When Disney began removing shows from Disney+ and Hulu, it was assumed that all scripted Marvel projects would be safe, no matter how successful they were. However, the sudden removal of Marvel’s Runaways proves otherwise. The critically acclaimed series, featuring superhero teens who team up to stop their parents who run a criminal organization, disappeared from Disney+ and Hulu on May 27.
Runaways is based on the comics by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. In the first season, the teen superheroes worked together to stop Pride, a criminal group run by their parents. This story continued into Season 2, while Season 3 saw the lead characters fight against Morgan le Fay. The main cast included Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder, Lyrica Okano as Nico Minoru, Virginia Gardner as Karolina Kean, Ariela Barer as Gertrude Yorkes, Gregg Sulkin as Chase Stein, and Allegra Acosta as Molly Hayes Hernandez. The series was developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl), who acted as the showrunners.
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The series debuted in November 2017, with Season 2 following in December 2018 and Season 3 in December 2019. The show had almost no connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe outside name-dropping Wakanda and making references to Agents of SHIELD. It did feature a crossover with Freeform’s Cloak & Dagger, which is still available on Hulu as of this writing, in its third season.
Runaways earned critical acclaim and built a devoted fanbase left devastated by its removal. Fans connected with the show’s misfit characters and noted how poorly timed its removal was. One Twitter user pointed out how it was even included in a Disney+ Pride collection and a Hulu video featuring LGBTQ+ characters, released just before the show left on May 27. Disney never released the series on DVD, so it is now only available to rent or own digitally on Vudu or Amazon.
Two other Marvel shows were removed from Disney+ as The Walt Disney Company cuts costs, but neither is as well-known as Runaways. Marvel’s 616, an eight-episode documentary series that featured creators and fans of Marvel properties talking about different subjects, was removed. One episode tracked the history of the Japanese version of Spider-Man, while another features comedian Paul Scheer talking with Marvel writers about some of the most obscure Marvel characters. The show was produced by Marvel New Media and Supper Club, and no second season was ever made.
The other Marvel show removed was Marvel’s Hero Project. This is a unique documentary series released between November 2019 and March 2020. This 20-episode series focused on young people who are real-life heroes making an impact in their communities. The show earned widespread praise, but no second season was ever produced.
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Judy Reyes as Selena, Javicia Leslie as Daphne, Deniz Akdeniz as Lev ‘Oz’ Osman, Daniel Sunjata as Karadec, Kaitlin Olson as Morgan, Amirah J as Ava, and Matthew Lamb as Elliot on 'HIgh Potential.' (Disney/Pamela Littky)
