Thought Disney+ Was Finally Releasing Original Shows Physically? Think Again

It’s the news I’ve been waiting for. WandaVision, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first original Disney+ series, will get a physical release. An exclusive steelbook is being produced for MCU and WandaVision fans, which will include the steelbook case, a full slipcover, an envelope, a folder, character cards, and postcards. This ultimate collector’s edition item is being produced by Manta Lab and will be available for pre-order on July 27, 2023 via Collectong. You’ll need to be fast, though, as only a limited number of sets are available. Fair enough—streaming services rarely release shows physically, so this is a huge win, right? Even if Disney isn’t directly releasing it?

Wrong.

Turns out this is not the news I’ve been waiting for, as this exclusive—and expensive—WandaVision steelbook is disc-less. It’s unclear whether the steelbook will include a digital download code, though given streaming service history, this seems unlikely. I’d wager they’ll just add a leaflet that says “Stream WandaVision now, only on Disney+.”

So why does this disc-less WandaVision steelbook cost $36.99? A quick search on Best Buy’s U.S. website proves that this is an egregious price for a release that doesn’t even contain a Blu-ray. The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 steelbook includes not one but two discs as well as a digital copy and costs $38.99. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse includes the same, and costs $36.99. If you think those are unfair comparisons because WandaVision is a nine-episode miniseries and those are movies, the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 steelbook Blu-ray is $49.99—$12 more expensive than the WandaVision release, certainly—but at least it includes the actual disc, and Strange New Worlds season 1 has a longer total runtime than WandaVision.

Interestingly enough, Manta Lab and Collectong have previously released disc-less steelbook versions of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Batman. The difference there, however, is that those movies were at least available to buy physically elsewhere. WandaVision is not.

I try to buy all my favorite movies and shows physically, be it on Blu-ray or DVD—yes, I still buy DVDs—because it’s comforting to know that I can return to those shows and movies at any time, no matter what licensing deals may or may not have been extended, which apps are available in which country, or if my internet cuts out for a week. That doesn’t mean I’m not subscribed to a bunch of streaming services anyway, because, against my better judgment, some of my favorite shows only exist on there, like Stranger Things, Dark, Only Murders in the Building, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, or any of the MCU or Star Wars Disney+ shows. I love those stories and want to support the writers, artists, actors, and creatives that worked tirelessly on them. So I subscribe and I buy.

But then Disney decides to release a disc-less steelbook, a move that feels strangely patronizing. Almost as if some higher-up believes the people who still buy physical media are only doing it to see those titles on their shelf, rather than using those discs at any time for practical purposes.

This is happening in the gaming industry, too. You can buy a physical box, but all it contains is a digital download code. The collector’s edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 contains a lot of gorgeous exclusive physical and digital goodies. And yet it doesn’t contain a disc. Why? Why not simply produce a version that has a disc and a digital code, so that players with either disc or digital PlayStation 5 versions can install the game however they want?

Physical media has, sadly, been in decline for several years. I understand the ease of streaming, and that not everyone has the room or the money to keep buying physical media. I have to limit myself, too. But this new trend of supplying disc-less “physical releases” feels more sinister, somehow. Writers and actors are fighting for their lives to get their owed residuals, and streaming services have slashed their earnings to almost nothing. The lack of physical media certainly hasn’t helped.

Max and Disney+ have even removed several original shows and movies from their streaming platforms, never to be seen again. Willow, Marvel’s Runaways, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Big Shot, and more were all pulled from Disney+ with virtually zero warning. Some of these shows had been on the platform for less than six months. No physical copies were ever released, and they can’t even be rented through other services like Amazon, iTunes, or Google. Nothing is truly safe, even a show like WandaVision—and that’s an absolute shame.

(via The Direct, featured image: Disney+)