The first annual Disney+ Day featured plenty of reveals on upcoming projects for Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, and more. Disney Plus Day is different from Disney Investor Day, which gives upcoming looks and announcements for the entire company. Disney Plus Day only gives sneak peeks for content exclusive to the Disney+ streaming service, with the day used to celebrate its subscribers and give first looks at quickly approaching content. It appears that 2021 will kick off the first of many Disney Plus Days, which will annually occur on November 12 to commemorate the date of the streaming service’s debut in 2019.
While Disney Plus Day was marketed with bringing new information to subscribers about what to expect from the service and exclusive first looks, many of the event’s announcements aren’t novel, having been anticipated since Disney Investor Day in December 2020. Moreover, Disney Plus Day gives a quick look summary of the content, with a few trailers and specials that can only be viewed by subscribers. The virtual live event was filled with a string of basic reveals accessible by all, which were announced via a long thread on social media. From Star Wars to Marvel to Pixar, 2021's Disney Plus Day gave sneak peeks for content subscribers to look forward to in late 2021 through 2022.
With Star Wars and MCU TV shows dominating Disney+, the event featured never-before-seen footage, trailers, and major announcements for some of the most anticipated series. Additionally, Disney Plus Day announced release dates for upcoming sequels to classic Disney movies, including Hocus Pocus and Enchanted. Here’s a breakdown of the major franchise reveals from Disney Plus Day and everything in between.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Footage & Concept Art Release
Out of the plethora of upcoming content for Disney+, the most anticipated reveal for the streaming service’s first annual Disney+ Day was for Star Wars’ 2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The show will feature Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reprising their iconic Obi-Wan and Anakin/Darth Vader roles for the first time since Star Wars’ prequel trilogy. While the Kenobi show’s new reveals were the biggest talking point of the day, they were also leaked online ahead of time. The Disney+ Day reveals included a behind-the-scenes interview of Ewan McGregor, concept art depicting a lightsaber rematch battle between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader, a greying Obi-Wan riding a Tatooine creature, Darth Vader looking at a hologram from his throne, and stormtroopers disembarking from an imperial ship. According to Ewan McGregor, the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi series needed Anakin/Vader back to reveal how unsafe Obi-Wan is, especially since Jedi hunters patrol the galaxy.
First Look At Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight TV Show
Oscar Isaac is officially joining the MCU, making his debut in the Disney+ series Moon Knight as the titular superhero. Disney+’s Marvel video revealed an extended sneak peek of footage from Moon Knight, including Oscar Isaac’s character Marc Spector struggling to differentiate reality and his dreams. The teaser also gave a long-awaited look at Isaac donning Moon Knight’s costume, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and beating up a mysterious figure in a bathroom. Moon Knight looks to have a darker tone than Disney+’s previous MCU shows, while showcasing Oscar Isaac’s award-winning acting range.
Enchanted 2 Releasing In Fall 2022
Disney+ has finally given a release schedule for Enchanted 2, titled Disenchanted, which follows the original fairytale characters from the 2007 movie musical. Disenchanted will be released on Disney+ in Fall 2022, bringing back several of the original actors 15 years after the first movie’s premiere. The Disney+ Day reveal came with a video from original stars Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, who will be reprising their roles of Gisele and Robert in the sequel set ten years after Enchanted.
Hocus Pocus 2 Sanderson Sisters First Look
Another highly anticipated Disney+ film sequel is Hocus Pocus 2, with Disney+ Day giving a first look at Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy back in their Sanderson sisters costumes. The three actresses are reprising their iconic roles from the 1993 movie, which followed a group of Salem teens accidentally bringing the three witches back to life on Halloween night. Set 29 years after Hocus Pocus, the 2022 Disney+ sequel film follows Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) renewing their youth with a new opposing group of teens. It’s unclear where the Sanderson sisters are in the Disney+ production still, but the string lights and columns in the background suggest it’s not their old Salem house.
X-Men ‘97 Series Is Returning With New Episodes
Disney+ is officially reviving the iconic 1990s animated series X-Men, which follows Wolverine and the X-Men and picks up where the original show left off. X-Men '97 will debut on Disney+ in 2023, with several original cast members reprising their voice roles. The original series ran from 1992 to 1997, ending with the X-Men waving goodbye to Professor Xavier as he leaves with Lilandra to the Shi'Ar's homeworld.
Marvel’s First Look At She-Hulk Series
While giving a sneak peek of footage from Marvel’s upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk, Mark Ruffalo is seen returning as Bruce Banner and Smart Hulk. The teaser trailer shows Tatiana Maslany in the first look at her human Jennifer Walters and green She-Hulk forms, with Mark Ruffalo's Hulk serving as her mentor. The 10-episode MCU series is another example of the original Avengers passing on the torch to a new generation.
Marvel’s Secret Invasion Teases Nick Fury’s Return
Diehard Marvel fans have long been waiting for reveals of Secret Invasion, an MCU series that finally places franchise staple Nick Fury at the center. The first look at Secret Invasion is a still of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, showing off a new look with a beard and without his trademark eyepatch. Along with the image, the Disney+ Marvel series debuted a new Skrull-themed logo.
Owen Wilson Returning With Pixar’s Cars Series
After returning to Disney in 2021 in the MCU's Loki series, Owen Wilson is reprising his most iconic Pixar role as Lightning McQueen for a Cars spin-off series. Cars on the Road is an upcoming Pixar TV show that will bring back Owen Wilson as Lightning and Larry the Cable Guy as Mater, with Disney+ Day's first look images indicating a grittier take on the franchise. The animated show will have Lightning McQueen and Mater visiting a new town each week, featuring the vehicles as they encounter new and old characters.
All Other Marvel Reveals
- Disney+'s November 2021 Hawkeye series gets another trailer, showing Clint Barton and Kate Bishop as they escape a group of tracksuit-wearing villains in a car chase.
- The upcoming MCU series Ms. Marvel gets a first-look teaser, with Kamala Khan showcasing her new powers while giving sneak peeks on her personal life.
- Marvel's What If…? is officially returning for season 2, bringing viewers more hypothetical scenarios with their favorite heroes.
- I Am Groot series gets a new logo, which shows Baby Groot's vines wrapping around the green lettering.
- Marvel announces the Hawkeye-spinoff Echo series, starring Alaqua Cox as the superhero Echo/Maya Lopez.
- Loki season 2 was officially announced, bringing back Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror.
- WandaVision spin-off series Agatha: House of Harkness officially announced starring Kathryn Hahn.
- Spider-Man: Freshman Year animated series announced, bringing the hero back to Disney.
- Disney+'s Ironheart series gets a new logo, with an apt metalic heart shape to gear up excitement for the armorer show.
- The animated series Marvel Zombies was also announced, which will reimagine heroes battling an ever-growing apocalyptic zombie herd.
All Other Star Wars Reveals
- Among a string of announcements for upcoming content, Disney+ released a documentary titled Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett, which helps increase anticipation for Boba Fett’s upcoming December series.
- Surprisingly, Star Wars gave no sneak peeks or reveals about upcoming Star Wars series like Ahsoka or Andor.
All Other Pixar Reveals
- Following the success of Pixar’s movie Luca, Disney+ released a short film titled Ciao Alberto, which depicts Alberto and Julia’s father Massimo after Luca leaves for school.
- Pixar also gave animation sneak peeks for the upcoming series Win or Lose, which follows a middle school co-ed softball team in the week before their championship game. Each episode will follow a different character, giving their point of view in the week leading up to the big match.
- Disney Plus Day also featured Pete Docter teasing documentaries on behind-the-scenes making of Pixar’s upcoming 2022 theatrical releases Lightyear and Turning Red.
All Other Disney+ Reveals
- Warwick Davis appeared in a video promoting the upcoming Disney+ original series Willow, a 2022 show that serves as a sequel to the 1988 fantasy film of the same name.
- Thor's Chris Hemsworth gets his own reality show for National Geographic titled Limitless With Chris Hemsworth, pushing the boundaries of physical human potential.
- Along with the Ice Age franchise being added to the catalog, Disney+ announced a new movie titled The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is coming to the streaming service on January 28, 2022.
- Disney+'s Cheaper by the Dozen reboot movie coming in March 2022, starring Gabrielle Union and Zach Braff as the parents of 12 children. This version remakes the story after Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt’s 2003 and 2005 versions, which are loosely based on the 1948 Cheaper by the Dozen semi-autobiographical book.
- The Baymax! original series is coming to Disney+ in summer 2022, which is an animated show based on characters from Big Hero 6.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid is coming to Disney+ with two new projects, including a new animated movie being released on December 3 and an animated film adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules coming in 2022.
- Disney+ also released the first clip from The Beatles: Get Back, a three-part documentary about The Beatles beginning on November 25.
- Rebooting the original 2000s Disney Channel series, Disney+ released an all-new trailer for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, coming in February 2022.
- The Chip 'n Dale reboot movie Rescue Rangers is also in the works starring Andy Samberg and John Mulaney, which will stream on Disney+ in Spring 2022.
- A Disney+ original musical film titled Better Nate Than Ever is coming in Spring 2022, starring Aria Brooks, Friends' Lisa Kudrow, and Joshua Bassett.
- A live-action remake of the Disney classic Pinocchio is coming to Disney+ in Fall 2022, with Keegan-Michael Key, Tom Hanks, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the cast.
- Welcome to Earth, a six-part National Geographic Disney+ original series debuting on December 8, 2021, will follow Will Smith as he discovers world treasures and sites.
- February 18, 2022 will feature the premiere of Disney+'s original movie Sneakerella, a Cinderella-esque movie following young shoe enthusiasts.
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is officially coming back for season 3 in 2022.
- The Spiderwick Chronicles is coming to Disney+ as a new original series based on the books.
- The Zootopia movies are getting their own original short-form series, with Disney's Zootopia+ coming in 2022.
- Disney+ Day released concept art for Tiana, an upcoming 2023 series following the Princess of Maldonia on a new adventure.