Marvel has perfected a recipe that enabled them to create a unified cinematic universe. They began expanding their universe by using after credit scenes, short films and now television series. The last of which has yet to prove a success. Determined to conquer all mediums of visual story telling, Marvel made a brilliant and inspired partnership with Netflix. They announced that they are working on five short series, the last of which will unite the lead characters from the other four. Basically they are trying to replicate their formula for movies on the silver screen. I’m talking about their famous phases. Currently we are in the second phase of movies which will end with the highly anticipated Avengers sequel. The thing is that creating phases for television might not be practical at all. Considering the quality of Agents of SHIELD and Jeph Loeb’s track record, I have some very mixed feelings about this. That being said if they are indeed working in phases, here is my suggestion on how it could work.

PHASE 1 - The Street Heroes

 

Daredevil - Marvel's TV version of Ironman. No I don’t mean that the show will in any way resemble the movie but I mean that it will mark the beginning of something new. Agents of SHIELD really sucked but half way through it picked up the slack. Ever since the Captain America 2 tie ins the show has been pretty damn good but regardless of this Daredevil cannot afford to do the same. I'm looking forward to a this being a legal drama as much as it is a super hero show. Marvel hired a very strong creative team to develop this but as we wait for more news, here are my casting suggestions for Mr. Murdoch... Of course the fan favorite, Michael C. Hall (Dexter). My other two you might not be familiar with but hopefully you'll agree in the potential Toby Stephens (Black Sails) and Damian Lewis (Homeland) both have for a role like this.

Jessica Jones - Now Marvel has so many other characters they could have given this slot to but obviously they are seeking diversity. Marvel gains nothing from strictly appealing to us comic book fans. They want their money, they want the general public. The first niche audience they should seek to attract is middle aged women. That demographic is huge and I think they might have delayed the Alias adaptation announced a couple years ago for now. I would love to see Kate Bishop in Jessica's supporting cast as a sidekick of sorts. Jewel is a character with a lot of baggage but she is also one of Marvel's greatest detectives. Bridget Regan (Legend Of The Seeker), would kill this role. Ashley Greene (Twilight) I know was a fan favorite for the role of the Wasp but that recently went to Evangeline Lily and my last suggestions is Kristen Connolly (House of Cards).

Iron Fist - If you aren’t reading the new Iron Fist series…You ought to. Kaare Kyle Andrews is doing an amazing job of remind us why Danny Rand is one of Marvel’s most prized properties. They’ve put him in cartoons, video games and now we’ll finally see him on TV. Unlike the other 3 heroes, Iron Fist isn't the first of his name. Hopefully we’ll get to see Orson Randall, his predecessor make a cameo and have a mentor type of role. This series is the only of the four that has ties to Marvel's mystical side so I'm especially interested to see whether that makes into the show. I haven’t seen Ryan Phillippe in a while but he definitely has the training and skill to bring the character to life. Charlie Hunnam who is my second choice, should be done with (Sons of Anarchy) soon and Devon Sawa (Nikita) is another barely known actor but great choice for the role.




Luke Cage - Marvel really has a gem here, especially if they make this series similar to THE WIRE. Luke Cage is one of my favorite characters but his perspective should be very different from the others because he used to be a criminal himself. Being a fugitive now living under the new name of Luke Cage I really hope that the creators take notes from BURN NOTICE. Just about every black actor in hollywood has been suggested for this role but my casting choices are Chad Coleman (The Walking Dead), Henry Simmons (Ravenswood) and Common (Hell on Wheels). The last is an “uncommon” choice but given a chance I think could surprise you. Also if you watch Hell on Wheels you'll know that this guy is ripped... I guarantee he isn't smaller than Isaiah Mustafa or Tyrese.




The Defenders - This isn’t quite the heroes for hire TV series many of us were hoping for and we still don’t know why they chose the title they did. However who are we to complain if they are bringing together these four characters and possibly more? When they come together everyone should contribute differently. For example, Iron Fist would be the bank, Jessica would be the brains, Cage would be the brawn, etc. I have a feeling that maybe part of each of their origins will be motivated somehow by SHEILD's recent dissolution. It would also be cool if the chemicals that empowered Matt Murdoch and Jessica Jones were somehow related. Speaking of which, I was actually really surprised to find out that she’was classmates with Peter Parker. There's a lot of potential here but I'm really curious which series will be better than others and why...
 

I believe all this to only be the first phase of Marvel TV series and assuming this works out we should expect more. The challenge with working in phases on TV is will they keep the popular shows going or will the shows be replaced regardless of ratings to make way for others? How much of a priority will expanding the universe be?
In the future I will post my ideas of what other phases I believe they might or should have up their sleeves but until then sound off below...