Brendan Fraser’s Best TV Role Came In DC’s 4-Part Series That’s Still Underappreciated

Published Jun 20, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT

In addition to Fraser's best movies, he also has a sizable number of TV credits on his resume. These range from guest spots on shows like Scrubs and King of the Hill, to recurring on The Affair and Condor, to being a main cast member on Trust and Professionals. He even hosted Saturday Night Live in 1997 and 1999.

However, of those TV credits, Fraser’s greatest performance comes in a DC TV show that lasted for four seasons. From 2019 to 2023, the actor starred as Cliff Steele, a.k.a. Robotman, in HBO Max’s Doom Patrol. The series is an exceptional showcase not just of Fraser’s talents, but also cast members like Matt Bomer, April Bowlby, Matt Bomer, Diane Guerrero, and Jovian Wade. Yet, Doom Patrol is also one of the more underappreciated DC shows that deserves a bigger audience three years later.

Doom Patrol Was Forgotten Too Soon

MovieStillsDB

Doom Patrol was intended to be a direct spinoff of Titans, with Fraser, Bomer, and Bowlby debuting in their respective roles early in season 1. However, it was later decided to have Doom Patrol take place in an alternate universe and follow different versions of Cliff, Larry Trainor/Negative Man, Rita Farr/Elasti-Woman, and the allies and enemies they made along the way. This was the right call, as it gave the series tonal creative freedom that arguably wouldn’t have been possible had it stayed directly connected to Titans.

Unfortunately, despite its creative premise and zany plot twists, Doom Patrol's zero weak episodes don't get nearly as much attention as they deserve. That’s especially a shame for Fraser, because his time playing Cliff, a former NASCAR driver whose brain was put into a robot body after his own body was destroyed in a car crash, is among the show's highlights. The other previously mentioned protagonists, as well as Jane, Cyborg, Dr. Niles Caulder, and Madame Rouge, also have emotionally compelling personal journeys in the midst of all that craziness.

Doom Patrol Is Still One Of The Best Superhero Shows Released In The Past Decade

MovieStillsDB

In the last 10–15 years that superhero television has skyrocketed in popularity, Doom Patrol ranks among the best offerings in the genre. That’s because it wasn’t afraid to embrace the weirdness of its source material, as the Doom Patrol comics from the last few decades have also been quite bizarre. While many superhero movies and TV shows tone down comic-book-y aspects in order to be more palatable for general audiences, Doom Patrol leans into said elements as hard as possible, if not making them weirder.

This is primarily demonstrated through the characters the main Doom Patrol cast meets during their adventures, like Beard Hunter (who can track people down by consuming their facial hair), Flex Mentallo (a superhero capable of altering reality by flexing his muscles), and Danny the Street (a sentient, non-binary piece of urban geography). However, they’re just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, with Doom Patrol’s many other distinguishing elements including were-butts, toenails that grant longevity when eaten, and ghosts who are continually having sex in Caulder’s mansion.

Thankfully, Doom Patrol ends on a conclusive note rather than with any cliffhangers or major lingering plot threads. So, with the show still being available on HBO Max, those who enjoy superhero TV or anything that ranks a 10 out of 10 on the weirdness scale should carve out time to watch it. Doom Patrol should also be more frequently recognized as one of the projects that aided in Fraser’s career resurgence over the last decade.

Release Date 2019 - 2023-00-00

Showrunner Jeremy Carver

Directors Chris Manley, Kristin Windell, Dermott Downs, Harry Jierjian, Rebecca Rodriguez, Omar Madha, Glen Winter

Writers Arnold Drake