We knew Netflix's Marvel shows were leaving Netflix, we just didn't know where they were headed. Now, it seems, we have a clue. But before news of these Marvel shows going to Disney Plus gets you too excited, know it comes with a massive caveat.
As our sister site Total Film (via Games Radar) reports, the first home for Marvel's Defenders (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Punisher and Iron Fist) will be Disney Plus — but only the Canadian Disney Plus. Weird, eh?
Ever since Charlie Cox as Daredevil was confirmed for the MCU (as was Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin), it seemed like the streaming multiverse was headed for this kind of news. Once the Netflix contracts expired for all of the Marvel Defenders shows, it only makes sense to bring those shows over to the house of the mouse's primary streaming service, right?
Well, that's not entirely true. Here's why we doubted this would happen:
Netflix's Defenders don't fit the Disney Plus show ratings
All of the MCU shows on Disney Plus, from WandaVision to the upcoming Moon Knight all got the same ages rating: TV-14. And all of Netflix's Marvel shows? They're all TV-MA.
This is where Hulu, Disney's other streaming service, comes into play. Often used to house more mature content, such as Pam & Tommy, Hulu might be where the Defenders shows live in the U.S.. Outside of those TV ratings, this would mostly make sense because of the fine print surrounding the Defenders entering the MCU. We already know that Marvel Studios will be selective with the TV histories of those characters, so those shows aren't exactly canonical, even if their characters are.
Why would that happen when the Defenders are going to Disney Plus in Canada? Well, Disney Plus in Canada has the Star Channel, home to the content that doesn't fit the standard family-friendly Disney image. And it's not just Canada: the Star channel is in Disney Plus everywhere but the U.S..
At this point, it's unclear if U.S. Disney Plus will or won't get the Defenders shows. So, folks who want to watch the Defenders again should know that this is as good a time as any to have the Disney Plus bundle with Hulu and ESPN Plus.
