Adult Swim Superman Series "Too Tame," According to Fans

The new animated series My Adventures With Superman premiered on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim last night, and while it got stellar reviews from those who watched, they were also confused about one major thing.

Namely, why is such a tame, innocent show premiering on Adult Swim – not even in one of the new, earlier blocs, but at midnight?

As Twitter user Matches Malone said:

Good first 2 episodes! This show has a lot of potential. Animation is great but also a little rough at the same time? This show needs a bigger budget. This is a very fast paced show it really does feel like a show aimed towards older kids/teens idk why it aired on Adult Swim.

‘My Adventures With Superman’ Proves Adult Swim is Too Tame Now, According to Cartoon Network Fans

Good first 2 episodes! This show has a lot of potential. Animation is great but also a little rough at the same time? This show needs a bigger budget.

This is a very fast paced show it really does feel like a show aimed towards older kids/teens idk why it aired on Adult Swim. pic.twitter.com/qn2dJ4X9JF

— Matches Malone 🦇 (@cell_0801) July 7, 2023

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Others agreed, saying that while it is an excellent show and definitely deserves airtime, Adult Swim “should be reserved for the freaks.”

The Adult Swim that fans like @Tredlocity are referring to is the one that initially premiered shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Robot Chicken – offbeat, off-color comedies with heaping amounts of darkness and sarcasm mixed in, peppered here and there with animated dramas that were definitely not suitable for children.

My Adventures With Superman is not that. Many fans specifically complained that not only was there not a single element of the show that necessitated it be relegated to an adult programming bloc, but it also neutered one of the biggest villains. As user @Toastshake1 said:

It’s wild that a show aimed at children (Teen Titans) had a more authentic Deathstroke despite the name change than a show that airs on Adult Swim late at night.

It's wild that a show aimed at children (Teen Titans) had a more authentic Deathstroke despite the name change than a show that airs on Adult Swim late at night. https://t.co/FhXGhGnDUG

— Toastshake (@Toastshake1) July 7, 2023

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DC fans complained that Deathstroke had been so softened that he was barely recognizable as a character anymore. Fans of Cartoon Network’s original Teen Titans cartoon, specifically, were confused, as even their version of Deathstroke – who had to be renamed Slade because the name Deathstroke wasn’t considered appropriate for a children’s cartoon – was still both more accurate to the comics, and a more formidable villain.

(The main complaint was that they took Deathstroke’s signature sword and replaced it with a long stick.)

Fans Fear That Cartoon Network is Going “Preschool”

Some fans of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network have taken this as a sign that the network is infantilizing itself: They complain that Cartoon Network’s primary programming has all become “preschool shows,” pushing shows like The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, once a regular CN primetime series, into the “adult” category.

It’s funny that Cartoon Network’s current programming has become so infantile that it’s shows from 20 years ago are now considered adult cartoons https://t.co/FrzsynrKz3

— FORDLANDIA (@manfordic) June 29, 2023

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However, it turns out that there was a reason, both for the programming switcheroo and for this apparent caution of subject matter in My Adventures With Superman.

In the latter’s case, it was simple: The show’s creators didn’t know it would be on Adult Swim while they were making it.

‘My Adventures With Superman’ Writers Didn’t Know It Would Be An Adult Swim Show

My Adventures With Superman was initially developed to be a Max exclusive, but when Max passed on it, it was picked up by Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network, in turn, decided to place it in their Toonami and Adult Swim blocs, not because they had to, but because they wanted to use the show to generate interest in that programming.

It’s possible that next season, the show’s creators will choose to make things a little more adult because they can, although we doubt they’ll take it too far – many have already described My Adventures With Superman as the perfect series to introduce kids to DC.

This decision was likely made because Cartoon Network is shifting its Adult Swim programming to an earlier schedule to bring in more of the young adults who grew up with their channel.

This is the same reason Cartoon Network’s classic shows are now airing during Adult Swim hours: It’s not that the shows are now “too adult” for Cartoon Network’s leading brand; it’s that the fans are. Cartoon Network is trying to get the audience that grew up on those shows to watch during Adult Swim, which is also why they extended it to an earlier timeslot.

Regardless of what they were attempting, however, it seems that Cartoon Network may have a bit of a way to figure out what works and what doesn’t in this new Adult Swim revamp they’re trying out. Time will tell if they’re able to figure it out.

Have you watched the new Adult Swim programming? What did you think? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments.