Disney+ has many movies and shows that require chronological viewing; however, the service doesn't offer an option to view them this way. While the release of Disney+ has been highly successful, this doesn’t mean that the streaming service hasn’t been receiving some constructive criticism. One of the biggest changes that has been suggested is to add an option to view movies and TV series in chronological order.
Disney+ was released on November 12 to the excitement of many Disney fans, especially those fans of Star Wars and Marvel. Finally, most films and TV shows that had since been spread across several different streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, were all available in one place. Unfortunately, upon its release, it was disappointing to discover that the Marvel and Star Wars films were displayed out of chronological order. Additionally, the Star Wars TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars was also displayed out of chronological order. For viewers that may be new to the franchises and want to watch from the beginning, this could cause them to start in the wrong place. This would lead to spoilers, and confusion among characters, plots, timelines etc.
If Disney is looking to cater to their fans and potentially grow their subscriber numbers, implementing an option to view movies and TV shows in chronological order would be a good place to start. By doing so, they would be setting themselves apart from other streaming services. For example, Netflix had the streaming rights to Star Wars: The Clone Wars before the launch of Disney+. However, on Netflix the series was only available to watch in release order. Now that Disney+ will have control of the TV series, Disney should create the option to view it in chronological order, making it easier for fans to understand. The same should be done for the Star Wars films which currently begins with Star Wars: A New Hope, as well as the Marvel films that begin with Thor: Ragnarok.
By adding the option to view movies and TV series in chronological order, Disney could make a small but major change in the world of streaming services. Once they released an option to view in chronological order, other streaming services would follow for movies and TV shows that could benefit from this option. Furthermore, fans new and old would be able to easily view their favorite series of movies and shows from the start, saving them from unwanted spoilers and confusion with characters' timelines and plots.
Disney+ is only a month old at this point. But, don’t be surprised if in the near future the streaming service decides to add a "view in chronological order" option as a way to gain new subscribers, in addition to satisfying current ones.