Disney’s 2026 D23 event in Anaheim brings together Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation and more. With a new chief executive, changing streaming plans and several major releases ahead, the showcase arrives at an uncertain moment for the company.
Former parks chief Josh D’Amaro is now Disney’s CEO. Toy Story 5 has passed the billion-dollar mark, while Disney Plus and Hulu are expected to move towards consolidation. At the same time, The Mandalorian & Grogu and the live-action Moana have underperformed, and Marvel’s Avengers strategy faces plenty of risk. The company is also contending with the continuing challenge posed by YouTube content.
That makes D23’s announcements particularly significant. The expected programme includes fresh material from Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel’s new X-Men film, Star Wars: Starfighter, Ahsoka season 2, Frozen 3, Coco 2 and Disney Animation’s Hexed. Other projects in the frame include The Princess Diaries 3, a live-action Tangled, Lilo & Stitch 2 and the next Simpsons film.
Here are the confirmed highlights and the biggest developments from the event.
Kingdom Hearts 4 adds a Pixar world
Disney and Square Enix showed a new 90-second trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4, confirming a 2027 release window and revealing a world inspired by Pixar’s Coco.
The footage features Miguel and Hector, closely matching their film designs, while Sora wears Día de Muertos face paint. During the festival, Miguel performs on stage as Sora battles Heartless Shadows with his keyblade. The new weapon incorporates guitars, sugar skulls, bones and marigolds, and the trailer ends with Sora, Miguel and Hector fighting together.
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Bluey heads to cinemas
Disney presented a teaser for the feature-length Bluey movie, giving audiences their first substantial look at the Heeler family’s move from television to the big screen.
The film expands the series into a larger theatrical adventure and uses 3D animation, while retaining the characters’ familiar movement and personalities. Bluey, Bingo, Chilli and Bandit remain at its centre.
A Kingdom Hearts anime is coming
Disney announced that an animated Kingdom Hearts series will eventually arrive on Disney Plus. The news forms part of the franchise’s 25th-anniversary celebrations in 2027.
The announcement followed a D23 panel featuring important developers and voice actors from the series. Square Enix said the full panel could be watched on YouTube, but only by viewers who joined the live broadcast.
The Mandalorian and Grogu gets a streaming date
The Mandalorian and Grogu is returning to Disney Plus after its cinema release. Following a digital launch in July and a planned 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray release, the film will begin streaming on 2 September.
Marvel confirms its new X-Men cast
Marvel Studios is restarting its X-Men film series with a new cast. Directed by Jake Schreier, who previously helmed Thunderbolts*, the project has been surrounded by years of reports and speculation.
D23 confirmed the performers taking on roles including Cyclops, Storm, Professor X and Rogue. The announcement also follows the introduction of one X-person in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
VisionQuest reveals a stranger side of Marvel
Marvel’s first VisionQuest trailer introduces the final entry in the television trilogy that began with WandaVision. It explores what Vision has done since leaving Westview.
Paul Bettany’s character appears in both robotic and human forms, although the trailer shows comparatively little of the traditional robot design. Several artificial minds use human avatars, including James Spader’s Ultron.
Ahsoka season 2 arrives in 2027
Lucasfilm showed the first teaser for Ahsoka season 2, which continues Dave Filoni’s live-action follow-up to the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. The new season addresses the first season’s cliffhanger and explores threats facing Ahsoka Tano and the New Republic.
The series returns to Disney Plus on 20 January 2027, three years after the original season premiered.
Avengers: Doomsday brings Doctor Doom into focus
Marvel also released a new two-minute Avengers: Doomsday trailer. The footage had previously been shown to attendees at San Diego Comic-Con, but D23 gives a much wider audience its clearest look yet.
Reed Richards and Sue Storm of the Fantastic Four separately recognise the danger posed by Doctor Doom. Ant-Man, Captain America and Thor are shown with their loved ones, while Doom warns that the heroes are living “stolen lives”. Thor confronts Doom again, only to be thrown aside, before Doom raises a small force of damaged Sentinels.
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Why these announcements matter
D23’s programme spans theatrical films, streaming series, animation and interactive entertainment. The mix reflects Disney’s broad portfolio, but it also highlights the company’s need for dependable franchises as it reshapes its streaming business and tests new directions for Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar.
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