Netflix just removed four fan-favorite user icons, and people are upset. The streamer has a huge array of avatars for viewers to distinguish their profiles, and up until this week, there was one for each of the Defenders. Since the Marvel shows left Netflix and have not yet moved to Disney+, they are no longer available.
Long before Disney had its own proprietary streaming service, Marvel Studios created Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher and The Defenders as Netflix Original series. The shows fizzled out as Disney expanded its plans to do everything in-house, though fans have championed the Defenders’ return for years. While that return finally seems to be coming in some ways, it’s bittersweet since die-hard fans can no longer identify as their favorite superheroes on Netflix.
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Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher and The Defenders will eventually be available to stream on Disney+, but right now they’re not available anywhere. According to a report by Screen Rant they will be added to Disney+ along with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on March 16 along with new parental control features to prevent younger viewers from stumbling into them by mistake.
Netflix users who had a Defenders icon set to their profile lost them on Thursday, and they were replaced with a default Chillez icon. Fans can choose from dozens of other icons for themselves, and most were good-natured about the change. Still, that didn’t stop many from joking and complaining about this part of the transition on social media. Here’s a look at what they have said.
‘What Did It Cost?’
Fans who didn’t think about this change ahead of time joked that it was similar to the unforeseen costs of some of the Marvel heroes’ biggest battles.
Long Time Coming
With The Defenders transitioning to Disney+, it was only a matter of time before these icons disappeared. Still, fans who knew it was coming mourned their on-screen identifiers.
Chillez
Fans were confused by the default replacements for their Defenders icons. These “Chillez” characters are relatively new, and some fans found them off-putting.
Replacements
Many fans shared their chosen replacements for their beloved Defenders icons. With the growing slate of Netflix original series, there were still plenty of heroes to choose from.
Misplaced Blame
Some fans didn’t realize the icon change was automatic, and they admitted they had mistakenly blamed their family for the Chillez.
Uneccesary
Some fans felt that this change was not entirely necessary. Although Netflix lost the rights to the Defenders characters going forward, it is still one of the production companies behind the shows as they exist so far. Fans felt that they could have justifiably kept the icons there as a nod to their previous work together.
Other Complaints
Finally, some fans lumped their complaints about the lost character icons in with other gripes against Netflix – notably, its most recent price hike. At the time of this writing, the Defenders series are not streaming anywhere, but they are expected to join Disney+ on Wednesday, March 16.
