Marvel's Netflix Series Following 'Avengers' Model; May Crossover with Cinematic Heroes

Let's say you're Marvel and you've built the most successful series of films in Hollywood using a model designed after the comic books from which they're based. What would stop you from taking that plan and extending it to the world of television? Absolutely nothing. With Marvel gearing up four Netflix series that will build to a massive team-up in The Defenders, that plan seemed to be in place already, and now the streaming network's President Ted Sarandos has confirmed it.

Speaking with Empire, Sarandos revealed that the shows; Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Defenders, will follow the same template as Marvel's cinematic universe....

Sarandos: "It was really based on the theatrical model of 'The Avengers.' Could you take another group of characters, The Defenders, and go about it the same way? Normally, they do the big movie and then eventually they get to the group origin story. Having 13 hours to tell each of these stories, you can go right to the origin story and the action at the same time."

No shock there, and he has a point that series television allows for a greater combination of character development and action than movies do. One thing we've seen in Agents of SHIELD is a blending of the small and big screen universes with characters and storylines crossing over. It was done sparingly last season although that looks to be changing for season two. Sarandos says the Netflix characters could eventually rub elbows with the Avengers...

Sarandos: "It has definitely been talked about. Daredevil is already shooting, since that's out first. Eventually the series will run very close together. You can then have a separate season where the characters will cross over."

Daredevil is the first series out of the gate and premieres in May 2015.

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Marvel Announces Live-Action Netflix Shows Featuring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage & Iron Fist, and The Defenders

Marvel's domination over all forms of media is now complete. A couple of weeks ago a story emerged that Marvel Studios and Disney were shopping around a package of four TV series and a miniseries to cable and digital streaming networks. It didn't take long for them to find a buyer, either, as a deal has now been struck with Netlix to stream the Marvel Universe right into your home.

The ambitious plan has Marvel producing four 13-episodes series, and the most awesome thing about it is they involve characters we've been expecting to see on the big screen forever. The first series will center on the newly-acquired Daredevil. Next up is Jessica Jones, who in the Marvel comics is a former superhero-turned-detective. She's also married to Luke Cage aka Power Man, who is next up to get his own series, which will then be followed up by his pal, Iron Fist. All of this will culminate in an epic miniseries titled The Defenders.

It's a pretty shrewd move for Marvel, and as long as they find a way to make each series capable of standing on their own, there should be no risk of fans experiencing superhero fatigue. This also gives Marvel the chance to do go in some darker directions than they may have been able to on public television or in the movies. For instance, Jessica Jones' comic series Alias (one of the best written comics ever, IMHO) explored some of Marvel's nastiest corners and dug into the personal lives of heroes in ways that would potentially turn off general audiences looking for something less weighty. And let's be honest, we all just hope they turn out better than Agents of SHIELD, right?

So what do you think? Is this a good idea? Which show are you looking forward to most?

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