The franchise stars Kira Kosarin, Jack Griffo, Addison Riecke, Diego Velazquez, Chris Tallman, Rosa Blasi, Maya Le Clark, who portray the Thunderman family, the central focus of the franchise. Prominent figures in the franchise include Kosarin and Griffo, who star as Phoebe and Max Thunderman respectively, and have been a staple in the franchise, having currently starred in all media.
History
On August 3, 2012, Nickelodeon announced The Thundermans as one of its upcoming series.[3] Originally, Tyler Peterson was cast as Max Thunderman, and he starred in the pilot, which was filmed in October 2012.[4] On February 14, 2013, it was announced that the pilot was picked up to a series, and Max's role was recast to Jack Griffo.[4] Initially, 13 episodes were ordered,[4] but 7 more were later ordered ahead of the series premiere.[5] The series premiered on October 14, 2013, and ended on May 25, 2018.
Five years after the original series ended, on March 2, 2023, a follow-up film to The Thundermans titled The Thundermans Return was announced to be in development.[6] A majority of the main and recurring cast of the original series returned for the film.
Following the success of the film, a spin-off series was announced, which began production in August 2024.[7] Titled The Thundermans: Undercover, the series premiered on January 11, 2025, as a sneak peek, and later officially on January 22. On July 31 of the same year, another film Clash of the Thundermans was announced.[8]
A television comedy following the Thunderman family, a superpowered family of six[a] who try to live normal lives in the city of Hiddenville whilst hiding their secret. The series premiered on October 14, 2013,[5] and finished airing on May 25, 2018,[9] lasting 4 seasons.[10]
A direct spinoff to The Thundermans, serving as a continuation to the series after the events of The Thundermans Return which follows Phoebe and Max, who are sent undercover in Secret Shores and bring Chloe with them to develop her superhero talent.[7] The series officially premiered on January 22, 2025.[11]
After breaking a Hero League law in Metroburg, the Thunderman family are sent back to Hiddenville and are subsequently replaced by the V-Team. While Hank and Barb enjoy the return and Billy and Nora look forward to having a normal life in high school, Max and Phoebe are determined to regain their superhero status.[9][12] The film was released on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ simultaneously on March 7, 2024.[13]
Clash of the Thundermans (2026)
When Chloe develops a destructive new superpower, the Hero League orders her to an elite boarding school for superheroes to learn control of her abilities. Faced with the prospect of sending Chloe away for years, the Thundermans split apart, with Phoebe, Barb and Billy taking her into hiding. Max, Hank, and Nora track their rogue family members, until the two factions face off against each other in a full-on battle for the Thundermans’ future.[8] The film is slated to premiere in 2026.[8]
Web game
A side-scrollingweb game titled The Thundermans: Dr. Colosso on the Run was released in 2017 and was available on the Nickelodeon website and YTV. The player controls Dr. Colosso and has to keep away from the Thundermans while avoiding various obstacles.[14]
Crossovers
The Thundermans franchise has had crossovers with other Nickelodeon shows, putting them part of the same universe.
The Thundermans franchise has received generally mixed critical views overall.
According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, reviews on The Thundermans were mixed or average.[25] Brian Lowry of Variety states "this lifeless effort makes virtually no pretense of original thought, other than perhaps the audacity to harbor absolutely no fear of copyright attorneys."[26] Michael Starr of New York Post simply states, "it's not funny."[27] Mark Perigard of Boston Herald states, "The Thundermans doesn’t do much heavy lifting, but it waves its cape proudly.".[28] Both Variety and Boston Herald compare the series to The Incredibles.[26][28]
The Thundermans Return was the number one entertainment telecast of the year in Nielsen’s Live+3 ratings among kids 6-11 and reached 1.6 million viewers across four telecasts its premiere weekend.[7] However, reviews were mostly negative. Caillou Pettis of The Movie Blog rated the film a 3.8 out of 10 and calls it a "disappointing follow-up".[29] Polly Conway of Common Sense Media rated the film a 2-out-of-5 stars, stating, "like the show before it, this movie is campy, goofy, and over the top."[30]
Reviews of The Thundermans: Undercover were mixed-to-positive. Mae Trumata of The Upcoming states "it’s not just a revival of a familiar franchise; it’s a celebration of 2010s children’s television."[31] Nick Williams of Feature First states "The Thundermans: Undercover feels like a true successor to the original series, capturing the same comedy and topics as the original."[32] Fernanda Camargo of Common Sense Media rated the series 2-out-of-5 stars, stating "at its core, it's still the same show about family and wishfulfilment that will make young kids laugh, and parents will roll their eyes."[33]
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