Netflix may currently be the king of streaming television, but that just means the target on its back is that much larger for other companies to aim at. Companies such as Disney+, the highly anticipated streaming service that will bring together the media conglomerate's most lucrative properties – such as Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe – for all new TV shows and more.
Thanks to some smart bundling options with Hulu and ESPN+, Disney+ is already looking great to future customers even before one dives into all the potentially fantastic programming that has been announced ahead of Disney+'s November 12 debut. A sizable selection of new series will be arriving on opening day, and various studios are working on a slew of in-development projects that will likely keep Disney+ subscribers hooked for years into the future. Especially if the company sticks to the weekly release strategy, as opposed to the all-at-once binge model.
Below, we've rounded up a group of the most exciting projects hitting Disney+ in the next two years or so, fully acknowledging that this is only the cream of the current crop, while the farm itself has a lot more on the way. Let's kick things off with arguably the most anticipated new show in Disney+'s library so far.
The Mandalorian
Release Date: November 12, 2019
Creative Team: Jon Favreau (Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer), Dave Filoni (EP, Director), Kathleen Kennedy (EP), Colin Wilson (EP)
Cast: Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Gina Carano (Cara Dune), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Carl Weathers (Greef Carga), Taika Waititi (the Voice of IG-11), Omid Atahi (Dr. Pershing), Nick Nolte, Werner Herzog, Emily Swallow, Bill Burr, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Boone Junior, Natalia Tena
Plot Synopsis: After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.
Why We're Excited: The Mandalorian's first trailer has a lot to do with it, but having Jon Favreau behind the very first Star Wars live-action TV show could be as game-changing as his first Marvel movie, Iron Man, was for the MCU. Also, just the words "first Star Wars live-action TV show" is music to any fan's ears. (And having Season 2 already in early development doesn't hurt.)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Release Date: Late 2020
Creative Team: Malcolm Spellman (Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer), Kevin Feige (EP), Derek Kolstad (Writer)
Cast: Anthony Mackie (Sam "Falcon" Wilson), Sebastian Stan (Bucky "The Winter Soldier" Barnes), Daniel Brühl (Zemo), Emily VanCamp (Sharon "Agent 13" Carter), Wyatt Russell (John "U.S. Agent" Walker)
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced, but it's known the series will take place following the events of Avengers: Endgame.
Why We're Excited: Marvel made a brilliant move by pulling a TV spotlight onto Anthony Mackie's Falcon and Sebastian Stan's Bucky (now with shorter hair), considering they're two of the biggest fan-favorite characters that hadn't yet fronted their own projects. (Sure, Captain America: The Winter Soldier had Bucky's alias in the title, but still.) And with Zemo returning to the MCU, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could tap into some comic book elements that couldn't get approached during Daniel Brühl's appearance in Captain America: Civil War.
Monsters at Work
Release Date: 2020
Creative Team: Roberts Gannaway (Creator, Writer, Executive Producer), Ferrell Barron (Executive Producer), Rob Gibbs (Director), Kate Good (Director)
Cast: Billy Crystal (Mike Wazowski), John Goodman (Sulley Sullivan), Ben Feldman (Tylor Tuskmon), John Ratzenberger (Yeti), Jennifer Tilly, Kelly Marie Tran, Henry Winkler, Aisha Tyler
Plot Synopsis: Six months after the events of Monsters, Inc., the city of Monstropolis is now fueled with the sound of laughter. Tylor Tuskmon, a mechanic on the Facilities Team, dreams of working alongside his idols Mike Wazowski and James P. "Sulley" Sullivan.
Why We're Excited: The prequel Monsters University remains an under-appreciated sequel within Pixar's toy-filled pantheos, largely because it went for more laughs than heartstrings. However, the sequel series Monsters at Work might be able to successfully follow up Monsters Inc. in a way that carries on the original's more heartfelt messages about friendships, self-confidence and scaring the heck out of unsuspecting children.
She-Hulk
Release Date: To Be Announced
Creative Team: To Be Announced
Cast: To Be Announced
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced
Why We're Excited: While one might have thought the character She-Hulk would get utilized for a big screen effort, Disney and Marvel clearly have a longer and more expansive story to tell with the MCU's second green behemoth. With the alter ego of Bruce Banner's cousin Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk was one of the final major Marvel characters co-created by the legendary Stan Lee, so it'll be great to see how the upcoming Disney+ series honors his legacy. And yes, I'm already waiting on a Lou Ferrigno cameo.
Muppets Now
Release Date: 2020
Creative Team: To Be Announced
Cast: Dave Goelz, Matt Vogel, Bill Barretta, Eric Jacobson, David Rudman, Peter Linz
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced, but it's known that it will be an "unscripted" short-form series, with celebrity guests involved.
Why We're Excited: Sure, ABC's The Muppets went from promising farce to pummeling arse in just 16 episodes, but Kermit the Frog & Co. are just as timeless as ever. For my money, any new Muppets project is worthy of celebration, and Netflix's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is proving that Jim Henson's legacy couldn't be stronger. Even the biggest Muppet cynics can possibly appreciate that the brevity of a short-form series might be exactly what this franchise needs.
Untitled Star Wars Cassian Andor Series
Release Date: To Be Announced
Creative Team: To Be Announced
Cast: Diego Luna (Cassian Andor), Alan Tudyk (the voice of K-2SO)
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced, but it's known that the series will (for very obvious reasons) take place before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Why We're Excited: The sound of "a second live-action Star Wars TV show" is also music to our ears, and the hype for this Rogue One prequel series will likely be through the roof if The Mandalorian solidifies the franchise's stronghold on the small screen. Diego Luna's Cassian embodied all of the elements of a great Star Wars hero, making his fate in Rogue One all the more disappointing (in a general sense), so watching the character's lead-up to that galaxy-changing mission will truly be a blast.
Loki
Release Date: Early 2021
Creative Team: Michael Waldron (Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer), Kevin Feige (Executive Producer), Kate Herron (Director)
Cast: Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
Plot Synopsis: This series follows the events of Avengers: Endgame, where Loki was captured in the The Avengers New York battle but escaped with the Space Stone.
Why We're Excited: As if anyone has to question why getting more of Tom Hiddleston's Loki will be a great thing. It'll be a slightly different version of the character being featured in the Disney+ series, and it's always fun to watch an actor tackle variations like that. And honestly, a big chunk of the excitement right now is just in waiting to see what new and familiar MCU characters will be added between now and the release.
Moon Knight
Release Date: To Be Announced
Creative Team: To Be Announced
Cast: To Be Announced
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced
Why We're Excited: Moon Knight is the epitome of a comic book (anti)hero who never truly seemed destined for live-action, despite endless wishes and several attempts. Created in 1975, the hyper-violent Moon Knight is possibly Marvel's closest counterpart to DC's Batman, in that he's a super-wealthy vigilante whose actions are aided largely by technology (and anger). The difference lies in the Moon Knight persona serving as an avatar for the Egyptian moon god of vengeance, Khonshu, so former mercenary Marc Spector has even fewer moral qualms about crushing villains than Bruce Wayne. It'll be tough for Disney+ to pull off a PG-13 version of Moon Knight and please everyone, but here's hoping it happens...for 12 seasons.
Love, Simon
Release Date: To Be Announced
Creative Team: Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger (Creators, Showrunners, Executive Producers), Jason Ensler (EP), Brian Tannen (EP), Isaac Klausner (EP), Pouya Shahbazian (EP), Marty Bowen (EP), Nick Robinson (Producer), Amy York Rubin (Director)
Cast: Nick Robinson (Narrator), Michael Cimino (Victor), Ana Ortiz (Isabel), James Martinez (Armando), Isabella Ferreira (Pilar), Mateo Fernandez (Adrian), Johnny Sequoyah (Mia), Bebe Wood (Lake), George Sear (Benji), Anthony Turpel (Felix), Mason Gooding (Andrew)
Plot Synopsis: The TV series is based on Becky Albertalli's young adult novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, which inspired the feature film Love, Simon.
Why We're Excited: Directed by Arrow-verse co-creator Greg Berlanti, Love, Simon was one of the most effective and charming coming-of-age movies of the post-John Hughes era. With the film's screenwriters at the head, the episodic expansion of this LGBTQ teen romance for Disney+ could be as close as audiences get to a spiritual successor to Freaks and Geeks. Getting the film's star Nick Robinson back as the narrator is a nice touch, too.
WandaVision
Release Date: Early 2021
Creative Team: Jac Schaeffer (Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer), Kevin Feige (Executive Producer), Matt Shakman (Director)
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda "Scarlet Witch" Maximoff), Paul Bettany (Vision), Teyonh Parris (Monica Rambeau), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo), Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis), Kathryn Hahn
Plot Synopsis: Two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives who begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.
Why We're Excited: Of all the MCU-spawned TV shows that got announced for Disney+, the limited series WandaVision was arguably the most surprising, given Vision's fate and Scarlet Witch's future in the film franchises. But it's also a fantastic concept to try and nail down, with Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda and a human(?) version of Paul Bettany's Vision seemingly living a stereotypical life in the Nick at Nite-esque 'burbs, only to have reality come crashing in on them somehow.
The World According to Jeff Goldblum
Release Date: November 12, 2019
Creative Team: Brian Lovett (Executive Producer)
Cast: Jeff Goldblum
Plot Synopsis: Documentary series in which Jeff Goldblum pulls back the curtain on a seemingly familiar object to reveal a world of astonishing connections, fascinating science, and a whole lot of big ideas.
Why We're Excited: Let's see...how many different ways can we pronounce "Jeff Goldblum?" Watching the actor chose his socks each day would be entertaining enough to land a web series of some kind, so fans are really lucking out over The World According to Jeff Goldblum being legitimately interesting. With National Geographic also serving as a production company, Goldblum's new show might be the quirkiest thing to hit educational TV since MythBusters said farewell.
What If...?
Release Date: Mid-2021
Creative Team: A.C. Bradley (Creator, Showrunner), Ashley Bradley (Head Writer) Kevin Feige (Executive Producer), Bryan Andrews (Director)
Cast: Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa / Black Panther), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark), Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Jeff Goldblum (The Grandmaster), Sean Gunn (Kraglin), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Djimon Hounsou (Korath the Pursuer), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Toby Jones Arnim Zola), Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger), Neal McDonough (Dum Dum Dugan), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Jeremy Renner (Clint "Hawkeye" Barton), Michael Rooker (Yondu), Paul Rudd (Scott "Ant-Man" Lang), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner / Hulk), Sebastian Stan (Bucky "The Winter Soldier" Barnes), Taika Waititi (Korg), Jeffrey Wright (The Watcher)
Plot Synopsis: The series explores what would happen if major moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe occurred differently.
Why We're Excited: With each one of its 23 animated episodes tethered to a different entry in the current age of MCU films, What If...? will give fans a chance to experience their favorite superhero flicks in a completely different way, with hypothetical chaos thrown into the mix. The first What If...? comic book arc was "What If Spider-Man had Joined the Fantastic Four?" and other one-off stories included Daredevil joining S.H.I.E.L.D., The Punisher becoming Captain America, and Incredible Hulk having Bruce Banner's brain. With nearly the entire MCU cast bolstering the show's creative thinktank, the only limits are episode runtimes.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7 Release Date: February 2020
Creative Team: Kathy Kennedy (EP), Dave Filioni (Supervising Director)
Cast: Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano), Tom Kane (Narrator, Yoda, add'l voices), Dee Bradley Baker (Clone Troopers, Captain Rex, add'l voices), Sam Witwer (Darth Maul), Catherine Taber (Padmé Amidala), Matthew Wood (General Grievous, Battle Droids, add'l voices)
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced, but we know The Clone Wars will be returning with twelve all-new episodes that will mark the return of classic characters Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and fan-favorites Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex.
Why We're Excited: Let's rattle them off together at the same time. Go: Anakin Skywalker's pre-Darth Vader arc coming to fruition. Seeing characters again who died in Order-66. Getting Ahsoka back! As well as Dave Filoni returning to this universe after everything that went down in Star Wars Rebels. With Star Wars Resistance ending with Season 2, Clone Wars will at the very least keep the franchise's animated universe going strong until we know what's coming next.
Ms. Marvel
Release Date: To Be Announced
Creative Team: Bisha K. Ali (Creator, Showrunner), Kevin Feige (Executive Producer)
Cast: To Be Announced
Plot Synopsis: New Jersey raised Kamela Kahn learns she has polymorphous powers.
Why We're Excited: With Brie Larson's Captain Marvel getting her 1990s-set introduction on the big screen in 2019, it's only fitting for the youth-friendly Disney+ to launch a series focusing on the Carol Danvers-idolizing teen Kamala Khan, who who takes the Ms. Marvel mantle upon discovering her powers. The show will presumably deliver TV's first Pakistani superhero, which is a huge win, and Ms. Marvel's origin story just so happens to parallel Peter Parker's ups and downs as Spider-Man. Replace web-slinging with shape-shifting, and Ms. Marvel could be a miracle (if still-distant) hangover cure for Marvel and Sony's Spidey split.
Hawkeye
Release Date: Late 2021
Creative Team: Kevin Feige (Executive Producer), Trinh Tran (EP)
Cast: Jeremy Renner (Clint "Hawkeye" Barton)
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced, but it's known that it will take place following the events of Avengers: Endgame, and that it'll involve Clint passing the Hawkeye mantle on to Kate Bishop.
Why We're Excited: Having sat out the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye returned in full emotional force to Avengers: Endgame. Assuming he doesn't get a major arc in a future feature, the Disney+ series should be a fantastic and fan-friendly way for him to live in the archer's boots for a while longer. Beyond the interest in seeing how Hawkeye will differ from Arrow in terms of small-screen projectile-based action, we're also excited as can be to get introduced to Clint's (and Renner's) succeeder Kate Bishop. Nail that casting, Marvel!
Untitled Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi Series
Release Date: To Be Announced
Creative Team: Kathleen Kennedy (Executive Producer)
Cast: Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
Plot Synopsis: To Be Announced
Why We're Excited: Regardless of what one thinks about George Lucas' Star Wars prequels, Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi is inarguably one of the trilogy's most sound elements, due to both the actor's charisma and the character's legacy. As such, McGregor's Jedi could have been in a Geico commercial, and that commercial would Force-slap so hard. A Disney+ TV show is a million times better, though, since there are so many elements of Obi-Wan's eventually hermitic life, among other things, that remain unexplored in the official canon. I'll just throw this out there now: teenage Luke Skywalker.
Lizzie McGuire Revival
Release Date: To Be Announced
Creative Team: Terri Minsky (Creator, Showrunner)
Cast: Hillary Duff (Lizzie McGuire)
Plot Synopsis: The new Lizzie McGuire series will revolve around Lizzie as a 30-year-old millennial navigating life in New York City.
Why We're Excited: The Emmy-nominated Lizzie McGuire turned Hilary Duff into a household name for younger generations, and it's exciting for fans that this is a Lizzie-focused revival, as opposed to the Girl Meets World spinoff approach. It's also intriguing to thinking about how the Disney+ series will update the character's animated alter ego, which was such a core element of the character's personality. Here's hoping they stick with the 2-D drawings, though, and that some of the show's humor has aged up along with Duff and creator Terri Minsky.
Marvel's Hero Project
Release Date: November 12, 2019
Creative Team: Joe Quesada (Executive Producer), Sarah Amos (EP), John Hirsch (EP), Maura Mandt (EP), Shane Rahmani (EP), Stephen Wacker (EP), Liza Wyles (EP)
Cast: To Be Announced
Plot Synopsis: In life, it doesn’t take wearing a suit of iron, carrying a mythical hammer or swinging from spider webs to be a real hero. Sometimes the person who can make a positive difference in the world is the person who simply sees a problem and has the passion to find a creative solution. The first of its kind for Marvel Entertainment, the 20-episode series shares the remarkable, positive change several young heroes are making in their own communities across the country. These inspiring kids have dedicated their lives to selfless acts of bravery and kindness, and now, Marvel celebrates them as the true Super Heroes they are by welcoming them into Marvel's Hero Project.
Why We're Excited: Watching characters sling punches and wisecracks amidst giant CGI battles doesn't get old in the MCU, but we're just as excited to watch real people showcasing their own heroism through a variety of meaningful and beneficial acts. (Example: the documentary Legends of the Knight, available to stream on Amazon.) This show will hopefully be a great way to show kids that there are an endless number of ways to help the community that don't involve blowing up entire city blocks.
With other potentially great projects like the short-form Toy Story 4 offshoot Forky Asks a Question and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Disney+ is likely going to keep dropping announcements for these shows and more in the future, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for further updates.
