At a press conference yesterday, Marvel announced that their newest endeavor into entertainment– five Netflix series, following four superheroes and ending in a superhero team-up– would film on location in New York. The first series, starring blind crime-fighter Daredevil (otherwise known as Matthew Murdock), is set to release in the fall of 2015.
Why is this exciting? Well for one thing, moving Marvel properties onto Netflix is yet another risk being taken by the studio, whose blockbuster formula (while working spectacularly at the box office) has left little room for surprise or innovation. The strength of streaming services has been rising rapidly with hits such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and even the newest season of Arrested Development. Sending these shows straight to Netflix allows a certain amount of maturity not usually seen in Marvel’s films, a good thing for the “grittier” superheroes of Hell’s Kitchen (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist).
For another, this deal allows Marvel to dip into its lesser-known superheroes, branching into minorities who have yet to appear on the big screen. While Black Widow has appeared in a few Marvel films, and both War Machine and the Falcon have made appearances in other films, none of these heroes has yet to headline a movie. If these smaller superheroes have success, it might influence what we will see in the cinemas in the future (Black Panther, anyone? Or how about Captain Marvel?).
Finally, shooting on location allows both authenticity (these superheroes are all from New York, the same city where The Avengers took place), and creates jobs and revenue for the city itself. Rather than shoot in Los Angeles or on a soundstage, bringing the action to the real New York will create industry jobs for somewhere around 400 people, as well as revenue of $200 million– a great added bonus!
These Netflix series are set to air somewhere between 2015 and 2018, so most details have yet to be fleshed out. Still, it looks like an exciting road ahead!