Disney is set to launch Marvel Crime—a new series of novels that offers hard-nosed takes on some of its iconic characters. So far, three books have been announced, with Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Daredevil each taking the lead in one of them. The exact publishing schedule hasn’t been locked down, but one of those novels will release next year, with the other two following in 2025.
Lisa Jewell, a prolific crime thriller writer, will tackle the Jessica Jones story. S.A. Cosby, an author of Southern Noir, will handle the Luke Cage novel. And Alex Segura, who has previously worked in the realm of Marvel with Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow, is responsible for the Daredevil story. Disney will publish the books through its Hyperion Avenue imprint, which was founded in 2021 with a part of its goal to offer novel takes on classic Disney characters and IPs. With what sounds like even more gritty, grounded takes than the usual on these Marvel heroes, it sounds like it’s hitting its goal.
This set of characters also fits well with the remit, as they already tend to focus more on street crime than the larger threats that The Avengers face. They’ve also previously shared time both in comics and on screen as The Defenders.
In a statement on Publishers Weekly, Marvel’s Vice-President of Licensed Publishing said, “We are always looking for new ways to tell stories about Marvel’s beloved superheroes, and working with Hyperion Avenue on the Marvel Crime novels will showcase these characters in an exciting new light. We know that lifelong Marvel fans and crime fiction enthusiasts alike will enjoy this inventive new series.”
Disney’s publishing efforts are much larger than just these books, and just this month will release a new collection of short stories based around Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, which you can find out more about in our latest round-up of fantasy books to keep an eye on.
