The MCU may be the most common way to experience characters from the Marvel universe, but it hasn't been the only way to do so. While fans also have Sony, at one point in time, there was Fox Studios––they pushed out films featuring the X-Men, Deadpool, and the Fantastic Four. As Fox has since been merged with Disney, its previous films are now considered Legacy projects on Disney+.
While not all of the previous installments from the studios are on the streaming service, a good portion of them have resided on Disney+ for fans to watch at their leisure. Labeled as the "Marvel Legacy" collection, the movies include many of the fan favorites that exist outside of Marvel Studios.
Ryan Reynold's Deadpool is still nowhere to be seen, alongside all of Wolverine's solo movies. Older Spider-Man films aren't present yet, but they are set to make their arrival in the coming years.
While it's exciting to have all of these projects available in the same place, it seems that the legacy collection present on Disney's streaming service is set to lose a few members.
The Marvel Legacy Shrinks
On December 1, both Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer had been removed from Disney+'s U.S. catalouge.
There was no further information available as to why the change was made, but that's common when it comes to movies/shows coming and going from different streaming services.
As of now, the Marvel Legacy Movies collection on the U.S.' Disney+ is as follows:
- X-Men: First Class
- X-Men (2000)
- X2
- X-Men: The Last Stand
- X-Men: Days of Future Past
- Fantastic Four (2015)
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- X-Men: Dark Phoenix
As an additional note, at the time of writing this article, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer remains on the service in the UK.
Marvel's Legacy Shrinks As it Grows
While many may want to read into this and uncover some hidden meaning, there likely isn't anything to find. The rights behind streaming and what services get what projects are needlessly convoluted, with shows and movies coming and going consistently.
It's similar to how Warner Brother's HBO Max's DC films rotate on a monthly basis, despite the studio having full ownership of the projects.
Either way, both of the original Fantastic Four movies are bound to make their way back onto the service at some point in the future.
The real question is: when can fans expect the likes of the more mature outings such as Deadpool or Blade to hit the service? The nature of the content held within is likely what's keeping those projects in streaming limbo.
Hopefully, Disney will find a solution to its R-rated conundrum in the future. They'll likely end up on a sister service such as Hulu, with the Disney branding in the fine print instead of a giant neon sign.
The next Marvel Studios project, Spider-Man: No Way Home, hits theaters on December 17.
