Happy Disney+ Day to all who celebrate.
The streamer held an event earlier today teasing some of its most-anticipated shows and movies dropping later this year and in 2022. Among them? A slate of Marvel series, some Star Wars titles, and reboots of nostalgic classics. Now, we couldn’t list everything coming from Disney+ — shows like Andor, Ahsoka, Ironheart, and Armor Wars are just too far down the pipeline for any real first-looks — but we did round-up some of the biggest news to come from Disney+ Day here. Even better, we decided to rank which shows and movies we’re most looking forward to. See if you agree with our picks below:
13. Echo
Another win for representation at Marvel, this series will introduce audiences to Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), a deaf, Native American hero who goes by the alter-ego Echo. Look out for her first in Hawkeye where she’s set to pop up.
12. X-Men ’97
Now that Marvel has access to the X-Men archives, they’re putting it to good use. This animated show is set to follow some of the biggest stories in the beloved ’90s timeline of the comic book series, but you’ll have to wait a bit longer for it.
11. Prey
In case you forgot that Disney now owns Hulu, this new Predator prequel announcement should serve as a jarring reminder. Disney+ Day included a tease of the latest entry in the franchise which is set in 1719 and follows a young Comanche warrior, who must protect her people when the first Predator lands somewhere in North America. This project has been in limbo for a while, but after the poorly-received 2018 movie, maybe it can get fans interested again?
10. Ms. Marvel
Another Marvel offering, this series Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan, a young Muslim-American girl who just so happens to be a huge Captain Marvel fan. The preview shows Khan absorbing some kind of energy blast which gives her superpowers after she says that “brown girls from Jersey City” aren’t really the types that save the world. We’re really glad she’s going to be wrong about that one.
Check out the preview on Disney+.
9. Secret Invasion
Again, Disney+ Day didn’t give us much video footage of this highly-anticipated series but it did give us a glimpse of Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, sans eyepatch. The show takes place during the time in Spider-Man: Far From Home when Fury was thought to be off-world. Well, he was, and this series shows him dealing with a Skrull faction that has secretly been invading Earth for years.
8. Disenchanted
Perhaps the best Disney musical to ever exist in the history of cinema is now on Disney+ and, if that wasn’t the stuff of fairytales, fans are also getting a sequel to the film due out sometime next year. To make the announcement, the Mouse got America’s Sweetheart Amy Adams and McDreamy himself Patrick Dempsey to share the good news.
7. Willow
Disney+ Day is really serving up a whole meal for ’90s kids because they dropped a first-look at the cast of the sequel for another beloved fantasy film. Warwick Davis is back as the venturing dwarf sorcerer, and he’s joined by some familiar faces including his Solo costar Erin Kellyman. The story follows Willow as he helps a princess on her quest to rescue her twin brother. Just … don’t make any Lord of the Rings comparisons, okay?
6. Hocus Pocus 2
Speaking of witches, the Anderson sisters are officially returning to Salem in Fall 2022, and Disney+ shared the first look of Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in character as the powerful trio. This follow-up will be set 30 years after the events of the first film as three high school students accidentally summon Winnie, Sarah, and Mary and must stop them before they destroy the town.
5. Agatha: House of Harkness
No, Disney+ did not give us any new clips from this spin-off series centered on everyone’s favorite dog-killing witch, but that hasn’t dimmed out excitement about seeing Kathryn Hahn return to the role of Agatha Harkness. Even more exciting, Jac Schaeffer, who wrote and directed WandaVision, is coming back to helm the project. Not much is known about the plot here. It could follow Agatha during the Salem Witch Trials — she is a centuries-old spellcaster, so she’s definitely seen some things — or it could be set in more modern times. In the Fantastic Four comics, Agatha was once in charge of mentoring young gifted individuals so, if House of Harkness hints at the witch having her own private school for superpowered kids (maybe even some Fantastic Four members), we wouldn’t be mad at that turn of events.
4. Hawkeye
Ok, technically we’ve already seen a full trailer for this show and that really should’ve been sufficient to pique everyone’s interest but, if you’re still on the fence, the new Disney+ Day preview should get you adequately excited for this on-the-street-style Avengers spin-off. The new footage kicks off with Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton arguing over who’s going to drive the getaway car they just hotwired with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. What follows is an inventively-shot, slick-looking car chase as some Christmas rock blasts through the radio, and Steinfeld shows off her action chops. Sadly, no new footage of the Captain Rogers Musical pops up.
Check out the preview on Disney+.
3. She-Hulk
Good news Orphan Black fans, Tatiana Maslany is back on our small screens, and she’s playing the female version of the Hulk — with some key differences. In the preview from Disney+ Day, Maslany introduces herself as Jennifer Walters, a normal lawyer who can be seen doing some calming yoga exercises and heading to her corporate job. Of course, she’s only kind-of normal. We get a glimpse of Maslany’s green-tinted alter-ego, first in a comic-inspired suit and then again in a dress as she looks to be attending some paparazzi-filled red carpet event. We also see Walters in a glass box with a monitoring cap on her head as Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk explains that her transformation is triggered by fear and anger. The preview ends with Maslany and Ruffalo decked out in ’70s garb as her character warns, “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” Ummm, ma’am, we think we will.
Check out the preview on Disney+.
2. Moon Knight
Oscar Isaac makes his Marvel debut in this fairly dark comic book property about a man with disassociative identity disorder and a taste for violence. Isaac’s Marc Spector hears voices in his head and believes he’s the incarnation of an Egyptian god named Khonshu. If you weren’t ready for Marvel to get that wild, just wait until you hear the Yorkshire accent Isaac’s sporting. The preview shows a confused and terrified Spector running around London and hiding in museums before giving us a glimpse of the actor in the iconic white suit and cape as Spector’s alter-ego viciously beats a man and later jumps between building rooftops. We’ve seen a behind-the-scenes look at the training Isaac’s undergone to bring the bloody vigilante to life, but watching Moon Knight in action proves the show is going to be much darker than anything Marvel’s done on Disney+ before. And we’re here for it.
Check out the preview on Disney+.
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Disney+ has a ton of Star Wars titles on its upcoming streaming roster, but few have been as hyped as this spin-off which sees Ewan McGregor returning to the role of the wise, somewhat-cheeky Jedi master. The show is set 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith as Obi-Wan enters a pretty dark time in his journey. His pupil has turned to the Dark Side, the Jedi council is destroyed, and he’s tasked with keeping a young Luke Skywalker safe from the Empire. In the preview on Disney+, McGregor teases another showdown between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader (who will once again be played by Hayden Christensen in the series) by saying, “To have another swing at each other might be quite satisfying.” We certainly think so.
Check out the full preview on Disney+.
