Skip to main content

There’s now a petition to stop Disney from ‘paying critics’

disney paying critics petition captain america 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
In an industry where fiction reigns supreme, it’s no wonder that some movie fans love a good conspiracy theory or two. The latest drama in film revolves around whether or not Disney is paying film critics to pan movies outside of the Marvel Comics Universe (MCU), with much of the alleged evidence coming from the not-so-positive reviews of both X-Men: Apocalypse and Batman v. Superman. And now, there’s a Change.org petition, titled “Stop Disney from paying critics.” So — is this tin foil hat territory or a legitimate grievance? You be the judge.

According to the petition, “There is  growing evidence Disney has been continually paying critics to attack Non MCU movies.” Back in 2009, Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment for a staggering $4.24 billion, and now, suspicious moviegoers believe that this relationship comes at the expense of all movies not within this particular universe of stories. “MCU movies are safe,” the petition says, “They’re not challenging at all. Just like a comic book movie is ‘supposed to be.'”

Recommended Videos

And apparently, non-MCU movies … are challenging?

The petition, which is addressed to both Rotten Tomatoes and movie audiences, points to numerous recent poor reviews of non-Marvel movies and the success of Disney’s new release, Captain America: Civil War as a sign of an ongoing plot. The petition also attributes any good reviews of non-Marvel films to strategic release dates, noting, “Films like Days Of Future Past did receive good reviews due to the fact it came out in 2014 when there was hardly any competition from  MCU films. Had the movie been released in 2015 against Ant-Man it would have gotten the Man of Steel treatment.”

 

Ultimately, the petition concludes, “We need to raise awareness of this global plan to keep our films creative or risk have everything fall under the Disney label. Each studio brings their own distinctive and creative work and Disney needs to stop being greedy and understand this.” Thus far, the petition has garnered 417 supporters. There’s no word on the signers’ preference in hats.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Where the MCU’s Moon Knight can go from here
Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight.

While the show felt like it suffered a bit toward the end due to the 6-episode mandate that Marvel Studios seems to have with their more dramatic shows, the MCU's Moon Knight dove into some refreshingly psychological and weird places. Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke expectedly shone through in a story that benefited from being set in its own corner of the world.

Isaac and Marvel Studios are seemingly trying to avoid making any hard commitments to the show being a multi-season endeavor, which is admirable given the actor's desire to dedicate his time to projects he feels drawn to. However, Moon Knight could benefit from being fleshed out in the supernatural and/or street-level side of the MCU, especially after having such a criminally short final episode.

Read more
The 10 best episodes from Marvel’s Daredevil on Disney+
Split image of Daredevil in promos for the series now on Disney+

In his relatively short existence in live-action media, Daredevil has endured more than the usual dodgy interpretations that befall a character no one quite knows what to do with. There's his supporting role in Bill Bixby's The Trial of the Incredible Hulk -- and the less said about that TV movie, the better.  The 2003 Ben Affleck-led Daredevil fared no better, falling victim to the early-2000s blunder of ignoring comic continuity in favor of Matrix-inspired "coolness." The 2017 Netflix series broke the curse, with superb acting, writing, and directing that honored the longtime Marvel Comics hero and shed a light on a street-level version of the MCU. Yet despite its critical acclaim, the streamer cut the series short after three seasons due to Disney's streaming competitor on the horizon. Fans were devastated by the cancelation, and things looked bleak for this acclaimed iteration of the character's future.

Fast forward three more years and both Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio have reprised their iconic portrayals of the Man Without Fear and the Kingpin of Crime, respectively, in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye. After this second round of embrace for this corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, more seems to be in the cards for Daredevil and company in the years ahead. To celebrate Daredevil being born again and completing its migration from Netflix to Disney+, these are 10 of the best episodes from the TV series.
10. Cut Man -- Season 1, Episode 2
One of the most famous things Daredevil has become known for is its gripping one-take hallway fight scenes. There's one in each of the three seasons, and they're all exceptional showcases in martial arts choreography and cinematography. In general, the series does an excellent job at conveying the incredibly high stakes the titular hero and supporting cast face in such an intimately scoped setting.

Read more
How to update your new Disney+ parental controls
The Defenders look at the camera in an elevator in The Defenders.

You may have heard that the Marvel TV shows that were formerly at home on Netflix have all come to Disney+ this week. There's just one hitch for the most family-friendly streaming service: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher are all TV-MA. And let's just say that they feature characters doing some very un-Disney-like things to each other. Sex and violence reach near R-rated levels, which is part of the appeal of these shows. That said, some parents may have legitimate concerns about what their children watch. Fortunately, we're here to help!

Disney foresaw some of these potential problems when it introduced its new Disney+ parental controls. It's also why Disney+ is automatically asking users to update their parental preferences when they log into the site. Keep in mind that the default setting is TV-14. If you don't opt to update any of your settings or if you click Not Now, then nothing will change. However, this is also your easiest opportunity to put the setting on TV-MA for everything that Disney+ has to offer. And make no mistake, these Marvel shows will probably not be the last mature content to be added in the future.

Read more