloved story all these years later.
2 Wings of Fire
If any animated TV show is going to compete with Game of Thrones, it’s the high-fantasy dragon book series Wings of Fire, which spans sixteen books, plus supplementary books, graphic novels, and novellas. Combined, the novels have spent more than 200 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
Each arc in Wings of Fire lasts five books, and the first one follows a prophecy. A group of five young dragons – Starflight, Sunny, Clay, Tsunami, and Glory – is destined to end a two-decade war between the factions of Pyrrhia.
The Wings of Fire is surprisingly dark and gritty for a book series that’s catered towards a middle-grade audience, so the onscreen adaptation is bound to appeal to adults and children alike. The show is also in great hands. Author Tui T. Sutherland will executive produce and co-write the series alongside showrunner and fellow executive producer Aaron Waltke.
1 Eleceed
Eleceed was a wildly popular manhwa Webtoon, and the anime adaptation will be released this year. The story follows a world of humans with supernatural abilities who live alongside normal humans. Seo Jiwoo suddenly develops electrokinesis, unaware that anyone else is like him. However, that changes when he meets Kayden Break, a man with monstrous abilities who mentors him.
The adaptation of Eleceed has the potential to surpass Solo Leveling, given its strong storyline, impressive visuals, and character development. Seo Jiwoo’s abilities start out impressive, but they develop over time into something truly incredible. This is bound to translate well for the TV.
If all that isn’t enough to get folks excited, DandeLion Animation Studio's involvement should be. The studio received a 2025 Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film for Magic Candies. That film was a visual spectacle, and Eleceed should be too.
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