Disney’s domain encompasses many studios and subsidiaries, including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, in addition to the original Disney properties, all of which are available on their streaming service. However, recently, Disney+ has done something new and added a few Netflix Originals to their platform. The shows themselves starred Marvel characters, who now fall under Disney’s umbrella; “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage,” “Iron Fist,” “The Defenders,” “The Punisher,” and “ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” have all left Netflix and now join the Disney+ family.
“ABC Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD”
While “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” is not solely based on a comic book series, it is a part of the MCU and includes cameos from characters that fans are familiar with, like Nick Fury and Maria Hill. The series also responds to events from Marvel movies, including “Thor: The Dark World” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” In the series, a surprising but familiar character assembles his own mobile team for the Strategic Homeland, Intervention, and Logistics Division, the same organization seen in “The Avengers.” There is tension between the main group of characters, who are strangers to each other, but they persist as they solve mysteries and begin to uncover something much larger going on.
Netflix Marvel Originals
Although “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” was created by ABC, the other six series were produced by Netflix before Disney bought Marvel. Once the House of Mouse obtained the rights to the superheroes, production was shut down, closed without hope for the future. However, Disney has a renewed attitude toward the shows. Removing the Netflix intro from the beginning of each episode, Disney+ has named the seven superhero series “The Defenders Saga.”
“Daredevil” was the first Netflix-Marvel series. It stars Charlie Cox as Matthew Murdock, a blind lawyer by day and crime-fighting vigilante by night. When he was a kid, chemicals splashed into his eyes, which took away his sight. However, it heightened other senses that he uses to fight crime. While comedy is infused with the show, so is violence. To right wrongs, Daredevil uses his fists. His arch-nemesis channels his frustration into aggression and no horrendous act is off-limits for him.
In “Jessica Jones,” the titular character is a private detective with super-strength, but she shies away from the limelight — but not because she is bashful. She is quite the opposite and she does not go looking for trouble unless her client’s case requires it. The young woman constantly drinks alcohol to cope with her trauma. The show is a neo-noir, psychological thriller, and the protagonist is distinct from the obligingly virtuous actions of Murdock.
“Luke Cage” is a man with unbreakable skin who returns home to Harlem, intending to rebuild his life. Life starts out quietly, but all good things come to an end. Cage begins to realize, somewhat begrudgingly, that he must protect his home from the men who are poisoning it, and he must confront his past, including the repercussions of the experiment that gave him powers.
Although he was lost for 15 years, Danny Rand, the protagonist of “Iron Fist,” is back from the dead and ready to take his place at Rand Enterprises, the company his father built with Harold Meachum. However, not everyone believes the claims of the long-lost young man and some are not happy about his return. Not only does he face opposition from former friends, but from people he trained to destroy during his hiatus, which is also where he acquired a shocking new ability.
All heroes unite in “The Defenders.” With all four super-powered individuals in New York City, running into each other was inevitable. A few characters appear in multiple shows, but this is the first time all of the heroes interact with each other to take down a mutual enemy, all while stretching their own limits.
After he first appeared in Season 2 of “Daredevil,” Jon Bernthal earned his own show as Frank Castle in “The Punisher.” A veteran fighting for justice for his family’s murders, Frank discovers a conspiracy. He is skilled with a gun and walks the line between hero and villain, which makes him distinct from other comic-book protagonists.
Disney+ Violating the Family-Friendly Atmosphere
The TV-14 rating of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” means it falls more in line with the other Disney+ Marvel shows. However, Marvel has a more violent side, which is highlighted in the other Netflix series. Violence, gore and profanity are all present in the shows, which has raised parents’ concerns regarding their inclusion in the family-friendly streaming service. You cannot deny that Disney+ has an overall more lighthearted atmosphere, even in its own Marvel series. Shows like “The Punisher,” however, are intended for a more adult audience, rankling parents who argue that they tarnish Disney+’s kid-friendly reputation.
Parents can always prevent their kids from accessing the more adult-themed shows by modifying the parental controls in the settings, but that limitation is not enough for parents who want everything on Disney+ to be suitable for families. The streaming service is known for limiting its programs to a PG-13 rating and the Parents Television Council claims that the mere presence of more mature content violates the trust of families who have supported Disney for years. Despite the council’s disapproval, Disney+ did not censor anything, whether it was profanity, sex scenes or graphic violence. Disney+ acquired the Netflix Originals because they are planning for the future. The events in “Hawkeye” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” confirmed that “Daredevil” and presumably the other Netflix series are canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which makes the shows relevant and their resurgence inevitable.
Our favorite blind crime-fighter is rumored to start appearing in many upcoming Marvel projects. The cancellation of “Daredevil” left fans heartbroken, but Disney is planning to make a fourth season, which raises the question if they will continue the other series as well. Fans have been longing for more of Daredevil and are excited to finally get it.
Despite the violence, Disney+ will continue to host the Netflix originals. Disney is going to build off of “Daredevil,” begging the question, “What else will they do with the other shows in The Defenders Saga?”
