Belts are being tightened over at Disney+ and Hulu. Following a massive upheaval in their approach to streaming content, over 50 titles from Disney+ and Hulu have unfortunately been purged from the service. Because a majority of them may be unavailable elsewhere, we’ve essentially seen the return of the “Disney vault.” Though, instead of possibly returning in the future, these shows and movies will likely languish in the depths forever. But even after this first initial removal of content, more shows are seemingly following suit. A recent example, which is the first piece of MCU content pulled from either service, is The Runaways.
Originally airing from 2017 to 2019, The Runaways was a three-season series that followed the superhero team of the same name, following a group of teenagers rebelling against their supervillain parents. Despite positive critical reception, the series was eventually canceled with a somewhat open ending. And now, four years later, its loose connection to the MCU has been completely severed. What other Hulu shows might be removed next in this enduring content purge? Here are just a few ideas.
Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.
Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., alongside Marvel’s Hit-Monkey, was the result of a tumultuous production deal that ultimately never panned out the way it should’ve. In fact, the story of how M.O.D.O.K. came to be is arguably more interesting than the show itself.
Originally ordered alongside Hit Monkey and two canceled projects — a Tigra and Dazzler show, as well as a Howard the Duck project — M.O.D.O.K. is a stop-motion comedy that sees Patton Oswalt play our favorite big-headed villain. After failing to rule the world one last time, M.O.D.O.K. finds himself struggling to balance his family life while stitching together what remains of his shattered villainy practice. As a remnant of a collapsed project, M.O.D.O.K. lasted only one season under the direct supervision of Marvel Studios, meaning it’s prime material to be lopped off Hulu when the need arises.
Kindred
You’d be forgiven for looking at Kindred and thinking it’d be a standard miniseries. Only a little over a month after Kindred debuted on streaming, it was subsequently canned.
As an adaptation of the titular novel by Octavia E. Butler, Kindred stars Mallori Johnson as a woman caught between two time periods, bouncing between the modern day of 2016 and a 19th-century antebellum plantation. It’s an interesting concept for a series. However, some critics noted that its multiple deviations from the source material implied a focus on future storylines instead of what was already available to adapt.
Despite Johnson’s stellar performance with what was given to her, Kindred may not be on Hulu for too much longer. If a complete miniseries can get axed, one that remains unfinished doesn’t have as big of a fighting chance.
Grimcutty
Produced by the now-defunct 20th Digital Studio, who also had a hand in producing the 2023 Hulu horror film Clock, this creature feature certainly left a splash when it was first released. Not a “good” splash, necessarily.
Grimcutty is a horror film that utilizes internet-stoked paranoia and memes in a cautionary tale of hysteria. It’s an interesting idea for sure, but Grimcutty ultimately couldn’t deliver. Its messaging feels a little over the top for its intended streaming audience. Some felt the titular monster looked more goofy than anything, the film’s inconsistent internal logic confused some, and others felt both the film’s pacing and performances were uneven. While there’s still a decent chance it’ll remain on Hulu, you could imagine that the suits at the streaming service may decide to put Grimcutty down.
High Fidelity
Based on the 1995 novel and 2000 film of the same name, this romantic comedy series lasted only a single season before being canceled in 2020. High Fidelity is particularly notable for being shot on-location in Brooklyn, New York, which may have contributed to its untimely cancelation.
Zoë Kravitz plays a music fan in the middle of Brooklyn, and while managing her record store, she attempts to find love between selling vinyls and hanging out with her friends. Though most found Kravitz’s performance compelling, as well as the accompanying music that plays throughout the series’ ten episodes, it wouldn’t be out of the question to suggest that it’ll disappear from the service sometime soon.
Following a similar spree of cancelations and removals on the Max streaming service, High Fidelity may not have much time left before it’s plunged into obscurity indefinitely.
Crossing Swords
Cutesy visuals and stop-motion animation hide a crass, curse-laden show from the same team behind Robot Chicken. Hulu’s Crossing Swords is a typical adult-animated comedy, though its cute visuals and charming designs give it something you won’t find in its contemporaries. Considering the series has been canceled for upwards of three years now, however, it wouldn’t be surprising if it dropped off the face of the Earth.
A peasant-turned-knight bites off more than he can chew when he finally attains his dream job, as he’s forced to deal with all the unsavory troubles the kingdom faces. Featuring a talented cast including the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Tara Strong, Tony Hale, and Maya Erskine, Crossing Swords is the perfect companion piece for fans of Robot Chicken — that is if it doesn’t disappear sometime soon.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
