Netflix CCO Ted Sarando says that the decision to launch Daredevil , followed by Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist and eventually blend the characters into The Defenders was - as one would suspect - entirely inspired by the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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"It was really based on the theatrical model of The Avengers," Sarando said in a recent interview with Empire Magazine . "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."As to the timeline for the various series, beyond the currently-filming Daredevil, the CCO said that currently, "the writers' rooms are open and they're looking at casting Jessica."Adding, "If you sense some hesitation in my voice, that's classic Marvel fashion. They like to keep that veil of secrecy. But 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."Given the cohesive nature of Marvel's film and TV divisions, with events in the films playing into Agents of SHIELD, fans are of course wondering if they might see some crossover between the movies and the Netflix series. Sarando confirmed that the idea has, "definitely been discussed."As far as the tone for the various shows is concerned, the Netflix head assured that they will not be backing away from the gritty nature of these characters, setting, and stories."The series will not be afraid to go darker than the film did," Sarando assured. "What we love about this particular set of heroes is that they're a little more down to Earth. Costume wise and also in that these are gritty crime stories, more in the streets than in the clouds."We will keep you updated as details on these series emerge.