Will Bob Iger's Return Kill Mature Content on Disney+?
Bob Iger is back in the saddle, returning to The Walt Disney Company after a three-year retirement. Replacing Bob Chapek atop the Mouse ladder late Sunday night, Iger has been named as the latest Chief Executive Officer of Disney, a position he held from 2005 to 2020. The executive orchestrated the industry-defining acquisitions of Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Fox while transforming the company into an entertainment juggernaut. An integral part of Iger's success at the company has hinged on the almighty Mickey Mouse brand, one that provides entertainment for an entire family. Because of that, Iger insisted Disney+ remain family-friendly upon launch, something Chapek broke apart during his reign at the company. Now that Iger is back leading the company, we've got to ask the question—does that mean more mature titles on Disney+ could be on their way out?
As recently as last year, industry insiders suggested Iger, then theexecutive chairman of the company, and Chapek argued over the tone of content that'd be made available on the Disney-owned streamer. It would appear Chapek's side ultimately won the debate, given the platform added both Deadpool films, Logan, and the entire Defenders suite of shows, all either given an R rating by the MPAA or rated TV-MA for streaming. While mature titles have been available on Disney+ in international markets given the platform's association with Star, the aforementioned projects were the first time anything rated more adult than PG-13 or TV-14 was available on Disney+.
Earlier this year, executives with Marvel Studios confirmed Marvel Zombies was going to be the first content produced by the studio specifically for Disney+ that was going to be TV-MA. Recent rumors suggest Daredevil: Born Again could be touching those boundaries as well...unless Iger has something to say about it.
It should be noted Iger also supported the decision to make Deadpool 3 rated-R, keeping it inline with the other films in the franchise, though he's not a character with the star power as Ol' Hornhead. Still, if Iger was looking to take the company back to basics, he could be looking to change things up on the Disney+ front.
When is the Daredevil reboot coming out?
Daredevil: Born Again is expected to drop Spring 2024. The first three seasons of Daredevil and The Defenders limited series, in addition to both Deadpool features and Logan, can now be seen on Disney+.
What other characters do you hope to see join Marvel's new Daredevil series? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!