Disney+ Update: New Parental Controls Pave Way for R, TV-MA Content

It looks like there are some changes coming to Disney+ as updates suggest that the family-friendly streaming service is going to get a little less so.

On March 16, Disney+ launched new parental control features for its domestic market, sharing a video that explains what parents can do now.

We see a concerned mom accessing her family’s Disney+ account, viewing her kids’ profiles–it could be dad’s, too, you never know–and using a special PIN to select which content ratings they will be allowed to view.

Check it out:

All-new Parental Controls on #DisneyPlus keep you in charge of the action. ✨ pic.twitter.com/MeWm060MIl

— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) March 15, 2022

The narrator herself prefaces the instructional clip, saying:

“Before we introduce some more mature dramas, laughs, thrills, and surprises, to Disney Plus, we’re updating our parental controls.“

And the video shows content categories for R and TV-MA ratings.

We at Disney Fanatic have been expecting such an update after it was announced that the less-than-friendly chronicles of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage are finally retrieved from Netflix. But this reporter is left wondering: are more R and TV-MA-rated stories on their way to Disney+?

For all of our readers outside of the United States, the increased inclusion is already a reality, with all of the higher-rated content being filed under the Disney Star brand. But for American subscribers, this is a new development. A Kids Profile has been available for some time, and parental control options have been in place due to “concerns” about “outdated cultural depictions” in the older Disney movies, but the need for new parental controls to edit profile access based on the content rating is.

Up until now, the unspoken agreement has been that Disney+ would remain mostly family-friendly and all of Disney’s other inappropriate content would be sent to Hulu. For example, Marvel’s Infinity Saga is on Disney+, but other Marvel films like the X-Men film Logan and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool were sent to Hulu.

There has also already been some controversy with Disney+’s family-friendly status among parents, most recently regarding the release of Disney/Pixar’s Turning Red. 

But one has to wonder if Disney is planning to add more mature content to its flagship streaming service, and if so, what does the future hold for Hulu?