Netflix just made its first-ever acquisition, purchasing Millarworld, the comic book company housing all original works by renowned writer Mark Millar and his artistic partners. The day after that was announced, Disney revealed plans to pull its movies from Netflix and start its own streaming service by 2019. But despite this loss, Netflix certainly has the means to make up for it with its ever-increasing slate of original content, and adaptations of Millar’s work have the potential to play a big part in that.
“Cinematic Universe” is the name of the game in Hollywood these days, and that’s precisely what Millarworld offers to Netflix. Millar has explained that even though his books read as standalone tales, eagle-eyed fans can spot clues and cameos that show they’re all actually connected (for example, the Utopian’s cape from Jupiter’s Legacy is on display in the Professor’s lair in Wanted). Millar has his own versions of Superman, Batman, Flash, and the Justice League, so it’s just a matter of bringing them to life under a unified vision. Netflix already has a series of interconnected shows with Marvel’s “street-level Avengers.” Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist each got a solo series before teaming up for an event mini-series called The Defenders that hits later this month (despite Disney removing its movies, these shows will remain on Netflix). Millarworld has more than enough content to take a similar approach in creating a shared superhero universe, only this time Netflix would cut out the middleman and be the sole owner of the content.
Millar’s stories are known for delivering intense, high-stakes plots with larger-than-life characters who nevertheless have a flawed, human core. There’s also an abundance of big action set pieces, dark humor, foul language, and jaw-dropping violence that would go over well in a post-Rated R Deadpool world. He’s even come under critical fire for just how cruel and ugly he can be to his characters. But in recent years, there’s been a marked change in his work, and it’s these newer projects, along with a few of his earlier hits, that would make for an excellent foundation to a Millarworld cinematic universe on Netflix.
Millar’s influence on both the comic book and movie industries cannot be understated. Ask any superhero comic reader and they’ll no doubt point to 2002’s The Ultimates, a modern reinvention of Marvel’s Avengers, as Millar’s most impactful work (done with artist Bryan Hitch). Cinematic presentation, cool and practical costume updates, and dramatic personality disorders infused Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with grit and relatability. It was so successful that it eventually became the publisher’s status quo and was essentially used as a guidebook for how to adapt the team to the big screen in 2012’s massive smash hit Marvel’s The Avengers.
In 2016, Millar’s Civil War story, drawn by Steve McNiven, was the basis for another Marvel blockbuster, Captain America: Civil War. 20th Century Fox pulled from Millar’s Old Man Logan comic with McNiven to make Logan, and used Millar’s Ultimate Fantastic Four (co-written with Brian Bendis and drawn by Adam Kubert) to reboot that franchise with 2015’s Fantastic Four. The list of comic book hits with Millar’s name is lengthy, which is why he was smart to invest in himself in 2004, starting the creator-owned publishing line Millarworld.
These comics were original ideas where Millar and the artist owned the IP and split the profits 50-50, rather than earning royalties and residuals for writing characters owned by other companies like Marvel or DC. Millarworld’s Wanted, Kick-Ass and The Secret Service (aka Kingsman: The Secret Service) were adapted into movies featuring big-name celebrities, from Angelina Jolie to Samuel L. Jackson, and performed admirably at the box office.
So what untapped properties should Netflix pull from for its slate of original Millarworld adaptations? Millar already has an ensemble ripe for a cinematic universe. Huck (with artist Rafael Albuquerque) features a mentally handicapped hero who lives in a quiet seaside town and uses his gifts to help others, but his life gets turned upside down when someone exposes his secret to the world. Empress (with Stuart Immonen) is a sci-fi epic about a woman fleeing across the cosmos to escape her husband, a terrible alien dictator. Superior (with Leinil Francis Yu) is Millar’s Superman analogue about a paraplegic boy transformed into a superhero, only to find out the power came from a demon he must bargain with to keep it. Chrononauts (with Sean Gordon Murphy) follows the time-travelling adventures of two best buds. Wouldn’t it be a treat to see all of them in a room together, trying to figure out how to stop Nemesis (another comic with McNiven), a villain with the skills of Batman but the mind of the Joker?
While all of those would make for fine shows that operate in the same world, Millarworld also has several stories perfect for standalone movies. Reborn (with Greg Capullo) is about an elderly woman who passes into the afterlife, but when she can’t find the soul of her deceased husband, she goes on a fantastical quest to find him. Supercrooks (also with Yu) is a heist story where the thieves have powers. American Jesus (with Peter Gross) shows what would happen if a 12 year-old boy realized that he is Jesus Christ reborn. Jupiter’s Legacy (with Frank Quitely) is a superhero story where yesteryear’s generation of superheroes all had kids that grew up entitled and spoiled, leaving them unprepared for when the greatest of the original heroes decides that the world would be better off if he ruled it.
It’s worth noting that a handful of these comics are reportedly in various stages of production at different studios. Millar is one of the few people in the comic book industry with a track record in Hollywood, so creators are eager to work with him. In the past few years, every announcement of a new Millar comic is usually accompanied by news of a movie deal (although many have yet to come to fruition).
Millar clarified Kingsman and Kick-Ass weren’t a part of the Netflix acquisition, but aside from those, we’re unsure which comics are fair game for Netflix to adapt. Part of the Netflix/Millarworld deal includes making new films and shows with Millar, so it could be that the bulk of what we see in the coming years is brand new material as opposed to adaptations of comics already on the shelf. Millarworld is home to over 20 original comic books, each with a distinct identity and intriguing hook, so in a way the most valuable part of the deal is recruiting the man whose creativity made them all happen.
Editor's Note: IGN reached out to Millarworld seeking clarification on which comics are on the table for Netflix to adapt, but we didn’t receive a response by time of press. We’ll update this article whenever we receive this information.
Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
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