The independent Hulu application is destined to disappear, and although Disney has acknowledged it in dribs and drabs, a leaked internal document reveals that the decision has already been made. The entertainment giant has been quietly moving for months toward a world in which Hulu, as we know it, will cease to exist as a separate platform. The question is no longer if it will happen, but when.

The “Gemini Project” that changes everything

An internal Disney document obtained by Business Insider reveals that the company's streaming technology teams are actively working on a plan called "Project Gemini," designed to move all of Hulu's content and features directly to Disney . And the most revealing thing in the document is this literal phrase about the Hulu app: “it will be deactivated once all users have completed the transition” to Disney .

The plan calls for the unified experience to be complete before the end of 2026, according to two Disney streaming employees who confirmed the details to the outlet. And although Disney has come out to say publicly that “there are no current plans to remove the Hulu app,” the leak tells a very different story.

How it all started: from announcement to reality

The road to this moment began to accelerate in August 2025, when Disney CEO Bob Iger announced during a financial results call that the company was “fully integrating” Hulu into Disney . Iger spoke of creating “a unified experience” that would combine general entertainment, news, sports and family content on a single platform.

By then, Disney already owned 100% of Hulu after completing the acquisition of Comcast's share. With that full control in hand, I had no incentive to keep two separate apps competing against each other.

The process began to become a reality on February 5, 2026, when Disney officially began the progressive closure of the Hulu standalone app. The first device affected was the Nintendo Switch, where access to Hulu ended that same day. Disney's message to subscribers was clear: if they want to continue watching Hulu content, they have to move to Disney .

What does this mean for the more than 50 million subscribers?

More than 53 million Hulu subscribers in the United States are directly affected by this change. And while Disney insists the content isn't going away, the transition isn't as simple as pressing a button.

By migrating to Disney , users will be able to keep their profiles, viewing history, and preferences. Additionally, individual subscriptions to Disney and Hulu will still be possible, at least in theory, even after the full merger. But the Hulu app as an independent destination, with its own interface and brand identity, will cease to exist.

This also has global implications. In Latin America, where Star was the recognizable face of adult content within Disney , Hulu has already replaced Star as of October 8, 2025, consolidating the company's global strategy under a single brand.

Disney's move is clear and calculated. With 127.8 million subscribers on Disney and 55.5 million on Hulu, the company wants to unite those forces under one roof to compete head-on with Netflix and Prime Video. Having two separate apps in 2026 not only complicates the user experience; It also divides resources, increases costs and makes it difficult to retain subscribers.

The “Gemini Project” is, at its core, Disney's commitment to simplify its streaming universe and present itself as the all-in-one platform that the industry has been trying to build for years. The end of the Hulu app is not a defeat, it is the last piece of a plan that has been underway for years. And according to what was leaked, the outcome is closer than Disney is willing to admit in public.

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