CinemaCon 2026 gave Disney a chance to show exactly what it wants the next year at the movies to feel like.
This was not just a trailer drop or a quick studio reel. Disney used the presentation to spotlight Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney Animation, live action, and even a few bigger 20th Century and Searchlight titles. Some of that matters more to exhibitors than fans. Still, the fan-facing message was easy to read. Disney wants its biggest films to feel like true theatrical events.
For Sam’s Disney Diary, the biggest takeaways were clear. The Mandalorian and Grogu, Avengers: Doomsday, Toy Story 5, Moana, Hexed, and Ice Age: Boiling Point were the titles that gave the presentation its shape.
Disney Went Big With Marvel and Star Wars
If there was any doubt about what Disney sees as its loudest theatrical plays, CinemaCon answered it fast.
Jon Favreau took the stage for The Mandalorian and Grogu, confirmed tickets go on sale Friday, April 17, and debuted the final trailer. Disney also showed the first 18 minutes of the film along with a montage, which tells you just how much confidence the studio has in this being the first Star Wars movie event in nearly seven years.
Marvel closed the presentation with even more weight. Kevin Feige introduced Infinity Vision, Disney’s new premium large format initiative, and confirmed that Avengers: Endgame will return to theaters this September as an Infinity Vision release. Then the Russo brothers joined him onstage before Robert Downey Jr., dressed in Doctor Doom green, arrived to help unveil the first footage from Avengers: Doomsday.
The presentation ended with a Doomsday countdown clock on screen. Disney could not have made its priorities much clearer.
Toy Story 5 and Moana Kept Families in the Spotlight
Disney did not lean only on Marvel and Star Wars.
Toy Story 5 got a major push with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen onstage talking about Woody and Buzz returning. The new hook is simple and smart: Toy meets Tech. Bonnie’s toys are now up against Lilypad, a new tablet device with her own ideas about what is best for their kid. It feels like a modern update that still keeps the franchise rooted in play, imagination, and growing up.
Moana also had a strong place in the lineup. Dwayne Johnson appeared with Catherine Laga’aia, who plays Moana in the live-action film, and Disney screened an exclusive look at the movie. With Moana sailing into theaters July 10, Disney is clearly treating it as one of its biggest live-action releases of the year.
Hexed and Ice Age Added More Animation Energy
One of the more interesting official updates came from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Hexed now feels much more real than it did before CinemaCon. Disney revealed new casting for Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones, showed a new logo, and shared more of the story. The film follows Billie, a teenage girl who discovers magical powers and is pulled into a witch realm called Hexe, where she must team up with her mother Alice to uncover family secrets. That is a much stronger identity than just a title and release date.
Disney also gave Ice Age fans something new to look forward to. Ice Age: Boiling Point opens February 5, 2027, and brings back Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, and Denis Leary. The new film sends Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Scrat, and the rest of the herd into new corners of the Lost World for a dinosaur-and-lava-filled adventure.
Disney’s Movie Slate Reached Beyond the Usual Brands
Because this was a full studio presentation, Disney also used CinemaCon to remind the industry how broad its slate really is.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 got a special message from Anne Hathaway and a new look ahead of its May 1 release. The Dog Stars, directed by Ridley Scott, opens August 28. Whalefall follows on October 16, and Searchlight also previewed Wild Horse Nine for November 6.
Those films are not the heart of Sam’s Disney Diary the way Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney Animation are. Still, they matter in a roundup like this because they show Disney is not walking into the rest of the year with only franchise bets.
Infinity Vision Shows Disney Is Selling the Experience Too
The most corporate part of the presentation was Infinity Vision, Disney’s new certification for premium large format theaters.
On its own, that sounds like exhibitor language. For fans, the simpler takeaway is that Disney wants certain auditoriums to be clearly marked as the biggest and most immersive places to see its movies. The company tied that push directly to the Avengers: Endgame rerelease in September and Avengers: Doomsday in December.
That makes Infinity Vision more than a trade note. It is part of Disney’s larger push to make its movies feel bigger before audiences even sit down.
Sam’s Disney Diary Take
From top to bottom, this felt like a strong Disney presentation because it was not built around only one movie.
The Mandalorian and Grogu and Avengers: Doomsday were still the biggest headline-makers. That was expected. But Toy Story 5, Moana, Hexed, and Ice Age gave the presentation more shape and made Disney’s theatrical plans feel broader.
That may be the most important takeaway. Disney is not just counting on one or two giant titles. It is trying to create a full year of event movies, whether that means Star Wars returning to theaters, Marvel going bigger with Doomsday, Pixar putting Woody and Buzz up against modern tech, or Disney Animation introducing something new with Hexed.
CinemaCon 2026 did not just preview Disney’s next films. It showed how Disney wants fans to feel about going to the movies again.
