As the streaming era devolves into a wave of cutbacks, consolidation, and the removing of original content for the sake of tax breaks, it’s become more important than ever that physical releases of streaming original media offers a legal path to people still being able to actually access that content. Thankfully, Disney seems to have at long last realized this—after removing a bunch of original content from Disney+, of course.
This morning the studio announced that three major original series launched on Disney+ from the worlds of Marvel and Star Wars—Loki, WandaVision, and the first two seasons of The Mandalorian—will all receive 4K UHD physical releases later this year. The Mandalorian will not bundle the two seasons together, but release them individually, and each release will include a steelbook case with new art, concept art cards, and “never-before-seen bonus features.” No full details for each release’s bonus content were revealed, but a press release provided by Disney at least details what will come with Loki season one:
- Designing the TVA – Step into the incredible set of Loki Season 1 with Production Designer, Kasra Farahani, and Tom Hiddleston while getting a sneak peek into Season 2.
- The Official TVA Orientation Video – Miss Minutes explains the inner workings of the TVA timeline in her orientation video.
- Gag Reel – Take a look at some of the fun outtakes on set with the cast and crew of Loki Season 1.
- Deleted Scene: Loki’s Coronation – Mobius reviews some moments from Loki’s timeline, in which Frog Thor makes an appearance during Loki’s coronation.
- Deleted Scene: The Standoff – Loki holds Sylvie hostage against the TVA in a standoff.
- Assembled: The Making of Loki – Loki explores the series centering on the MCU’s chief mischief maker.
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Disney and Hulu already announced last week that the surprise hit Predator movie Prey, released exclusively on Hulu without a theatrical run, would be receiving a physical media release this year, but the news is timed as we’ve seen the likes of Max, Disney+, Paramount+, and other streaming platforms consolidate their archives of original series and films in order to claim tax cuts. Disney had already in particular recently caught flak for collaborating with collectors media company Manta Labs on a “physical release” of WandaVision that didn’t actually include the series itself.
The fact that such releases are, however, news instead of the norm speaks to the damage streaming has done on an audience’s legal access to at least some claim of ownership over the media they pay for. Hopefully these releases aren’t isolated, and speak to a move to at least some level of parity—it’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.
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Loki season 1, WandaVision, and The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 will release physically on September 26, November 28, and December 12, respectively.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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