Marvel and Netflix team up to deliver 4 new superhero series

Netflix is officially a geek’s best friend.

First they brought back Arrested Development, then they created all new girl-crushes with Orange is the New Black, and now they’re bringing the entire superhero sector of Hell’s Kitchen to life.

Hell’s Kitchen, a New York neighbourhood known as the home in Marvel comics to gritty crime-laden superhero stories, is the setting of four new series produced by Marvel set to be distributed on Netflix starting in 2015. Each series will be thirteen episodes long and focused on a single character. Currently these are set to be Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. The culmination of these series will conclude in a cross-over miniseries named The Defenders.

Jessica Jones was previously announced as a potential series for ABC, but was passed over in Fall 2013.

I don’t know about you but this is the most exciting news I’ve heard come out of Marvel in forever. Jessica Jones cornerstone series Alias was the Marvel series that pulled me back into reading comic books after a three year hiatus, and the character hooked me instantly. She was a human being with real issues, an honestly tragic past, and an unclear future. And she also happens to be bad at superheroics. When the market is so saturated with ‘strong female characters’ who frankly lack any sort of character depth, I’m extremely excited to see how they interpret Jessica Jone’s adventures into a full television series.

As for the rest, I admit I was always a fan of the Power Man and Iron Fist miniseries as a kid, though I regret that they likely will not be bringing back Luke Cage’s tiara and silk shirt. Crossing my fingers that they introduce their crime-fighting female counterparts, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, into the series as well.

Read more about this in Marvel’s official press release.