Disney Faces Backlash for Adding Daredevil and Defenders From Parents TV Group
While Marvel fans have been rejoicing the pending arrival of the Defenders shows on Disney+ (following their removal from Netflix), there are some who are frustrated by the decision to add the shows to the service. The members of the Parents Television Council (PTC) are voicing their issues with Disney's choice to add the more adult-themed shows to the family branding of Disney+. On Thursday, the PTC released a statement condemning the decision, saying it could "destroy" the Disney brand.
"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," Parents Television and Media Council president Tim Winter said in the statement. "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 the PTC feels that Disney+ is going to "tarnish its family friendly crown" with the addition of shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, the move is also bringing the streaming service updated parental controls. These shows are more violent than other Marvel fare on Disney+, but parents will be able to limit the access children have to it, so it will operate just as Disney+ always has for families.
Adding these popular shows will go a long way towards building Marvel's overall brand, as it brings characters into the fold that were previously unaccessible. With Daredevil and Kingpin already in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, more characters from the former Netflix franchise could follow suit, and having their shows on Disney+ makes everything easier to follow.
On March 16th, Disney+ will be adding every season of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and Agents of SHIELD.
Are you excited for these shows to join the rest of the MCU on Disney+? Let us know in the comments!