Here’s Just a Glimpse at D23 This Year
Disney has pulled all their aggregates together once more to put on D23, showcasing most everything they’ve got on the docket for the next few years across their blockbuster list of major franchises. We’ve got you with a breakdown, start to finish, all in one place.
Disney opened the show with a teaser that showed scattered footage from across multiple franchises. We saw some stuff we’ve already seen, like a Deadpool and Wolverine snippet, but Disney managed to tease a few new seconds of Captain America: Brave New World as well as two new looks at their upcoming Snow White live action adaptation, directed by Marc Webb. A peek was shown at Rachel Zegler in action as the titular character, as well as Gal Gadot in her villainous role as the evil queen.
Shortly thereafter, Moana 2 kicked off the actual showcase with a live musical number, a new, extended trailer, and a special appearance of Dwayne Johnson, who also managed to announce a Monster Jam movie that he’ll star in whilst on stage. Little is known about that one outside of the announcement itself.
Regarding the former, Moana has not only become the leader of her people in her time off-screen, but a big sister as well. Johnson mentioned Maui’s expected involvement, as well as a villain to look out for. The film releases this fall, November 27.
After Moana, James Cameron took the stage for Avatar. He says the third film, titled Fire and Ash, is “not what you expect, but what you want.” Red-tinged, moody concept art is shown, and the film is slated for a December 2025 release.
Pixar’s Slate
Next up, Pixar. First, a short look at their first ever original series, Win or Lose; it’s a baseball-based show focusing on an array of different kids who make up a team. Releasing December 6 on Disney +
Following that, a sneak-peek at some concept art for Toy Story 5 was shown, which will follow the toys fighting for attention in an age of electronics dominating the kids’ entertainment space. A legion of evil, robot Buzz Lightyear toys is mentioned, and the film is given a summer 2026 release.
A new Inside Out spinoff show, titled Dream Productions, is announced for 2025. It takes place between the two films, focusing on how memories work through dreams in Riley’s mind.
Then, Pixar announced Hoppers, an original film set for Spring 2026, wherein a little girl transfers her brain into a robot beaver, with the intention of infiltrating their habitat in the real animal kingdom. The film will star Jon Hamm and Bobby Moynihan.
Elio, the Pixar original that was delayed to next year, finally got some fresh information as well. Zoe Saldana, who plays the main character’s aunt, took the stage and spoke about the film’s narrative and family dynamics. This is the first real, major news for the film since a teaser last year, as it appears to be back on track.
Before passing the torch back to Disney’s animation turn, Pixar announced that Incredibles 3 is in development, with Brad Bird returning at the helm. This may go down as the biggest surprise of the night, and should have fans buzzing for a long time coming as we await plot details and that first teaser.
Disney immediately confirmed the long suspected Zootopia 2 at the start of their animated stint, promising the return of fan favorites as well as new characters, including a snake named Gary, voiced by Ke Huay Quan. The highly anticipated sequel is set to drop in November of next year.
After teasing an original animated film for 2026, Disney confirmed Frozen 3 will release the year after. In addition to some concept art, the film will be a two-parter, with a fourth Frozen film eventually releasing to tie the main storylines up once and for all.
A Hearty Dose of Star Wars
It didn’t take long for Star Wars to take the stage. Jude Law kicked things off with the first trailer for Skeleton Crew, a Jon Watts original series about a rag-tag group of kids who go on a galactic adventure, bumping into Law’s Jedi at some point along the way. The show hits Disney + in December of this year.
Andor’s second season was confirmed for 2025, along with a bevy of casting details and short looks. It’ll take place over four years, with a one-year time jump every three episodes.
A teaser for The Mandalorian and Grogu was then shown, featuring all kinds of fan favorite characters, like Zeb Orrelios and Babu Frick, as well as explosive action sequences with trademark appearances from AT-AT’s and snow troopers. Fans will have to wait for Summer 2026 to experience the full thing.
Other News to ‘Marvel’ At
Ryan Reynolds started Marvel’s portion with a special digital message to thank fans for supporting Deadpool and Wolverine in theaters, and then all eyes pivoted to Captain America: Brave New World. Anthony Mackie took the stage to ease fans in, before new footage, featuring an extended look at the Red Hulk, was shown. The film looks to be a political thriller in the same vein as Winter Soldier and Civil War, with Sam and Thunderbolt Ross butting heads over the potential rebuilding of the Avengers. The wait for this one isn’t so long as it hits theaters in February of next year.
A short video of the Fantastic Four cast is shown on set, with Joseph Quinn in-suit as Johnny Storm. The suit, sporting blue, white, and stripes, looks to lean heavily into the 1960’s retro-future aesthetic that the film has teased in marketing thus far. Following this, Ironheart finally resurfaces and is teased with new footage and a ton of details, including the tidbit that Ryan Coogler is producing. The show is set to release on Disney + in September of next year. A new look at Thunderbolts, featuring Florence Pugh, was also shown.
Daredevil: Born Again would cap off the Marvel showcase next. The cast took the stage, noting that the show takes after the essence of the Netflix original, before showing a full trailer that proved their point, sending fans into a frenzy. Punisher, Kingpin, and Bullseye are back, and new villainous forces are hinted at. Season 1 will be released in March of next year.
An announcement for a Freaky Friday sequel, called Freakier Friday, served as a non-franchise interlude between larger segments. Sneak-peek stills were shown. The film is set for 2025.
After that, the first look at live-action Stitch from Lilo and Stitch appeared crawling across the screen to confirm the film’s summer 2025 release.
Last, but not least, the Tron Ares cast, including Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges, came out to tease the film for the first time since the original announcement; a special look at footage was shown. Nine Inch Nails will contribute to the film’s score, and it’ll hit theaters in October of next year.
All this in one night made for a D23 for the ages. Fans from all circles should have plenty to look forward to in the next few years. Until then, we’ll have you covered on all the news that’ll come beforehand.