With Moon Knight recently hitting the platform, debuting with the second-highest IMDb rating for any MCU pilot episode, Disney+ is continuing its streak of high-quality original content. While the platform had a slow start, with few original movies and TV shows at launch, it has bolstered its library with dozens of original movies and series in recent years. These new Disney+ movies and TV shows, including content from Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel Studios, along with Disney's already impressive back catalog of content, have made Disney+ into a powerhouse in the streaming space.
As Disney+ has grown over the past three years, the quality of its original content has improved tremendously. Disney+ has given fans plenty of great original movies and series and IMDb users have ranked their 10 favorite original movies and series on Disney+.
Togo (2019)
One of the first Disney+ original movies to drop on the platform (released in November 2019), Togo, directed by Ericson Core, is an endearing, heart-warming, and timeless tale of the bond between man and his faithful canine companion.
Based on a true story, Togo stars Willem Dafoe, in one of his best roles, as the central human character Leonhard Seppala and Diesel the dog as the titular Togo. The plot centers on the extraordinary true story set during the 1925 serum run to Nome, where mushers and sled dogs traveled hundreds of kilometers to save the small Alaskan town of Nome from an epidemic of diphtheria.
What If...? (2021)
What If...? marked Marvel Studios' first foray into the animated space, opening the door to the limitless potentials of the multiverse. What If...? explores alternative realities of Marvel's multiverse; realities that skew the main MCU timeline fans are intimately familiar with after almost fifteen years of storytelling.
Featuring nine unique stories set across the multiverse, What If...? features many of the stars of Marvel's live-action movies, including Samuel Jackson, Christ Hemsworth, and Benedict Cumberbatch all returning to voice their animated counterparts. The show has been a huge hit for Disney+, and a second season is already in the works.
Luca (2021)
Originally set to be released theatrically by Disney, Luca's debut to audiences was moved to Disney+ in response to the COIVD-19 pandemic. The move would prove to be a huge boost for Luca, as it would go on to be 2021's most-streamed movie (via Deadline).
Set against the beautifully rendered backdrop of the Italian Riviera, Luca is a coming-of-age story about the boyhood friendship of two sea creatures who transform into humans on land, and their quest to get a Vespa. While it doesn't tug at the heartstrings in the way other Pixar movies do, Luca is a great movie nonetheless, with likable characters and gorgeous visuals.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
This one is technically a steal for Disney+, since The Clone Wars originally aired on Cartoon Network before Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney in 2012. Beginning its initial run in 2008, after a movie debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Clone Wars TV series was originally canceled in 2013, before finally concluding its 7 season run in 2020 on Disney+.
With a rocky production history and some dull visuals early on in the show's run, The Clone Wars really grew into its own later on. The show has since gone on to become essential viewing for Star Wars fans, particularly as animated characters, such as Ashoka and Bo Katan, have made the jump to live-action in The Mandalorian.
Hamilton (2020)
The filmed stage adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash-hit musical Hamilton, chronicling the history of America, as told by the America of the 21st century, has been a huge success for Disney+.
Featuring footage from a 2016 recording of the stage show, Hamilton, like many other movies during the past few years, was originally scheduled for a full-theatrical release. The impact of the pandemic forced the cancellation of a theatrical release, and Hamilton was released on Disney+ instead. The move helped the musical become one of the most-streamed movies of 2020 (via Business Insider).
Soul (2020)
Similar to Luca, Soul was released exclusively on Disney+ during the COVID-19 pandemic. The story revolves around Joe and his journey to be reunited with his soul after a near-death experience.
Full of pathos, beautiful animation, and a colorful cast of characters, Soul is Pixar at its absolute best. Soul would go on to win (deservedly so) the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, marking Pixar's 11th honor in the Best Animated Feature category.
Wandavision (2021)
Wandavision marked the first Marvel TV show directly connected to the MCU. The series was a huge success for Disney+, opening the door for the other Marvel series that have followed it, such as Loki & Moon Knight. Wandavision also highlighted how important the streaming platform had become to Disney's business model, with the events of the series being directly tied to the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Wandavision is a surreal TV show that parodies and pastiches American sitcom comedies through the decades, before becoming a full MCU movie halfway through its eight-episode run. The series really gives leading stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany an opportunity to fully explore their Wanda Maximoff and Vision characters more than any previous MCU movie.
Raya And The Last Dragon (2021)
Another feature-length cinematic victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, Raya and the Last Dragon was scheduled for a theatrical release in November 2020, before being delayed to March 2021. That delay would be abandoned as well, with Raya and the Last Dragon ultimately released on Disney+ (initially through Disney+ Premier Access). The movie would go on to be the third most-streamed movie of 2021 (via Deadline), losing out to Pixar's Luca which took the top spot.
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Raya and the Last Dragon is a classic Disney adventure tale, with the titular warrior princess Raya seeking to restore peace and prosperity to the land of Kumandra. The movie features a stellar voice cast, including Awkwafina, Kelly Marie Tran, and Gemma Chan. Raya and the Last Dragon would lose out on the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards, losing out to fellow Disney nominee Encanto.
Loki (2021)
Marking the return of Tom Hiddleston's fan-favorite god of mischief, Loki was a tour-de-force for Disney+, becoming the platform's second most-viewed show, with each of Loki's six episodes averaging around 872 minutes of viewing time by Disney+ subscribers (via THR).
Loki explores the villainous god of mischief in an alternative timeline post-Avengers: Endgame, and his encounter with the mysterious Time Variance Authority. With a great supporting cast, including Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino, Loki is essential viewing for Marvel fans, and probably Marvel Studios' most impressive MCU Disney+ original show to date.
The Mandalorian (2019)
The number one Disney+ original, as ranked by this IMDb poll, is of course The Mandalorian. Created for Disney+ by Jon Favreau, and executive produced by Dave Filoni, there's no denying the monumental effect that The Mandalorian has had on both Disney+ and Star Wars more generally. The Mandalorian breathed new life into the dwindling Star Wars franchise following the huge critical and fan failure of The Rise of Skywalker.
The Mandalorian, set between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, follows the titular Mandalorian, Din Djarin, and his adventures with Grogu (Baby Yoda) as they journey across the galaxy. Featuring great original characters, and old Star Wars favorites, The Mandalorian is the best of Star Wars, and the best original Disney+ has to offer.