The "family" branded streaming service has added programs that were rated for "mature audiences."
Disney Plus is now adding an array of Marvel TV series to its streaming offerings after taking it off Netflix. It only makes sense that Disney takes back their programs from its competitor, Netflix, but the problem is that the "family" branded streaming service is adding several shows that have explicit content.
According to the Christian Post, Disney took back its Marvel collection from Netflix with the goal of giving the comic book brand's fans "access to more from the Marvel collection." Now, Disney Plus is streaming programs such as "Daredevil," "Jessica Jones," "Luke Cage," "Iron Fist," "The Defenders, "The Punisher," and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," some of which are rated TV-MA, which means that they include content for mature audiences.
These shows were first featured on Disney Plus in Canada and are now available in the U.S. and other countries. The move also came as the streaming service updated its parental controls in the U.S., prompting users to update their settings moving forward. Disney Plus users were instructed to select the content rating restrictions for every profile, as well as a PIN to lock the profiles.
Before Disney Plus added the Marvel shows with explicit content to the streaming service, the app only featured TV-14 content. With the arrival of the Marvel shows, however, viewers can select TV-MA, which is equivalent to the "R" rating and is often not suitable for viewers under 18 years of age. Some of the explicit content featured in the Marvel shows on Disney Plus include Daredevil and Elektra's sex scene in the fifth episode of the fifth season of "Daredevil," a strip club scene in the first episode of the first season of "Luke Cage," and a man being burned alive in the 10th episode of the second season of "Luke Cage," among others.
"Disney+ has served as the home for some of the most beloved brands in the industry, and the addition of these live-action shows brings more from the Marvel brand together, all in one place," Disney Streaming President Michael Paull explained in a statement.
Paull cited Disney Plus' "great success" in expanding the content they offered across its "global markets." He added that they were excited to offer more "great content" with the new Marvel additions. as well as "a set of features that help ensure a viewing experience most suitable for them and their family."
Not everyone is happy with the changes, however. According to The Federalist, Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) program director Melissa Henson called the move by Disney Plus "off-brand." She explained, "It's certainly counter to how most parents perceive Disney Plus."
Henson argued that after branding itself as "family oriented," Disney Plus' move is now a "dramatic departure" from what they branded themselves to be. She said, "These shows really increase the violence, along with adding innuendo and sexual content...It's puzzling why these edgy shows aren't heading to Hulu instead, which is known for adult-targeted content."
