Disney+ to reportedly soften content warnings on some older movies amid DEI strategy shift

Disney is reportedly changing content warning on some of its older films as the company makes a shift in its diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. 

The entertainment titan is removing the auto-play content advisory disclaimers that appear before some older movie titles on Disney+, including "Dumbo" and "Peter Pan," that warn viewers the movie "includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of peoples or cultures," Variety reported. 

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But the adjusted version in the advisory section will read "This program is presented as originally created and may contain stereotypes or negative depictions," which is a content warning Disney first used in 2019, according to Axios. 

In a letter from Disney obtained by Axios and Variety, chief human resources officer Sonia Coleman detailed ways the organization’s DEI efforts will change. 

The memo noted that Disney will replace the "Diversity & Inclusion" performance factor that it used to assess executive compensation with a new "Talent Strategy" that uses concepts from its old "Diversity & Inclusion" factor, but centers on how values drive business success. 

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Disney will also have a new website and DEI rebranding with the company eliminating its Reimagine Tomorrow initiative, and the corresponding website, which was used to feature stories and talent from underrepresented communities, per the letter. 

Axios noted that the website was criticized by conservatives and was replaced in December 2024 by an updated hub on Disney’s corporate website and on its internal website. 

What they're saying:

"Creating a welcoming and respectful environment for our employees and guests is core to our company culture and our business," Coleman wrote. "Our values — integrity, creativity, collaboration, community, inclusion — guide our actions and how we treat each other. Today I want to provide an update on how our values are embedded in our leader compensation programs, specifically our Other Performance Factors (OPFs), as well as share some of the work that has been underway to evolve our talent strategy consistent with these values," Variety noted, citing the memo. 

The backstory:

Disney added content warnings to movies like "Dumbo" in November 2019 based on racist depictions found in the movies created by Disney in the 1940s and 1950s. 

Less than a year later in October 2020, Disney changed the language to a longer content warning, now the company is transitioning back to its 2019 version.