Actor Elizabeth Henstridge poses for a photo in Toronto on June 5, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michelle Siu

TORONTO - Superheroes aren't just dominating at the multiplex — they're also flying onto the small screen, with at least four new TV series inspired by caped crusaders set to debut.

"Gotham," "The Flash" and "Marvel's Agent Carter" will join the ranks of "Arrow" and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." on CTV. Meanwhile "Constantine," based on the DC Comics series about occult detective John Constantine, will air on Global.

Once thought to be the realm of outsiders and nerds, comic books are now decidedly mainstream. And since they come with a built-in fan base, TV shows based on comics are a solid bet for network executives hoping to land a ratings hit.

For Elizabeth Henstridge, who plays Agent Jemma Simmons on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the fan interaction that one gets from being on a comic book series is hard to beat.

"We were very welcomed by the fans from the beginning. Stuff like Twitter allows that interaction, and you can get a sense of how people are feeling. I've always found people to be really lovely and supportive," said the 26-year-old British actress.

"It was definitely a bit intimidating because it was such an established world, but then there's security in that too. Marvel knows what they're doing, and everybody working on the show is such a huge fan that I felt very safe in their hands."

The series, about a group of highly skilled covert agents led by Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) from the "Iron Man" and "Avengers" films, pulled in a whopping 12 million viewers for its premiere last fall. But ratings dipped and some critics complained the show lacked urgency and spectacle compared to its cinematic counterparts.

"I think we've definitely found our feet," said Henstridge. "I think a lot of people expected the show to be very conclusive every week and actually there was a much longer arc. I think that patience was required near the start to realize that everything was ramping up. I feel like when we got to about number 6, stuff started moving very quickly."

"S.H.I.E.L.D." returns to CTV on Tuesday. New Batman-inspired series "Gotham," starring Ben McKenzie as a young Commissioner James Gordon, premieres Monday. "The Flash" will debut Oct. 7 while "Marvel's Agent Carter" is slated for January.

Phil King, president of CTV programming, said in an interview during the network's spring upfronts that name recognition wasn't enough for comic book shows to last — they also have to be good.

"We already spend millions of dollars to market shows, so you want any advantage you can get where people go, 'Oh, "Gotham," cool, I'll check it out.' But that only gets people in the door episode 1. If the show isn't very good, it'll flop at number 2 and it'll be gone by 3," he said.

McKenzie, best known as Ryan on "The O.C.," plays the central character in "Gotham," while 13-year-old David Mazouz is a young Bruce Wayne. McKenzie said the show will appeal to kids but it's a "very adult show."

"People are not always good. They do not always do the right thing. And there's a real loss of innocence that occurs not only with Bruce but with Jim as well. Jim comes in idealistic and there's no way you get out of Gotham with that idealism intact," he said.

"You don't get to be commissioner with being dumb. You gotta play the game. You gotta be smart. So how does Jim learn how to play the game? And there's some definite moral compromises that go along with that, and the compromising begins very bluntly in the pilot alone."

McKenzie recalled when a friend of the show's director brought her kids to the set while they were shooting in New York.

"The excitement on their faces — what a great thing to be a part of, to share not only with the fans of Batman but with the world," he said.

"Everyone knows something about Batman. It's so funny. ... It's just entered the lexicon. It's entered the never-ending zeitgeist, the perpetual culture. And to be a part of that, something that size, it's a responsibility, but it's also just such a treat."

With its third season premiering on Oct. 8, "Arrow" is among the veteran network superhero shows. Toronto-born Stephen Amell stars as billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, otherwise known as the Green Arrow in the DC Comics series.

Asked whether "Arrow" had what it takes to continue to stand out, Amell said yes and suggested the show had paved the way for others.

"There are three more comic book series on TV due in large part to our success. They can all be good, but we were here first," he said.

Amell will appear in the pilot episode of "The Flash," and he's hopeful that the two shows will have more crossover episodes. They are set in the same fictional "universe" of Starling City and Central City.

Although he didn't grow up reading the comics himself, Amell said he loves hearing from fans who are diehard "Green Arrow" lovers — some of them even have collections dating back to the 1940s, he said.

"They are very grateful because they've been fans of the comic book character for so many years," he said. "To see him done well on television, on a successful show, is really rewarding for them. So it's rewarding for me."

— With files from Nick Patch.

Follow @ellekane on Twitter.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2014