Image: Jupiter’s Legacy, art by Frank Quitely

The stable of characters thought up by the writer who co-created Wanted, Kingsmen, and Kick-Ass has been bought by one of the biggest players in filmed entertainment.




Announced today via press release, Netflix’s purchase of Millarworld makes the streaming service the exclusive home of the British creator’s yet-to-be-optioned properties. Here’s the relevant stuff from the Netflix release:

Together, Netflix and Millar will bring Millarworld’s portfolio of critically and fan-acclaimed character franchises to life through films, series and kids’ shows available exclusively to Netflix members globally. Millarworld will also continue to create and publish new stories and character franchises under the Netflix label. “As creator and re-inventor of some of the most memorable stories and characters in recent history, ranging from Marvel’s The Avengers to Millarworld’s Kick-Ass, Kingsman, Wanted and Reborn franchises, Mark is as close as you can get to a modern day Stan Lee,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “We can’t wait to harness the creative power of Millarworld to Netflix and start a new era in global storytelling.”

“This is only the third time in history a major comic book company has been purchased at this level,” said Millar. “I’m so in love with what Netflix is doing and excited by their plans. Netflix is the future and Millarworld couldn’t have a better home.”


Millar put forth words of his own on the Millarworld site, including a special acknowledgement to the artists he’s worked with and noting that Kick-Ass and Kingsmen have special deals elsewhere:

Warner Bros bought DC Comics in 1968. Disney bought Marvel in 2009. Today Netflix purchased Millarworld and I’m still blinking. This is only the third time in history a comic-book company purchase on this scale has ever happened. I started Millarworld as a creator-owned comic-book company nearly 15 years ago, after talking some artist pals into being their own bosses. We’d all had success at DC and Marvel, but this was a chance to control the characters created and reap the rewards from any future movies, TV or merchandise that ever came from those characters and books. Over the years, Millarworld has amassed twenty different franchises working with the world’s greatest artists and now Millarworld has been bought by the hottest, most exciting entertainment company on the planet. To say this is the best thing that ever happened in our professional lives would be an understatement.

I’d like to take this moment to thank all the artists who were caught up in my enthusiasm over the years and who co-created these properties with Millarworld. Artists are often left out of news-stories, but trust me when I say that the only reason these books have looked so beautiful is because Millarworld worked with the greatest draughtsmen of their generation. I’d like to thank Frank Quitely, Stuart Immonen, Goran Parlov, Leinil Francis Yu, Rafael Albuquerque, Steve McNiven, Greg Capullo, Sean Murphy, JG Jones, Duncan Fegredo, Tony Harris, Dave Gibbons and John Romita Jr for their belief in my crazy plan and their friendship during even the tightest of deadlines.

It’ll be interesting to see which Millar-brand (TM) properties wind up being adapted at Netflix first. I’d put money on something character-driven like MPH being on the fast track. Oh, man, that happened totally by accident...