Disney just announced that Disney+ subscribers will have even more content to watch on the streaming platform soon.
During Disney’s second-quarter earnings report, CFO Christine McCarthy announced plans to remove select content from Disney+ in order to cut costs and focus on curating higher-quality content.
The question fans and subscribers are left asking is, what does Disney intend to drop and does any deleted content belong to the Marvel brand?
Is Disney removing Marvel content from Disney+?
Although this announcement is new, the Disney+ purge has been underway for some time now.
After the return of Disney CEO Bob Iger and before this news, a number of Disney + series have already been canceled, such as willowAnd The Mighty Ducks: Game ChangersAnd National Treasure: The Edge of History.
However, this new move is different in that removing the content would require the company to absorb doubling fees that, as reported by The Wrap, range from $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion and are expected to appear in Disney’s third quarter.
This strategy mirrors Warner Bros.’s strategy. Discovery, which removed its original content from HBO Max last year.
And like Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney could potentially classify its newly axed shows/movies as tax write-offs.
Fortunately, Disney isn’t likely to give up on any of the Marvel Studios shows and movies.
As the data has shown, the MCU Disney+ series is one of the most watched content on the streaming device and is a huge contributor to its success.
While the same can be said about Star Wars projects, and in particular The MandalorianLucasfilm has yet to release a theatrical Star Wars movie since 2019.
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios releases several theatrical films a year that traditionally dominate the box office before they become available on Disney+ to subscribers.
Another point in Marvel’s favor is its interconnected universe as its various projects contribute to one another, a brand that’s only expected to expand throughout the ongoing Multiverse Saga as non-MCU Marvel projects merge as well.
It simply wouldn’t make sense for Disney to remove any of the MCU’s valuable content, nor would it remove any other Marvel-branded entertainment prior to its resurgence.
Why Disney’s story content is good for Marvel
The reason behind dropping the content is part of Iger’s long game, and is expected to benefit the MCU.
According to the CEO of Disney, “We create a lot of content that doesn’t necessarily drive sub-growth” And preferably not to spend “Money marketing for things that will not have an impact on the bottom line.”
As mentioned earlier, the MCU shows and movies are huge contributors to Disney’s bottom line, and Iger has in fact expressed his interest in getting in on the action. Lean on those more:
“We actually think we have an opportunity to build on those more, put appropriate marketing dollars in return for that, and put more away from programs that don’t lead to any downtime at all.”
However, that doesn’t mean Marvel Studios’ projects from Iger’s initiative won’t emerge unscathed.
In fact, Iger’s interest in aiming for less content in exchange for higher quality has already influenced the 2023 MCU slate.
As of now, only Secret invasion And Loki Season 2 is confirmed to launch on Disney+ in 2023.
Release dates for other previously announced shows such as sound echoAnd Iron heartAnd Spider-Man: Year Oneand more are currently unknown.
Right now, it’s hard to imagine Marvel Studios producing the same volume as they did in 2021.
However, given the drop in quality and connectivity in the MCU lately, a strategy of less might be just what Brand Red needs.
More details regarding Disney’s plan for its broadcast network, as well as new MCU announcements, renewals, and green lights, may be revealed during Disney’s presentation on Tuesday, May 16.
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