Netflix's has acquired Millarworld, home to popular franchises such as Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and Old Man Logan. This serves as Netflix's first acquisition in history, and it bodes well for the future of superhero content on the streaming service, which presently offers several Marvel adaptations — with upcoming ones, for good measure.
Mark Millar, the creator of Millarworld, gushed about the purchase, noting that this is only the third time a company has ever purchased a comic book company at this scale. For years, Millar worked for Marvel, laboring over the company's universe, creating different storylines for franchises, some of which have made their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Comics have been my passion my entire life. I started working with them as a teenager and I've never been more excited about where we're going next as Millarworld joins the Netflix team," said Millar. "This is going to be brilliant."
"Netflix is the future and Millarworld couldn't have a better home," said Millar.
What This Acquisition Means For Netflix And Millarworld
It's not clear what the plans are since this is the first time Netflix has acquired anything, let alone an entire property of superhero fiction. It's safe to assume Netflix will adapt some, if not all, franchises that are part of Millarworld into movies, TV shows, and children-oriented programming. Given the serial structure of comic books, it seems safe to assume Netflix will look at the characters firsthand and start developing possible adaptations. No writers or directors are attached as of yet.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, highlighted some of Millar's finest work, including the Wanted and Reborn franchises, among others.
"Mark is as close as you can get to a modern day Stan Lee," he said. "We can't wait to harness the creative power of Millarworld to Netflix and start a new era in global storytelling."
Millar and his wife, Lucy Millar, run Millarworld. Lucy will continue to have an active role as the company shifts to its next stage.
Will Millar Potentially Write Planned Shows, Movies?
The extent of their involvement with regard to plans for adaptations remain uncertain, but Netflix is known to give artists and content creators as much freedom as they need, so Millar will most likely join all stages of development. In fact, it would be foolish if this isn't the case since Millar has already made a name for himself through his collaborations with and contributions to the MCU.
At present, Netflix boasts a coterie of superhero programming, which includes Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. The deal signals the streaming service's commitment to developing a full-fledged cinematic universe based on Millar's works. It's a push for increasing Netflix's original content, which is an important factor as the company lessens its reliance on licensing existing shows and films.
