If the ambitious plan by Marvel and Netflix to release four television series — Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage — that will culminate in The Defenders sounds a lot like what Marvel Studios accomplished with its Avengers rollout, that's not by accident.

"It was really based on the theatrical model of The Avengers," Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, tells Empire. "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."

Sarandos adds that it's possible to see some of the characters from the various Marvel-Netflix series crossing paths with one another, saying, "Eventually the series will run very close together. You can then have a separate season where the characters will cross over."

Daredevil is already filming in New York City, starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, Deborah Ann Wohl as Karen Page and Rosario Dawson in an undisclosed role. The series debuts in 2015. Meanwhile, Sarandos revealed casting is under way for Jessica Jones.