The best superhero podcasts to listen to right now

When you think of superheroes, you probably think in images: bright colors, intricate costumes, panels and cells or massive CG battles. Superheroes are inherently tied to dynamic visuals — so what happens when you strip those away?

Fiction podcasters aim to tackle this idea. There’s a growing trend of superheroes in the audio-only medium of fiction podcasts, and as it turns out, you don’t always need images to make a superhero story spectacular.

In fact, sometimes it even helps. Instead of focusing on the splash page, listeners’ imaginations can run wild, turning them into illustrators or directors for the day. Plus, there’s no worrying about an actors’ facial hair — in an audio format, fans can’t see it.

These superhero-based fiction podcasts are some of the best in the genre right now, and they’re all available to listen to in full for free. Be sure to start from the beginning of each; these are all serialized stories. Some of these podcasts also provide transcripts for accessibility, and we’ve included those where available.

Red Rhino

Red Rhino is the story of a sarcastic, outcast teenager who gets superpowers that are only a little super. The story is reminiscent of classic Spider-Man: a nerd whose high-school peers treat him like a weirdo gets powers from some kind of creature. But instead of a spider, it’s a rhino. It doesn’t help that the protagonist has memories of a friend everyone seems to write off as “imaginary,” even though he definitely existed. Red Rhino has great writing and acting, but the use of music adds a unique flavor to the sound of the podcast, helping it ride the line between campy and realistic. You can also read transcripts of each episode for free on the website.

Redwing

Redwing is one of the more classically tailored superhero stories on this list, pulling on tropes from the Silver Age through the modern era, but recasting them with its queer black lead and authorial voice. The story follows a Bruce Wayne-like heir in a fictionalized city, fighting crime and trying to solve the mysteries laid out by his family. This podcast has a massive cast of characters, and twisting, turning plotlines that always offer mystery, action, and a heaping dose of glamour.

The Bright Sessions

If your favorite parts of superhero stories are the introspection and discussion of mental health — think those moments in Young Justice where the team had lengthy conversations with Black Canary about how they were holding up — The Bright Sessions is likely to become a new obsession. The Bright Sessions is the story of “atypicals,” this world’s people with superhuman abilities, told through the tapes of their therapy appointments. The characters’ abilities are all tied to their mental health, and the story is almost entirely character-focused instead of driven by big plots. The Bright Sessions has been optioned for TV as well as getting an upcoming novel trilogy, so be sure to catch up on its completed story soon. You can read transcripts of each episode for free on the website.

Super Ordinary

Another fiction podcast in which powers are tied to mental health, Super Ordinary is the story of a famous supervillain who wants to make her case for being a hero — or, at least, blur the lines between which is which. The podcast begins with her not-quite confession, but more explanation, of her side of some mysterious events, via a recording mailed to a select few journalists. The audience quickly learns that her powers are caused by her panic attacks, which give her the ability to take things apart. You can read transcripts of each episode for free on the website.

Wolverine: The Long Night

Wolverine: The Long Night, produced by Marvel, is one of the biggest productions not just on this list, but in fiction podcasts at large. With a star-studded cast (The Hobbit’s Richard Armitage plays Logan) and a familiar central character, Wolverine: The Long Night is perfect for fiction podcast newbies, but the absolutely beautiful, immersive sound design is bound to impress even the most seasoned listeners. The podcast follows investigators trying to figure out the cause of a series of deaths, playing on both dramatic irony from the audience and actual mystery. It’s positioned as a piece of true crime, a setup that allows the narrative to feel more steeped in realism than most other Marvel endeavors. This podcast was originally only available on Stitcher Premium, but it’s now available on all podcatchers for free.

The Van

The Van is one part X-Men, one part road trip. This story follows a group of teen superheroes all in, as the title suggests, a van, driving from place to place to find Rosaline, a previous member of the team who left. The Van gives most of its time and attention to its characters, specifically thanks to the podcast’s use of narration, which puts the listener right in the head of the protagonist, Cola. She suffers from visions that give her headaches, but where will they lead her, and what do they mean?

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Wil Williams writes, listens to, and loves podcasts. She runs the website Wil Williams Writes, co-hosts the podcast Tuned In Dialed Up, and has work featured in Discover Pods and Bello Collective. She is afraid of whales and suspicious of dolphins.