Netflix Officially Lands 3-Part Superhero Mega-Franchise


Netflix is expanding its streaming library like never before this year, and it is finally stepping into an arena where its biggest rivals have completely dominated. While Disney+ has Marvel, Max has DC, and Prime Video has built its own corner of the genre with The Boys and Invincible, Netflix has always been missing flagship superhero IPs. That is starting to change, because the streaming giant has just locked down the rights to one of the biggest superhero anime franchises around: One-Punch Man.

While Saitama’s hilarious, one-hit-quitting journey actually used to be available on the platform years ago, it was quietly removed after the original licensing deal expired. Now, the series returned in a much bigger way. Starting this August 25, Netflix now has multiple seasons of One-Punch Man available to U.S., Canada, and Latam subscribers at no extra cost, bringing the three-part superhero saga back to the platform under one roof.

That is a pretty big pickup for Netflix, especially with One-Punch Man returning alongside an ever-growing library of anime. For fans who have followed Saitama from his first season through the long wait for his latest adventures, having multiple seasons available in one place makes the series much easier to jump back into. And for Netflix, it finally gives the platform a recognizable superhero franchise.

The Return Of One-Punch Man Finally Gives Netflix A Flagship Superhero Franchise

While seeing One-Punch Man punch its way back onto Netflix’s catalog sounds like a huge win, the anime itself comes with some baggage these days. What started with one of the most praised first seasons in anime quickly became one of the medium’s most heavily criticized adaptations. The entire problem traces back to a major behind-the-scenes shakeup.

Studio Madhouse set the bar ridiculously high with season 1, giving Saitama’s fights the kind of sharp, fluid animation that instantly made the series stand out. But when the production shifted to J.C.Staff for season 2, the difference was hard to ignore. While the second season was visually clunky but arguably still watchable, the execution in season 3 completely missed the mark. The criticism had become much louder, with several of the manga’s highly anticipated fights struggling to match the energy fans expected from One-Punch Man.



















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01

Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number?




✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries.

02

The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character?




✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022.

03

In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it?




✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.

04

Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4?




✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win.

05

The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set?




✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder.

06

Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner?




✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal.

07

La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure?




✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits.

08

Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth?




✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later.

✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller.

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That hurts even more because the manga has some of the best artwork in modern action comics. Illustrator Yusuke Murata regularly fills the pages with huge, detailed two-page spreads that belong in a museum. Seeing those moments translated into stiff or flat animation is a rough downgrade, especially for longtime fans who know exactly how impressive the source material can look.

Still, writing off J.C.Staff entirely would be unfair. The studio has produced plenty of strong-looking anime over the years, so there is always a chance it can turn things around if One-Punch Man gets another season. For now, Netflix bringing the series back is great news for anyone who wants the full saga in one place, but it also puts a spotlight on just how much the anime needs to recover from its production troubles.

Netflix Leans Into Huge Global IPs To Build A Completely Independent Superhero Catalog

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The One-Punch Man deal fits into a much bigger move from Netflix. Alongside the recent success of its South Korean superhero comedy The WONDERfools, the streaming platform is clearly finding ways to expand its superhero catalog without depending on the same Marvel and DC properties that have bounced between platforms for years.

While fans will always miss having staple superhero hits like Daredevil, The Punisher, or The Flash on the platform, grabbing popular series and global titles gives Netflix its own unique lane in the genre. Saitama may not be part of a traditional cinematic universe, but his return shows that Netflix does not necessarily need one to give superhero fans a reason to stick around.

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