Marvel Teams Up With Netflix For 4 New Shows (And A Mini-series)

Daredevil is headed to the small screen. With Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones to follow close behind.

After weeks of speculation on the who and where, Marvel announced today that the recently reacquired Daredevil will be getting a fresh start in serial show fashion, starting in 2015.

It's a bold, but not at all unexpected move on the part of Marvel and their parent Disney. After all Netflix has been gaining steam on the original programming front, to the point where the press release for these shows cites them as "the leading Internet TV network". Plus Disney starts using Netflix as their first-run home video platform for many of their other properties starting in 2016. At any rate, The deal calls for at least four, thirteen episode series with a culminating The Defenders mini-series. We're essentially seeing a small screen Avengers here.

Daredevil is no doubt the most high profile of these so-called "street level" heroes from Marvel, and without the broadcast censors, we will hopefully be seeing shows that skew to a somewhat more mature demographic. At least with the inclusion of Jessica Jones, a more recent Marvel character who started out as a costumed heroine before giving it up to become a private investigator, that is the hope. It sure would be wise of Marvel to gain the attention of folks who watch such shows as Breaking Bad and Game Of Thrones. Then again, that is a very wide net, and they still have to sell toys, after all.

So there ya have it. Will Marvel start teasing these heroes on their Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D show? One would expect, but I for one hope for something far less cheesy than that show. Full press release below:

The Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc.today announced an unprecedented deal for Marvel TV to bring multiple original series of live-action adventures of four of Marvel's most popular characters exclusively to the world's leading Internet TV Network beginning in 2015. This pioneering agreement calls for Marvel to develop four serialized programs leading to a miniseries programming event.

Led by a series focused on "Daredevil," followed by "Jessica Jones," "Iron Fist" and "Luke Cage," the epic will unfold over multiple years of original programming, taking Netflix members deep into the gritty world of heroes and villains of Hell's Kitchen, New York. Netflix has committed to a minimum of four, thirteen episodes series and a culminating Marvel's "The Defenders" mini-series event that reimagines a dream team of self-sacrificing, heroic characters.

Produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Television Studios, this groundbreaking deal is Marvel's most ambitious foray yet into live-action TV storytelling.

"This deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel's brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling. Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel's specialty," said Alan Fine, President of Marvel Entertainment. "This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what's sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure."

"Marvel's movies, such as 'Iron Man' and Marvel's 'The Avengers', are huge favorites on our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel is a known and loved brand that travels," said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. "With 'House of Cards' and our other original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to global distribution and we're thrilled to be working with Disney and Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative project of this magnitude."

This new original TV deal follows last year's landmark movie distribution deal through which, beginning with 2016 theatrically released feature films, Netflix will be the exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run, live-action and animated movies from the Walt Disney Studios, including titles from Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Disneynature and Lucasfilm. Netflix members can currently enjoy a wide range of Disney, ABC TV and Disney Channel films and shows across the 41 countries where Netflix operates.