Disney pulled back the curtain on its future film and television slate at D23 this past Friday. The showcase at the Honda Center leaned heavily into established intellectual property, highlighting a mix of sequels and new additions to the Marvel and Star Wars universes. The primary headline for Marvel Studios was the reveal of the X-Men cast. Sadie Sink takes on the role of Jean Grey, joined by Kit Connor, Christopher Abbott, Samara Weaving, Inde Navarrette, and Maya Boyd. Adam Driver will portray Mr. Sinister in the film, which is currently scheduled for a May 2028 release.
Television updates from Marvel proved sparse. VisionQuest remains the sole Disney+ series currently in the spotlight, with Paul Bettany set to return as Vision. The lack of additional series announcements follows the recent cancellation of Wonder Man and reports of a reduced output for live-action shows on the streaming platform. Meanwhile, the Star Wars portion of the event focused on the Ahsoka series and the upcoming standalone film Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling.
Disney is banking on nostalgia to drive interest in its upcoming slate. The presentation featured the cast of Princess Diaries 3, a look at the live-action Tangled with Kathryn Hahn, and updates on the long-awaited sequels to Romy and Michele and Camp Rock. Animation heavy hitters also made an appearance with reveals for Incredibles 3, Zootopia 3, Frozen III, and Coco 2. The studio is also moving forward with an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit miniseries.
Despite the clear preference for sequels, both Pixar and Disney Animation confirmed several original projects. Disney Animation is working on a 2028 release titled Clay and an upcoming magical adventure called Hexed. Pixar announced Ghost Market, a story set in Hawaii, alongside an original film titled Gatto. These projects aim to introduce new worlds to audiences as the company balances its massive library of existing franchises with original storytelling.