San Diego Comic-Con may traditionally get all the attention every July, but Disney's annual D23 Expo is quickly becoming a Mouse House exclusive rival event brought with it a whole host of news regarding its upcoming release slate. From sizzle reels to trailers to casting announcements and release date changes, it seems as though pretty much every movie was covered, with the exception of the Han Solo movie. Below, we've rounded up all the best bits and the most important news you need to know.

Dumbo

Disney's live-action remake of its classic movie, Dumbo, about the lovable Elephant has long been 'in the works' at the House of Mouse, but no release date was set until D23. The Tim Burton directed feature is now set to arrive in theaters on March 29, 2019. Casting for the movie was also announced; Colin Farrell is in the central role, as a former circus star who struggles to return to everyday life when he returns after the war. He is hired by Max Medici, played by Danny DeVito, to take care of the baby Dumbo, and in turn, his children discover Dumbo can fly. Michael Keaton and Eva Green also round out the cast as a persuasive entrepreneur and an aerial artist, respectively, who make it their mission to set Dumbo on the global stage. Production has already started on Dumbo, and the above photo of Burton was release, in the circus train, Casey Jr., which featured in the original animated version.

Wreck-It Ralph 2

Its full title being Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, the movie previewed some footage at D23, which showed Ralph and Vanellope journeying into cyberspace together. In one scene, Vanellope is seen giving a makeover to the Disney Princesses when they visit Oh My Disney. As well as the Princesses, other Disney favorites will also appear, including Star Wars and Marvel characters, and even though those glimpses might only be brief, they'll still be thoroughly enjoyed by fans when the movie arrives. Disney also announced the casting of Taraji P. Henson, as a spam character named Yesss, who is an expert on the internet and how it works.

The Incredibles 2

the incredibles family pose

Set to arrive in just under a year, D23 revealed that the long-awaited Incredibles 2 will focus on Elastigirl. In a surprising move, given it will be a gap of 14 years until the sequel, The Incredibles 2 picks up right after the events of the first movie. Footage shown at the Expo showed Jack Jack testing out his powers, and proud dad Bob being ecstatic to see him doing so. It looks as though Elastigirl is now the family's full-time superhero, while Mr. Incredible focuses on raising the baby. Director Brad Bird confirmed that there would be a lot of new faces, too, and previewed glimpses of around 25 new superheroes for fans to look forward to. Think of the merchandise possibilities! While not all of them will be major players in The Incredibles 2, it's likely that at least some will be, and possibly as a rival superhero team to The Incredibles and Frozone. Finally, Pixar also released a new Edna Mode focused short that's well worth a look.

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Lion King Cast in the Sun

The Lion King

Initially, there was much excitement as it was falsely reported that Hugh Jackman had been cast in the role of Scar. Following The Lion King panel at D23, Jackman's representatives said there was no truth to the rumors. The Jon Favreau directed live-action remake of one of Disney's best-loved movies is slowly assembling its voice cast, with James Earl Jones back as Mufasa, and Donald Glover playing Simba. Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner play Timon and Pumbaa, and John Oliver is Zazu. Jackman would make the perfect Scar, of course, though it'd also be great to have Jeremy Iron reprise his role from the original. The D23 panel did show footage of 'Circle of Life,' something that is highly unlikely to be seen by the public, but which did, apparently, receive a rapturous reception.

Aladdin

Squashing reports that director Guy Ritchie was having a hard time casting his live-action Aladdin remake, Disney announced all three of its main role castings at D23, though the announcement is not without its controversies. Will Smith will be playing the Genie, something that has been long rumored and is met with mixed views, though to be fair, any Robin Williams replacement was never going to be met entirely favorably. Power Rangers star Naomi Scott takes on the role of Jasmine. She gave an acceptable performance in the Power Rangers reboot, but the actress is of British-Indian descent and not the Arabian origin that many had hoped for. Finally, Mena Massoud will play the titular role of Aladdin. The Egyptian-Arabic actor seems to be a popular enough choice, and this will be his first big screen role.

Also announced; Pasek and Paul will come on board to work on the musical score with Alan Menken. The duo are Oscar winners for their work on La La Land and are also enjoying rave success on Broadway with Dear Evan Hansen. They (with Menken) will write new songs for the movie, which will also incorporate the original songs by Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman. Interestingly, Disney did not give a release date for Aladdin. Filming was expected to begin this summer, but it looks like the roles of Jafar, the Sultan, Iago, and others have yet to be cast, which could mean a delay in filming and in turn means that Disney doesn't want to firm up a release date just yet.

A Wrinkle in Time

The first trailer, poster, and a host of new character images made their debut at D23 for Ava Du'Vernay's adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. Based on the book of the same name by Madeline L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Zach Galifianakis. Newcomer Storm Reid takes the central role, and the trailer gave an impressive glimpse of what's to come. A Wrinkle in Time is a visual feast, and fans of the book will be really looking forward to the movie's release in March 2018. Du'Vernay has already spoken of her deep love for the source material, and with a script penned by Jennifer Lee of Frozen fame, A Wrinkle in Time will make a fun and magical change to the slew of live-action remakes that Disney also has lined up.

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The Last Jedi

Where to begin? The Last Jedi panel at D23 showcased a fantastic sizzle reel, released emotive new posters, and revealed a few more details about the movie itself. The behind-the-scenes sizzle reel was fascinating to watch, giving a look at director Rian Johnson's ways of working, as well as the practical effects used; something that will be pleasing to fans. Some of the sets used are full-sized, as are some of the bigger pieces of equipment such as Poe Dameron's X-Wing and other ships. A lot of critters were also revealed; and some certainly look set to become hugely popular with fans. Canto Bight, the new planet that has already been revealed, looks as though it will host a wide variety of assorted creatures, and the 'porgs,' the long-rumored puffin-like animals who live on the island where Luke Skywalker now resides, were a reveal that particularly pleased fans. They are simply adorable, and we're fervently hoping for a plush version to be made.

We were also treated to a glimpse at almost all of The Last Jedi's characters in the reel, including Benicio Del Toro and Laura Dern, with both sporting impressive costumes. Poe has a new jacket, and there's a change of color scheme for Rey's outfit in the sizzle reel, too. While she's busy tracking down Luke, Finn is pairing up with Rose (played by Kelly Marie Tran), with the duo seeming to undertake some kind of secret mission for the Resistance. Of course, there's also the late, great Carrie Fisher featured; she had completed filming on The Last Jedi shortly before her passing and will play an important part in the movie.

Finally, Disney released new character posters for The Last Jedi. With their faces only half-shown, each of the main characters are unmistakable, and the images are striking, particularly in their use of color. We're still none the wiser on the plot of the movie, of course; Disney isn't going to be giving away secrets anytime soon. We do know, though, that Luke and Rey are said to be the 'beating heart' of the film, and that Johnson says The Last Jedi will provide catharsis for Leia fans. 

Avengers: Infinity War

Infinity War Fan Poster by BossLogic and King's Letter

The superhero movie to top them all, Avengers: Infinity War made for a spectacular panel at D23. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and have a lot to live up to, especially since the cast list for the movie is vast. But based on the footage shown, it seems as though they might just do it. Teasing a battle 'bigger  than 25 airport scenes,' Anthony Mackie certainly has faith in their work, given that the airport battle scene in Civil War was impressive as it was. The teaser trailer shown might not be released anytime soon (depending on the definition of "soon"), but some interesting points to note from it include both Spider-Man and Captain America in new suits (and Cap with a beard), a blond Black Widow, and Tom Holland using his Spidey senses. Fans were also treated to glimpses of Iron Man working with the Guardians, and Thanos fighting Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, and Iron Man.

A lot of destruction was also teased, along with the return of Loki and Thor. All-in-all, there's a lot to look forward to with Infinity War, and Marvel doesn't look set to disappoint at all. With a lot of the cast present for the Expo, we were also treated to a lot of teasers from them, too, including Paul Bettany saying the Avengers are too busy with more important matters (fighting Thanos, presumably) to fight among themselves. Don Cheadle teased War Machine's return, Josh Brolin promised an emotional side to Thanos (really), and Dave Bautista says there's going to be great chemistry between Drax and Iron Man. We can't wait for that.

And Finally...

Some other highlights of the expo included; a fabulous motion poster for Mary Poppins Returns. Emily Blunt looks perfect as the titular nanny; now we just need that trailer already.

Toy Story 4 will be directed by Josh Cooley on his own, and not in collaboration with John Lasseter as previously advised.

We learned precisely nothing about Frozen 2; we already knew it was arriving in 2019. We did, however, get Josh Gad and Kristen Bell giving a live performance of one of the songs from the upcoming Olaf short, Olaf's Frozen Adventure, which will play in front of Coco, later this year.

The director of Monster's University, Dan Scanlon, will direct an upcoming original Pixar movie about two teenage trolls who lost their father at a young age. The little remaining magic left in the world allows them one last, special day with him. That sounds like a tear-jerker if ever we heard one.

Mulan has a new release date; the movie has shifted from its previously announced November 2018 release date to make way for The Nutcracker, which seems far more ahead in proceedings. Meanwhile, Mulan now goes back to 2019, with the exact date still to be confirmed.

Last but not least... The untitled Han Solo movie. We're still in the dark, and it still doesn't have a title. Its total absence at D23 was noticeable, but with its release date still unchanged from May, 2018, we must surely get some more info soon.

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Of the many things teased and released at D23, what did you like the most? What are you looking forward to finally seeing on the big screen? Let us hear about it in the comments!

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