Sam Raimi's Forgotten '90s Sci-Fi Superhero Show Deserves A Second Look

Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" flicks changed superhero movies forever. Kevin Feige — the overseer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — claims that Raimi's trilogy inspired his own ambitions early on. So, really, there is a strong case to be made that the MCU wouldn't exist without "Spider-Man." However, some of Raimi's other superhero projects failed to replicate the success of "Spider-Man," which brings us to the '90s series "M.A.N.T.I.S."

Co-created by Raimi and Sam Hamm, "M.A.N.T.I.S." follows the eponymous superhero (Carl Lumbly) as he fights crime in Port Columbia. Prior to becoming M.A.N.T.I.S., though, he was Dr. Miles Hawkins, a scientist who was left paralyzed after being unjustly shot by a cop. The show explores the theme of racial injustice, but it's also a goofy, fun superhero adventure involving time travel, androids, and other sci-fi concepts.

Sadly, "M.A.N.T.I.S." ultimately became one of many great sci-fi shows that were abruptly canceled. Fox aired it during the Friday night death slot, so it never really stood a chance. A shame, really, as "M.A.N.T.I.S." is a forward-thinking show that was botched by its network.

"M.A.N.T.I.S." debuted in 1994, three years before "Steel" and "Spawn" brought Black superheroes to the screen. The series was also bold in its exploration of law and order, with the aforementioned cop storyline feeling like a reaction to the 1991 Rodney King case. Sam Raimi and Sam Hamm seemingly wanted to tell a gritty story that addressed these ideas, but Carl Lumbly believes Fox crushed those plans.

"It was a noble effort, and I believe that while we did the best we could with the series, the producers who came forward to pick it up after the pilot were not as courageous and did not have the vision. And I'm being as kind as I could be," Lumbly told Space Con 2025 (via PopVerse).

Lumbly noted that Hamm and Raimi wanted to make a series about a hero who'd been betrayed by the people who are supposed to protect society. However, that didn't deter his desire to do good for a community that embraced people from all walks of life and ethnic persuasions. Despite not living up to its potential, though, "M.A.N.T.I.S." is still one of many forgotten '90s sci-fi shows that every fan should watch.