Marvel & Star Wars Disney+ Shows: 20 New Series Planned

Disney recently concluded the initial part of its investor day presentation, during which the company detailed its strategies for its direct-to-consumer streaming platforms, encompassing Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Hotstar/Star.

The company began by sharing updated subscriber figures: 86.8 million for Disney+ (approximately 30% of which are Disney+ Hotstar subscribers, utilizing an established streaming service in India), 38.8 million for Hulu, and 11.5 million for ESPN+, totaling over 137 million subscribers across all its streaming services.

The remainder of the event is anticipated to concentrate on content announcements and previews, with Chairman of Media and Entertainment Distribution Kareem Daniel already indicating substantial plans for the coming “few years.”

While prominent Disney+ original series have primarily consisted of “The Mandalorian” and “Hamilton” in its first year, Daniel stated the company intends to premiere 10 Marvel series, 10 Star Wars series, 15 series based on Disney Animation, Disney live action, and Pixar properties, and 15 feature films from Disney Animation, Disney live action, and Pixar, all exclusively on Disney+.

Simultaneously, Daniel affirmed Disney’s continued dedication to diverse distribution methods, specifically highlighting “theatrical exhibition’s ability to build significant franchises.”

He also revealed that the Disney Animation film “Raya and the Dragon” will follow a distribution model similar to “Mulan” this fall, debuting concurrently in cinemas and on Disney+ through Premier Access, requiring subscribers to pay an additional fee for viewing.

The presentation also emphasized the importance of the Hotstar/Star brand to Disney’s global expansion objectives. In Latin America, the company plans to launch a separate Star+ service, while a new Star section within the Disney+ app will serve as the destination for “general entertainment” content (comparable to the content U.S. audiences find on Hulu) in other regions, such as Europe.

The addition of a Star section will introduce mature content to Disney+, which previously featured only family-oriented films and programs. Consequently, Disney also demonstrated new parental control features, enabling subscribers to activate or deactivate access to more mature content—this will also allow the company to introduce new content to other parts of Disney+, for example bringing the R-rated film “Logan” to the Marvel section.

Further integration between Disney’s various streaming services is also expected. For instance, Star+ will incorporate content from ESPN, and Hulu will offer the option to subscribe to and view ESPN+ content directly within the app.

For those subscribing to the Disney bundle, which combines Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for $12.99 monthly, the company intends to introduce a new plan in January that provides ad-free Hulu for an additional $6 per month.

Update: Further details regarding those shows have now been released. Within the Star Wars universe, two series are being developed by “Mandalorian” executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni — “Rangers of the New Republic” and a series centering on Ahsoka Tano, the popular “Clone Wars” character who recently transitioned to live-action in “The Mandalorian.” Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy stated these three shows will converge in a “climactic storytelling event.”

Additionally, previously announced shows focusing on “Rogue One” character Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi—the latter will feature the return of both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, who portrayed Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy—are in development. A Lando Calrissian series is also underway, along with “The Acolyte,” a series from “Russian Doll” writer Leslye Headland.

Kennedy also announced that the next Star Wars theatrical release will be a Rogue Squadron film directed by “Wonder Woman” director Patty Jenkins, scheduled for release on Christmas 2023.

Beyond Star Wars, Lucasfilm is also developing a “Willow” series with Jon M. Chu, plus an adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone.” The long-delayed fifth Indiana Jones film is slated to begin production next spring, with James Mangold directing and Harrison Ford reprising his role, aiming for a release in July 2022.

Other non-Marvel, non-Star Wars Disney+ live-action shows in development include a “Mighty Ducks” sequel featuring Emilio Estevez and Lauren Graham, a “Turner and Hooch” reboot, and a “Swiss Family Robinson” reboot from Chu and Ron Moore, known for his work on the “Battlestar Galactica” reboot. On the film front, the studio is developing “Sister Act 3” with Whoopi Goldberg.

Hulu and FX also shared some announcements, including a fifth season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and an “Alien” series from Noah Hawley.

Disney will also continue to reimagine its classic titles, with Disney+ Originals including a new version of “Pinocchio” directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, and a new adaptation of “Peter Pan and Wendy.”

Pixar has three series planned for Disney+, beginning with the “Up” spinoff “Dug Days” next fall, followed by a “Cars” series and an original show titled “Win or Lose.”

Finally, regarding Marvel, “WandaVision” will premiere on January 15, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (described by Marvel’s Kevin Feige as “a Marvel Studios movie played out over six episodes”) is coming in March, “Loki” in May, “Ms. Marvel” sometime next year (with the character also appearing in “Captain Marvel 2,” demonstrating the “interconnectedness” of the TV shows and films), and “Hawkeye” late next year. Upcoming series also include “She-Hulk” with Tatiana Maslany (and Mark Ruffalo returning as the Hulk) and “Moon Knight.”

Feige also announced the Disney+ series “Secret Invasion” (based on the popular crossover, featuring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury), “Ironheart,” and an “Iron Man” tie-in “Armor Wars” with Don Cheadle. A “Guardians of the Galaxy” holiday special written and directed by James Gunn is scheduled for release in Christmas 2022.