On March 16th, Disney+ will be adding every season of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and Agents of SHIELD to the streaming service. These live-action Marvel series formerly streamed on Netflix and are more “adult” than other Marvel titles that are currently available on Disney+. With the addition of these titles, Disney+ will concurrently release an update to its Parental Controls in the U.S. that will prompt all subscribers to update their settings.
While many Marvel fans are excited for the new titles to arrive on Disney+, members of the Parents Television and Media Council were disappointed with Disney’s decision to place these titles on Disney+ and are expressing their frustrations. The following is from a statement by council president Tim Winter:
“For more than 98 years, the Walt Disney Company has been synonymous with the words Family Friendly, and I can think of no other corporation in American history that has been built more squarely on the backs – and on the wallets – of parents and families. The company’s eponymous platform Disney Plus logically marketed itself as a family-friendly streaming service, and parents have placed their trust in Disney to deliver just that.”
“It seems wildly ‘off-brand’ for Disney Plus to add TV-MA and R-rated programming to this platform, ostensibly to increase subscription revenue,” Winter continued. “So what comes next, adding live striptease performances in Fantasyland at Disney World?”
While we applaud Disney+ for improving their parental controls, the mere presence of MA- and R-rated content violates the trust of families, and may well turn them off entirely.
There is no need for Disney+ to compete with the explicit content on other streaming platforms. Disney is already at a competitive advantage with a streaming platform that is the safest one out there for families. Its foray into TV-MA-rated fare will forever tarnish its family friendly crown.”
On March 16, the Disney+ primary account holder will be prompted to update their Parental Controls. This includes the option to select content ratings restrictions for each profile as well as to add a PIN to lock profiles for different users. Changes can be made at any time under Profile settings.