The Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23 2026 opened the weekend with exactly what fans hoped for: movie news, surprise appearances, first looks, and a packed look at the next several years of Disney storytelling.
Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, Disney+, Disney Theatrical Group, National Geographic, and even gaming all had something to share. Some projects came with full release dates. Others were early teases. However, the message was clear.
Disney is loading the calendar with sequels, franchise anchors, streaming originals, theatrical events, and a few brand-new stories.
TL;DR: The Big Announcements
Here are the biggest projects Disney revealed or updated during the showcase:
- Frozen 3 — coming November 24, 2027, with Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven, new music, and a new villainess.
- Hexed — Disney Animation’s new magical adventure, coming November 25, 2026.
- Clay — a new Disney Animation original, coming in 2028.
- Zootopia 3 — officially in early development.
- Incredibles 3 — coming June 16, 2028, directed by Peter Sohn.
- Coco 2 — coming November 2029, with Miguel as a teenager.
- Gatto — Pixar’s Venice-set black cat adventure, coming March 5, 2027.
- Ghost Market — Pixar’s spirit-world mystery, coming March 2028.
- The Bluey Movie — coming August 6, 2027.
- Lilo & Stitch 2 — coming May 26, 2028.
- Ice Age: Boiling Point — coming February 5, 2027.
- The Simpsons Movie — coming September 3, 2027.
- Tangled live action — coming March 31, 2028.
- Oswald — a new live-action/animated Disney+ series, coming February 17, 2027.
- Avengers: Doomsday — coming December 18, 2026.
- X-Men — coming May 5, 2028, with a newly revealed MCU cast.
- VisionQuest — coming to Disney+ on October 14, 2026.
- Marvel’s Wolverine — coming to PlayStation 5 on September 15.
- Star Wars: Starfighter — coming May 28, 2027, starring Ryan Gosling.
- Ahsoka Season 2 — coming to Disney+ on January 20, 2027.
- Percy Jackson Season 3 — coming to Disney+ on November 20, 2026.
- Kingdom Hearts anime series — coming to Disney+.
- Kingdom Hearts IV — will include a Coco-inspired world.
- Romy & Michele 2 — coming to Hulu in 2027.
- The Greatest Showman stage musical — heading to London’s West End in spring 2027.
- LION — National Geographic’s new documentary premieres August 19.
- Mundo Pixar Experience — launching its first U.S. tour in 2027.
That is a lot. So let’s break it down.
Disney Animation Brings Back Frozen and Adds New Originals
Disney Animation had one of the most important sections of the night.
The biggest headline was Frozen 3, coming to theaters November 24, 2027. Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Josh Gad were part of the presentation, with new music and new animation teasing the next chapter for Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven.
Disney also teased a new villainess whose powers may rival Elsa’s. That alone gives fans plenty to talk about.
At the same time, Disney Animation did not rely only on Arendelle.
Hexed arrives November 25, 2026, with Hailee Steinfeld, Rashida Jones, Walton Goggins, and Jodie Foster in the voice cast. The film looks to bring a new magical world to Disney Animation, which is exactly the kind of original story the studio needs.
Disney also shared more about Clay, a 2028 original featuring Kieran Culkin as Flip, a character assigned to mentor a ball of clay named Mushy. It sounds quirky, strange, and very Disney Animation.
Then there is Zootopia 3, which is officially in early development. No release date was announced, but the return to Zootopia makes sense. Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and that city still have plenty of story left.
Pixar Balances Sequels With New Worlds
Pixar came to D23 with a mix of familiar favorites and original ideas.
Incredibles 3 is coming June 16, 2028, directed by Peter Sohn. The early tease suggests the next chapter may shift more focus to the Parr children, which could give the franchise a fresh angle.
Coco 2 is also coming, though fans will have to wait until November 2029. The sequel follows Miguel as a teenager and brings back Ernesto de la Cruz. That is a long runway, but Coco is one of Pixar’s most emotional modern films. A sequel needs to get the music, family story, and heart right.
Pixar also previewed two originals.
Gatto, from Luca director Enrico Casarosa, opens March 5, 2027. It follows a black cat named Nero through Venice’s criminal underworld. With that setting and Casarosa’s visual style, this could be one of Pixar’s most beautiful upcoming films.
Ghost Market arrives in March 2028 and is set around a small Oʻahu plate lunch shop that serves spirits caught between life and death. That concept feels very Pixar: specific, emotional, and just unusual enough to stand out.
Pixar needs both sides of this slate. The sequels bring the audience back. The originals create the next generation of favorites.
Bluey, Stitch, Ice Age, and The Simpsons Add Family Power
The family side of Disney’s entertainment slate was also packed.
The Bluey Movie got its first teaser trailer and poster, along with a stadium-wide Keepy Uppy moment using giant red balloons. The movie arrives August 6, 2027.
That is a big deal for Disney.
Bluey has already become one of the most important family brands on Disney+. Now, with park experiences on the way and a theatrical movie coming, Bluey is moving from streaming favorite to full Disney ecosystem player.
Lilo & Stitch 2 is also heading to theaters on May 26, 2028. Production is expected to take place in Hawaiʻi, with Chris Sanders returning to direct. Disney also teased Angel, giving Stitch another familiar character to play off.
Ice Age: Boiling Point arrives February 5, 2027, bringing back the herd for a new adventure with dinosaurs, lava, and Scrat. It is another reminder that 20th Century Studios gives Disney more family franchises beyond its traditional animation labels.
And then there is The Simpsons Movie, coming September 3, 2027. Opening the Disney portion with Bart Simpson was a clever reminder that Disney’s entertainment family is much bigger than it used to be.
Tangled and Oswald Reach Into Disney History
Disney’s live-action and legacy projects added another layer.
The live-action Tangled arrives March 31, 2028, with Teagan Croft as Rapunzel, Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider, and Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel.
This feels like one of Disney’s stronger live-action remake candidates. The original Tangled already has the music, the villain, the romance, the adventure, and the lanterns. If Disney gets the tone right, this could be a major release.
Then came one of the more surprising reveals: Oswald.
Disney Legend Jon Favreau screened a clip from a new live-action and animated hybrid series built around Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The series premieres February 17, 2027, on Disney+.
That is a deep Disney history pull.
Oswald predates Mickey Mouse and holds a unique place in Disney history. Bringing him back in a modern Disney+ series feels like a smart way to honor the past while introducing the character to a new generation.
Marvel Sets Up Doomsday and the X-Men
Marvel Studios delivered some of the night’s biggest fan moments.
VisionQuest arrives on Disney+ on October 14, 2026, with Paul Bettany returning as Vision and James Spader back as Ultron. The series continues the story that began with WandaVision and continued through Agatha All Along.
Then came Avengers: Doomsday, opening December 18, 2026. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Hayley Atwell joined Kevin Feige to debut a new look at the film.
The biggest twist remains Downey’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom instead of Tony Stark. That is the kind of creative swing Marvel needs to make work emotionally, not just as a headline.
Marvel also finally brought the X-Men into focus.
The new MCU film opens May 5, 2028, with Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm, and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister.
That may be the most important Marvel announcement of the night.
The X-Men bring a different kind of story to the MCU. They are superheroes, but they also carry themes of identity, fear, acceptance, and belonging. If Marvel leans into that, this could feel very different from another team-up movie.
Marvel also showed a new trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine, coming to PlayStation 5 on September 15.
Star Wars Heads Back to Theaters
Lucasfilm gave fans both streaming and theatrical updates.
Ahsoka Season 2 premieres January 20, 2027, on Disney+. Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, and Eman Esfandi were part of the D23 presentation, with the new season continuing Ahsoka and Sabine’s story while Grand Admiral Thrawn remains a major threat.
For longtime fans, Ahsoka still matters because it connects so much Star Wars history. It carries threads from The Clone Wars, Rebels, and the larger live-action timeline.
The bigger theatrical moment was Star Wars: Starfighter.
Director Shawn Levy brought Ryan Gosling to the stage for the new film, which opens May 28, 2027. The cast also includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, and Amy Adams.
That release timing matters. The film arrives during the 50th anniversary year of the original Star Wars, giving Lucasfilm a major big-screen moment at exactly the right time.
The key will be whether Starfighter feels fresh. Star Wars has plenty of history. What it needs now is a new story that feels worthy of the big screen.
Disney+ and Hulu Keep the Slate Moving
The showcase was not only about theaters.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 arrives on Disney+ November 20, 2026, with a story tied to The Titan’s Curse. Ming-Na Wen and Andra Day are joining the cast, giving the series another strong push.
A Kingdom Hearts anime series is also coming to Disney+. That is a smart move. The games already blend Disney characters, Square Enix storytelling, and a passionate fan base. A series could bring that world to viewers who know the characters but may not have followed the games.
Meanwhile, Kingdom Hearts IV will include a Coco-inspired world, giving fans another reason to watch how Disney connects gaming and animation.
Hulu also gets Romy & Michele 2 in 2027, with Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow returning. It is not a traditional Disney family title, but that is exactly why Hulu matters inside the Disney portfolio. It gives Disney a place for stories that do not fit the Disney+ brand.
National Geographic, Theater, and Experiences Round Out the Night
A few announcements stretched beyond movies and streaming series.
National Geographic previewed LION, a four-year documentary following a real pride and a cub named Kio. It premieres August 19 on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Disney Theatrical Group also confirmed The Greatest Showman stage musical for London’s West End in spring 2027. The movie already felt built for the stage, so this feels like a natural next step.
Disney also announced that Mundo Pixar Experience will launch its first U.S. tour in 2027. The immersive experience has already appeared internationally and gives fans another way to step into Pixar stories outside the parks.
That matters because not every Disney fan can get to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Traveling experiences bring the brand closer to families in their own cities.
Sam’s Disney Diary Take
The Disney Entertainment Showcase felt like Disney reminding fans just how many storytelling engines it has running at once.
This was not just about Frozen 3 or the new X-Men. It was about scale.
Disney has movies for theaters, series for Disney+, projects for Hulu, games for PlayStation, stage shows for London, documentaries for National Geographic, and immersive experiences heading on tour.
That is a huge slate.
The familiar names will get the headlines. Frozen 3, Star Wars: Starfighter, Avengers: Doomsday, Tangled, Incredibles 3, Coco 2, The Bluey Movie, and X-Men are the easy hooks.
However, the originals may be just as important.
Hexed, Clay, Gatto, and Ghost Market are the projects that could become the next generation of Disney favorites. That is what Disney needs. Sequels bring people back, but originals build the future.
The other big takeaway is how connected everything feels. Movies lead to Disney+. Disney+ connects to parks. Games connect to animation. Stage shows extend film stories. Traveling experiences bring Pixar to new cities. Even Bluey, Oswald, and The Simpsons now sit inside the larger Disney conversation.
That is the real story of the showcase.
Disney is not just filling a release calendar. It is building the next several years of fan experiences across screens, stages, games, and beyond.
And with the Disney Experiences Showcase still ahead, D23 is only getting started.
This is Just the Beginning
The excitement continues tomorrow with another full day of programming, shopping, and immersive experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center, culminating with the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at the Honda Center hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Fans can look forward to diving deeper into projects announced in 2026, special performances, and hear directly from the Imagineers shaping the future of Disney Experiences around the world.
