After years of watching the Mouse House try to swallow the entire entertainment industry (which it claims it’s done doing … for the time being, at least), we’ve come to see the Disney effect take ahold of many a beloved multimedia property. Under the company’s watch, The Muppets have grown less anarchic, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been less horny, and “Star Wars” has become more risk-averse. At the same time, the MCU and a galaxy far, far away have gotten more inclusive, and we’ve recently seen Disney+ shows like “She-Hulk” and “Andor” push the limits for what’s deemed acceptable in terms of tone and adult content for the streamer.
“Doctor Who,” on the other hand, is already a pretty decent fit for Disney+. The series’ modern era has gradually taken steps to diversify its talent on both sides of the camera and will continue to do so by bringing in “Sex Education” actor Ncuti Gatwa to play the Fourteenth Fifteenth Doctor under Davies’ guidance. What’s more, “Doctor Who” has remained a relatively family-friendly affair since its very early days, even as it’s tackled scarier stories, delved into darker subject matter, and, every so often, indulged in some risqué humor (mostly in the form of characters making it clear they would like to jump the Doctor’s bones).
Disney+ or not, it’s reasonable to assume Davies never had any intention of turning “Doctor Who” into a more adult series upon his return (à la the show’s spin-off “Torchwood”). That being said, it will certainly be interesting to see if he puts his money where his mouth is by making the Doctor’s adventures more queer-friendly after calling out Disney+ for its “feeble” LGBTQ+ representation with “Loki,” and on the heels of “Doctor Who” engaging in its own queer-baiting no less.