Disney is wasting no time in getting some fan-favorite characters back on screen. Following their removal from Netflix, “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “The Defenders,” and more will officially hit Disney+ in March.
On March 16, a total of seven Marvel shows will be added to Disney+. Rounding out the septet are ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the rest of the Marvel’s live-action Netflix originals, “Luke Cage”, “Iron Fist,” “The Punisher.”
The series’ move from Netflix to Disney+ isn’t all that surprising, as the rights to the characters reverted back to Disney in February. The series expired on Netflix on Feb. 28.
But with the arrival of these TV-MA shows comes new parental control features that will roll out across Disney+ on March 16 as well, allowing parents to restrict access to the more mature content of shows like “Daredevil” and “The Punisher.”
“Disney+ has served as the home for some of the most beloved brands in the industry, and the addition of these live-action shows brings more from the Marvel brand together, all in one place,” said Michael Paull, President of Disney Streaming in a statement. “We have experienced great success with an expanded content offering on Disney+ across our global markets and are excited to continue that here in the U.S. as well by offering our consumers not only great content with the new Marvel additions, but also a set of features that help ensure a viewing experience most suitable for them and their family.”
These shows will be available on Disney+ in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand on March 16 as well (although ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ is already streaming in Canada). The series will also be available across all other Disney+ markets later this year.
First debuting back in 2015, the Netflix/Marvel series were created as complementary stories told alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. They largely refer to events of 2012’s “The Avengers,” but none of the characters from the movies ever actually appeared in the films until 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
There was more crossover with ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” which debuted in 2013 and featured appearances from Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) in early seasons.
“No Way Home” marked the first real crossover between the Netflix shows and the MCU, when Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock appeared as Peter Parker’s lawyer. Later in December, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin — the main antagonist from “Daredevil” — also showed up in the MCU, as the big bad in “Hawkeye.”
At this point, it remains unclear whether or not the rest of the Defenders will be folded into the current MCU story at large.
