This Month Is Officially the End of an Era for Hulu

Hulu has always been one of the biggest names in streaming, with it acting as one of the true first competitors to Netflix. Before big-name studios launched their own streaming services with Disney+, Paramount+, HBO Max, and the like, Hulu was there. By teaming up with networks like FX and offering a variety of massive shows supplemented with some great films, Hulu found a place in the streaming market. Eventually, Hulu Originals like The Handmaid’s Tale helped increase the notability of the platform, allowing it to stick around for years while many other services have failed.

Hulu began as its own website, with the platform taking on the name in 2007 and partnering with companies like NBC Universal and Yahoo!. Eventually, Fox became a major stakeholder in Hulu, meaning that when Disney purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019, it became the owner of 60% of the company. Eventually, Disney purchased Comcast’s share and gained complete control of Hulu. Disney has allowed Hulu to exist alongside Disney+ and ESPN+, with it acting as the company’s outlet for more mature TV shows and movies. However, Hulu fans have been worried about its future living in the shadow of Disney+.

The Bear Is Finally Ending In 2026

Tons of Hulu Original shows have come and gone, but if there is one original that has defined the platform in the 2020s, it’s The Bear. With the release of season 1 in 2022, The Bear was an immediate hit. The FX on Hulu release was a critical darling, with the show becoming known for its overperformance at the Emmys, having won 21 as of the writing of this article. The series follows a chef named Carmy who, along with a band of other Chicago-based chefs and restaurateurs, takes over the sandwich shop of Carmy’s recently deceased brother and attempts to turn it into a Michelin Star restaurant.

While seasons 3 and 4 weren’t as beloved as the first two, The Bear has remained a hit for Hulu, both with critics and fans. The Bear actors like Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Ayo Edebiri have become superstars in Hollywood, appearing in franchises like the MCU, Star Wars, Inside Out, and more. So, with the massive success, critical influence, and notoriety for Hulu that The Bear has brought, the show’s conclusion in 2026 is truly the end of an era.

The fifth and final season of The Bear will release on Hulu on June 25, and after the eight-episode batch, the show will be done for good. The ever-increasing popularity of the show’s actors and creative team has undoubtedly made scheduling new seasons a difficult process, which may have something to do with why The Bear is ending here. Plus, the critical downturn in recent seasons may have motivated FX and Hulu to end the show before it goes on for too long.

Despite this, it is still tragic to see that The Bear is ending. It is one of the best original shows of the 2020s, and with fantastic performances, incredible cinematography, and tons of emotion, it’s hard to find another show that offers as much as The Bear. A five-season show that has had yearly releases since 2022 means that fans got to see a lot of the series, so its ending isn’t untimely. However, The Bear will be missed.

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The Bear’s Conclusion Is Another Nail In The Hulu Coffin

The Bear is one of Hulu’s biggest shows, meaning that its ending raises questions about the future of the streaming platform. Recent years have already seen the ending of other major Hulu shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and The Great, while Disney+ is still packed with popular Star Wars and MCU series. Meanwhile, major Hulu movie releases of years past like Prey and Hellraiser aren’t continuing, with 20th Century Studios movies like Alien: Romulus and Predator: Badlands now hitting theaters.

Disney+ and Hulu have already been merged into one app, and with rumors that Disney is interested in further consolidating their streaming service, fans of Hulu are scared that the streaming service will be phased out in the coming years. The release of TV-MA shows like Daredevil on Disney+ made Hulu’s status as Disney’s mature platform obsolete. Now, TV-MA and R-rated shows and movies can be found on Disney+, meaning that there is now no clear difference between Disney+ and Hulu.

It seems like merging Disney+ and Hulu makes sense for Disney. It combines two customer bases into one, and allows Disney to only have to manage one streaming service for its movies and TV shows. However, there are definitely concerns that, if this happens, Disney will focus less on the types of shows that used to be Hulu Originals in favor of the franchise projects that have defined Disney+. It’s hard to say for sure, but the ending of The Bear is definitely another step in this direction.

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