Disney Plus is finally fixing one of its key drawbacks by adding R-rated movies — here's what the move means for subscribers

R-rated movies like "Deadpool" are now available on Disney Plus. The move signals a big step toward offering better value for adult subscribers.

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• Disney Plus has added its first R-rated movies: "Logan," "Deadpool," and "Deadpool 2."
• The move marks a big step forward for the service by offering better value to its adult subscribers.
• Disney also added a slate of mature Marvel shows in March, along with increased parental controls.

Now in its third year of service, Disney Plus has finally added its first batch of R-rated movies to its US catalog. The initial lineup includes "Logan," "Deadpool," and "Deadpool 2."

These films have all been long-awaited by Marvel fans, but they were previously kept off Disney Plus as a result of the platform's focus on PG-13 and under content. As of July 22, it appears that restriction is no longer in place. 

With the arrival of these R-rated movies and the prior addition of several TV-MA rated Marvel shows, Disney Plus seems ready to expand beyond its family friendly image and embrace more mature content. That said, it remains to be seen if the streaming service will commit to producing more adult programs, or if it will simply tolerate them for the sake of Marvel fans.

What R-rated movies and shows can I watch on Disney Plus?

"Deadpool," "Logan," and "Deadpool 2" are the first R-rated movies available to watch on Disney Plus in the US.

Before the arrival of these R-rated films, the service began embracing more mature content with the addition of several TV-MA Marvel shows in March. The shows all originally streamed on Netflix and made the move to Disney Plus once the studio's deal with Netflix expired.  The lineup includes "Daredevil," "Jessica Jones," and "Luke Cage." 

Though the addition of mature content is big news for subscribers in the US, Disney Plus has been streaming R-rated movies in other regions for some time. In many international markets, Disney Plus members can access the service's Star channel, which features R-rated movies like "Die Hard" and "Borat." 

It appears Disney Plus it forgoing a separate channel in the US, and is instead just adding R-rated movies to its regular lineup.

What does the addition of R-rated movies mean for Disney Plus subscribers?

Disney Plus has a huge library of movies and shows along with some of the streaming market's most popular exclusives, but the service has traditionally lacked variety for adults without children. Outside of the "Star Wars" and Marvel franchises, Disney Plus has suffered from a large gap for adult-oriented content.

While Disney Plus' massive catalog will always be valuable for parents and families, the potential for expanded offerings geared toward adult viewers will help it better compete with other streamers. Netflix and HBO Max, for example, already have huge libraries full of R-rated movies and mature shows. Until now, Disney Plus had been the only major streaming provider that limited its movie selection to PG-13 material.

Adding more mature content will benefit older subscribers who don't want to pay for a supplementary service like Hulu to get access to R-rated entertainment. At $8 a month, Disney Plus is already one of the most affordable streaming services, so a shift toward allowing more movies for adult viewers will only add to its value and open the door for a much larger selection of titles to stream.

What other R-rated movies could get added to Disney Plus?

Disney's 2019 acquisition of Fox brought a ton of mature content into the Disney library, but not all of it has found a streaming home due to the family-first approach of Disney Plus. While Hulu has become the default service for a lot of these movies and shows, Disney Plus' addition of "Deadpool" and "Logan" could signal an openness to bring more of these titles directly to Disney Plus subscribers. 

Outside the US, the Star Channel on Disney Plus offers R-rated fare like "Con Air," "Office Space," and "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Furthermore, classic Fox movies like "Alien" and "Die Hard" wouldn't feel too out of place alongside Disney's other nostalgia-inducing franchises.

Only time will tell if these other R-rated movies get added to the Disney Plus lineup in the US, but the studio has no shortage of films to choose from if it wants to keep expanding its appeal to adult members. 

Does Disney Plus offer parental controls?

When Netflix's mature Marvel shows launched on Disney Plus, the streaming service also introduced a new PIN code system that lets adult viewers prevent kids or other unauthorized users from accessing their account profile. It's a simple security measure, but it also gives Disney the ability to offer more mature content without fear of kids gaining access.

The parental controls are easily accessible by navigating to your profiles in the app or on the Disney Plus website and then selecting "edit profile." From there, you'll find an option to add a PIN.

Disney Plus also offers kids profiles, which will limit their experience to shows rated TV-Y7 or under. Kids accounts can also be locked with a PIN, and a security question can be added to make it harder for them to switch profiles.