After trialling a TV expansion to their popular film offerings with the ongoing Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Marvel is set to become a regular presence on smaller screens. The comic company has further committed to serialised storytelling after agreeing a multi-year deal with Netflix that will see a quartet of the comic company's lesser known characters enjoy their own 13 episode TV shows.

The most well-known of the four heroes announced is Daredevil, the blind vigilante played by Ben Affleck in the 2003 film of the same name. The other series will focus on Luke Cage (aka Power Man), Iron Fist and Jessica Jones - names that will be familiar to comic fans but would be unlikely to justify an expensive film adaptation (although it has been rumoured the company is considering making lower-budget features focused on some of its many cult characters).

The four series, due to be screened over multiple years starting in 2015, will be followed by a 'mini-series event' called The Defenders, which will bring together several heroes in a style similar to The Avengers. Although the mini-series is likely to feature the four aforementioned heroes, in the comics the Defenders have often featured the likes of the Hulk and fan favourite Doctor Strange (who Marvel has confirmed will appear in some of their forthcoming films).

Marvel's Alan Fine explains "this deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel's brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling. Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel’s specialty. This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what's sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure".

The Marvel / Netflix collaboration is not a big surprise. Marvel Entertainment is now owned by Disney, who recently agreed a deal with Netflix that will see all Disney films make their television premiere on the streaming site. The deal will start in 2016, with much of Disney's lucrative back catalogue being added to Netflix in the meantime.

Marvel won't be leaving the big screen any time soon, with Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy due next year in advance of the second Avengers film in 2015. It has been confirmed that a 'phase three' of films will follow, starting with an adaptation of Ant-Man.