Disney has found itself under scrutiny ever since they brought the Marvel Television collection to Disney+ from Netflix. While many Marvel fans were happy to see the arrival of the likes ofJessica Jones, The PunisherandDaredeviljoin the rest of Marvel Studios content, some were not on board with the introduction of more violent content being brought to the Disney+, even with new parental controls also being added. However, the removal of dedications from the final episodes ofThe PunisherandLuke Cagereally caused outrage among fans, especially for the former of these, which was dedicated to the memory of Stan Lee.
The second dedication, seen in the last episode ofLuke Cage, was made to actorReg E. Cathey, who passed away in February 2018 at 59. Cathey played James Lucas in the series, the father of the title character, and following its passing, it was only right that a dedication to his memory was added at the end of what became the end of the series. However, just like the Stan Lee tribute, for some reason the small moment, which is important to those who worked on the show, does not appear in the version currently playing on Disney+. One person who has expressed their disappointment in this, is series showrunnerCheo Hodari Coker.
Posting on hisTwitter account, Coker said, “I mean, why do this? Reg E Cathey was part of the heart and soul of Season Two. We didn’t feel obligated to dedicate the season to him just because he died – we felt obligated because we loved him and he was a galvanizing force.”
Related:Disney+ Edits Stan Lee Tribute Out of The Punisher Finale
If The Removal of These Dedications Was an Error, It is Something That Disney Need to Rectify
With Disney having already admitted to accidentallyuploading an edited version of an episode ofThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which saw some bloody scenes being replaced, there is a strong chance that the removal of both dedications could be a similar error. One thing that supports this theory is that a Stan Lee dedication included in an episode ofJessica Jonesis still in place, and it is possible that while removing all Netflix references from the shows, the editing team also inadvertently removed the tributes.
The main thing now is for Disney to clarify whether this has been an error, and in that case, resolve the issue by reinstating both dedications as they were originally shown or explain why the tributes could not remain as part of the shows’ credits. While there are reasons behind some edits made by Disney, whether correct in everyone’s eyes or not, there doesn’t seem to be any plausible reason that moments like this should be deleted.
