Fans were delighted with the recent announcement that Netflix's Marvel TV shows, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher and The Defenders, will be heading to Disney+ on March 16, but not everyone welcomed the news.
Although there are some adult-oriented series and movies on Star, the now defunct Netflix shows mark the first TV-MA Marvel-branded content that'll be available on the streaming service, and the Parents Television Council (PTC) had a thing or two to say about it.
PTC president Tim Winter released the following statement, praising Disney+ for implementing stricter parental controls, but accusing the streamer of "destroying their brand" by showcasing the TV-MA-rated shows.
“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+ 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+ to add TV-MA and R-rated programming to this platform, ostensibly to increase subscription revenue. 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.”
There might be some money in that live striptease idea.
In all seriousness, Winter makes a valid point here: Disney does have a family-friendly reputation to uphold, and since their streaming service was always going to be held to a higher level of scrutiny than the likes of Netflix or HBO Max, it's hardly surprising that a group like the PTC took issue.
What do you guys think? Are mountains being made out of molehills, or can you see where the PTC is coming from?