‘Sons of Anarchy’ and ‘Mayans M.C.’ Creator Kurt Sutter Reveals If Disney Will Tone Down His Shows

In the wake of the unprecedented acquisition of Fox by Disney, Sons of Anarchy and Mayans M.C. creator Kurt Sutter revealed whether or not he thinks the House of Mouse will ask him to tone down his shows.

As most are aware, Sutter’s shows have aired on FX, which is owned by Fox. During a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Sutter explained that the Disney/Fox deal went through the exact same say that he resigned with the company.

He then went on to address the idea of his projects having to be adapted to mirror a “Disney version,” saying that he “had concerns” and spoke to John Landgraf, Chief Executive Officer of FX Network and FX Productions about them.

“Look, I don’t know Bob Iger personally, but what he told John was the reason we’re making this acquisition is so we can compete in a digital-platform-driven world, and we can’t compete against a Netflix or an Amazon with just Disney PG content,” Sutter stated. “The only way we can compete is if we have a broader spectrum of content, and that’s what FX brings to us. So, it’s not about Disney-fying it. And if Landgraf trusted that then I have to trust it too, right?”

Sutter later responded to a question about how “Netflix is signing eight-, nine-figure overall deals left and right” and if any part of him wished he would have gone that route instead.

“I don’t mean to sound self-effacing, but I don’t do this for the money. I do this so that I don’t end up swinging from a pipe by my neck,” Sutter said candidly. “For me, money is about respect, and that is really important to me. So, if writer x is getting x, y, z, then I fuckin’ better get x, y, z ’cause that’s the respect you owe me.

“So, in that regard, yes, money is a big, important part of that process ’cause I need to know that I’m valued and respected for me to show up and do what I need to do,” he added. “Whether money is a good motivator for that or expression of that is a different conversation.”

Sutter’s Mayans M.C. recently debuted on FX, with many fans and critics alike praising the show as a worthy follow-up to Sons of Anarchy.

PopCulture.com’s J.C. Coulston writes that “Sutter and [Mayans M.C.] co-creator Elgin James clearly have a vision for where [the series] is heading and are determined to let the show blaze its own trail,” and added that it “is exactly what SoA fans have been gearing up for and well worth the wait.”

Mayans M.C. airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.