240.8M Hours Later, This 13-Year-Old Unexpected Sci-Fi Series Is No Longer a Hidden Gem

The Thundermans debuted on Nickelodeon in 2013 and, at the time, could, for all intents and purposes, be described as obnoxious, silly, childish, and essentially a reminder that kids love superheroes more than anything else. Reviews were not well received, especially compared to The Incredibles, which the show was often compared to (especially in the beginning).

Thirteen years after it started and well after it ended in 2018, the show The Thundermans continues to accumulate hundreds of millions of hours of streaming. In addition to leading to a complete revival with a hit TV movie and a spin-off series, an additional movie is currently in production. Although the show had a fan base before, it now has a completely different one.

What 'The Thundermans' Is Actually About

The premise is simple to the point of being almost aggressively so. The Thundermans are a family of superheroes living in the very normal, very beige town of Hiddenville, trying to pass as ordinary people. Emphasis on trying.

Phoebe (Kira Kosarin) and Max (Jack Griffo) are twins who are at the center of the show. Phoebe aspires to become a hero and is determined to make good choices and live up to her parents’ superhero legacies, despite their attempts to stifle her. Meanwhile, Max would prefer to be a supervillain; he yearns for an underground lair equipped with an evil rabbit sidekick.

Around them are parents Hank (Chris Tallman) and Barb (Rosa Blasi) — former heroes who swear they’re done with that life — plus younger siblings Billy (Diego Velázquez) and Nora (Adriana Reicke), who have no interest in subtlety, and later Chloe (Maya Le Clark), who more or less detonates the idea of a “normal” household altogether.

The show doesn’t waste time pretending this setup is realistic. Powers are used constantly, rules are broken immediately, and the secret-identity premise collapses weekly. That’s part of the appeal. Yes, The Thundermans borrows from superhero tropes that were already well-worn by 2013. But what felt derivative at the time now plays more like comfort viewing. The show knows exactly which buttons it’s pushing and doesn’t overcomplicate things.

Each episode follows a brief format, is easy to follow, has a clear beginning, middle, and end, contains elements of conflict (sibling rivalry, school problems, embarrassment from parents, etc.), and the powers tend to make things worse. On top of that, you can drop into almost any episode and immediately understand what kind of story you’re getting.

That’s a big reason the series works so well on streaming. There’s no homework required, no dense mythology to track, and no pressure to binge in order. It’s the kind of show people put on “by accident” and then realize they’ve watched five episodes.

Why 'The Thundermans' Is Worth Revisiting Now

The Thundermans didn’t truly explode until it hit Netflix years later, as many Nickelodeon shows from the 2010s did. When the series landed on the platform in late 2021, it found a second audience almost immediately. Some viewers were kids discovering it for the first time. Others were older fans revisiting it out of nostalgia and realizing it held up better than expected. Either way, the numbers spoke loudly enough for Nickelodeon to pay attention.

The positive response to streaming content built momentum for the production of The Thundermans Return in 2024, which was successful enough to warrant a spinoff series, The Thundermans: Undercover, along with a third installment currently scheduled for release in 2026.

Since The Thundermans is fast-paced, silly, and sincere, with no self-awareness of its lightness (which is arguably part of why it remains funny), it's pretty clear why people will continue to love this show. The chemistry between the characters (especially the twins), along with the writing and overall production value, mix to create an entertaining product that doesn't talk down to its audience.

It also represents a quieter kind of success. The Thundermans became Nickelodeon’s longest-running live-action series outside its most famous creative pipeline, hitting over 100 episodes through consistency rather than spectacle. Not every show needs to be re-evaluated as a masterpiece. Some just need time — and the right platform — to be appreciated for what they actually are. Thirteen years later, The Thundermans have finally found that space.