It’s been long-rumored now since the Marvel Netflix series like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and more are making their way to Disney+. After many back-and-forths online, the confirmation has finally arrived, as they dropped a sudden teaser that they are joining the series on March 16th. The big takeaway is that the streaming service is embracing more mature content without restricting it to other services, especially as they went out of their way to offer bundles with Hulu. Yet, this addition might have bigger implications for Marvel Studios’ future ventures.
The timing for these additions is perfect with a darker-toned Moon Knight just on the horizon. Not just that, but it also means that older R-rated projects like Blade, Deadpool, Logan, or more can get added soon. Not just that, we know that Deadpool 3 is going to be an R-rated project and now we don’t have to worry about it potentially landing on Hulu. It’ll be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it would’ve been a shame if it wasn’t going to be part of the showcase in Disney+.
The streamer was showcased as an “archive” for classic projects from Marvel, Pixar, and any other Disney brand. So, its family-friendly focus is not only restrictive from an archival standpoint but also creatively. They lost a lot of projects early on due to this restriction, such as the Lizzie McGuire revival and pushing the Love Simon spinoff, Love Victor, to Hulu. While it seems unlikely we’ll get an R-rated Pixar film any time soon, Marvel and Star Wars are very different stories. This move might be an implication that Disney+ Original projects will no longer fully adhere to the streaming’s initial set-up.
Marvel may be able to fully embrace the darker and more mature tones that upcoming projects may have. Moon Knight is a big implication of Disney+ maturing, which we’ve talked bout here, but it also means R-rated projects are a possibility. The long-rumored Werewolf by Night project can embrace the darker aspects of having a werewolf-centric story. Their Blade remake might also start moving towards an R-rating, as there are no longer concerns about streaming availability being restricted to specific services.
There’s also the continuation to keep in mind, as we know Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio returned in the roles they made famous. Rumors are hinting at a new Daredevil revival, which now can embrace the darker story arcs introduced through the Netflix incarnations. There are more mature storylines possible now that the glass ceiling has been broken. It may be a small step for now, but once Deadpool or Logan get added with the parent control sometime in the future, we might be able to see the first steps for a new MCU.
