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A controversial film has been entirely erased from Disney+.
Credit: Inside the Magic
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While Disney entered the streaming game much later than its competitors like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, there’s no denying just how powerful of a product Disney+ actually is. Featuring dozens of classic animated Disney films and the latest blockbusting entries in the Star Wars and Marvel universes, Disney+ is a place where kids and adults alike can find near-limitless hours of entertainment.
In 2025, it seems like practically nothing is off limits for the streaming service, with world-famous adult dramas, TV series, and other productions available on Disney+.
However, one film in particular recently proved too much and has since been wiped from the streaming platform entirely.
Credit: 20th Century Studios
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Fans hoping to catch The Abyss on Disney+ are now out of luck, as the film has been wiped from the platform due to a controversial scene. James Cameron’s classic 1989 sci-fi film stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn, following a group of engineers who are tasked with recovering a sunken nuclear sub.
Due to the film taking place underwater, The Abyss turned out to be quite a nightmare. Cameron himself recalled just how intense and dangerous making the movie actually was, though the end product is nothing short of spectacular.
However, for years, The Abyss has been plagued by one controversial scene, and it has nothing to do with humans.
One of the more unique scenes in The Abyss sees a real, live rat being submerged in fluorocarbon liquid. The animal reportedly survived filming, but the scene has become a stain on an otherwise universally praised movie.
The scene was cut entirely from the UK versions of The Abyss since 1989. Various animal rights groups and activists slammed the film, leading to an edited cut of the movie for home release.
The Abyss was previously watchable on Disney+ in the UK in its entirety, but as of June 17, 2025, has been removed entirely.
“This isn’t about cancel culture – we’d welcome Disney Plus reinstating the film to their platform, just with this troubling scene removed – as is already the case in cinemas, on TV, and on DVD,” the RSPCA’s Head of Public Affairs said in a statement.
“This was instead about highlighting a loophole that currently exists, allowing animal abuse scenes deemed unacceptable elsewhere to be streamed freely and legally into our homes – and protecting the public from having to see this animal abuse content.”
It’s unknown if an edited version of The Abyss will be available on Disney+, but the film remains unstreamable for now.
There’s actually quite a long list of films, shows, and other productions that have been wiped or cut down from the Disney+ catalogue, either temporarily or permanently. One of the best examples is seen in Splash, Disney’s mermaid movie starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah.
In the film, there is a scene where Daryl Hannah’s character leaps into the ocean naked. The scene is brief, and it’s hard to see anything ‘explicit,’ though Disney still needed to censor the moment for Disney+.
Now, the scene features additional CGI hair covering Hannah’s backside as she jumps into the water. Even in a side-by-side comparison, the two scenes are hard to tell apart, making this a rather head-scratching decision.
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The decision to censor Splash and now remove The Abyss is certainly curious, as Disney+ has recently made major moves to cater to adult audiences. The streaming service isn’t just home to Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar but also features Oscar-nominated, hard-R-rated films like Freddy Got Fingered (2001), Poor Things (2023), and Alien: Romulus (2024), to name a few.
Disney+ also offers classic adult animation, including The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers.
Other movies, like the entire Indiana Jones franchise, have been wiped from Disney+, only to return months later. Due to The Walt Disney Company’s ever-growing library of content, IP, and brands to pull from, Disney+ sees new additions all the time. However, due to certain rights and licensing agreements, specific productions vanish from time to time.
The Indiana Jones franchise has since returned, at least for the U.S. version of Disney+, but is also available on Paramount+.
What is your favorite thing to watch on Disney+?
As of today this movie is still on Disney Plus.
First of all, this movie isn’t for little kids.Also the rat sceen was a science teaching moment. Also Its a rat .
The sceen is important for what happens to Ed when he is doing the same later in the movie,with out it you have No Idea
Whats going on.
Disney needs tpo stop being the ‘censor”police.If you don’t want to take time and explain to the kids ,skip the sceen . I don’t want my subscripotion to be Pre edited just for a few.