Well, at least the era of uncertainty didn’t last too long. Less than a month after it was announced that all of Marvel’s TV series from the “Netflix era” would be leaving the service for good, Disney has officially announced that shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones and The Defenders have found a new permanent home on Disney+. That might sound as if it would always be the expected outcome, but many were unsure that these series would migrate to Disney+ because they collectively have a much more violent, bloody tone that typified the “adult,” Netflix era of Marvel productions. In comparison with the likes of WandaVision or Hawkeye, it’s a very different vibe indeed. For that reason, some expected that these series might eventually migrate over to Hulu, which is home to Marvel-adjacent shows such as MODOK.
But instead, all of those Netflix series, plus ABC’s long-running Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., will all be consolidated on Disney+, which has interesting connotations for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to say the least. The Netflix series had largely faded into the background of the cultural conversation, but have experienced an unexpected revival more recently, as Charlie Cox reprised the role of Daredevil in a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin reappeared in Hawkeye. Both of these incidences, and the move to Disney+, are likely to fuel endless speculation that these characters could work themselves back into the broader MCU as it exists today, with the likes of Jessica Jones or Luke Cage being fair game for inclusion in an Avengers movie.
The move likewise points toward a subtle evolution of what is considered acceptable fare for Disney+ itself, as the more graphic and adult nature of these shows pushes the streamer a bit further from its family friendly beginnings. In recognition of this, the service will also reportedly be unveiling a new set of parental content controls, which include “profile-specific ratings restrictions” and PIN locks.
Now if Disney could just get its MCU Spider-Man entries on Disney+, they’d finally have all of the MCU living under one roof.