Disney and Netflix announced a major deal this morning, confirming that the studio will provide the streaming service with four original series based on Marvel Comics characters. They are expected to be available for Netflix users starting in 2015.
The four shows will focus on Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage and will be released in that order. All this will come together for a miniseries event called The Defenders. Each individual character series will run 13 episodes.
Marvel Entertainment president Alan Fine called the deal “unparalleled in its scope and size,” in a press release posted at Deadline.
It “reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel’s brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling,” he continued, “Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel’s specialty.
“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.”
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos noted that The Avengers and other Marvel movies have favorites for subscribers internationally. “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,” Sarandos said.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, each show will be produced by ABC TV Studios and Marvel Television. Marvel recently began its first TV venture with ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The deal follows a report last month that Marvel was shopping a major TV project. Netflix and Disney also signed a licensing deal last year that will start in 2016.
image: Amazon