Disney used D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event to remind fans that its biggest strength is not just the franchises it owns, but the emotional connection people have built with them across generations.
Held as a sold-out arena presentation at the Honda Center, the Disney Entertainment Showcase brought together major announcements, exclusive first looks, musical performances, surprise celebrity appearances, and fan-first moments spanning Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, Disney Entertainment Television, National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu, and Disney Theatrical Group.
The showcase was not just a slate presentation. It felt like a full display of Disney’s cultural reach. From families raised on animation to Marvel fans waiting for mutants, Star Wars fans looking to the next galaxy story, Pixar fans chasing emotional storytelling, and Disney Channel fans singing along to a new generation, the night showed how Disney continues to operate as a shared language for multiple fandoms at once.
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro opened the evening by speaking directly to that global connection, highlighting the millions of people engaging with Disney stories in parks, on cruise ships, in theaters, at home, and even on Broadway at any given moment. His larger message was clear: Disney is not simply chasing audience attention. It is building around memory, inspiration, and the emotional attachment fans carry with them.
That idea shaped the entire night.
D23 Opened as a Celebration of Disney Fandom
The Disney Entertainment Showcase was hosted by Ginnifer Goodwin and Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan, stars of Zootopia 2, who brought the right kind of energy to a room full of Disney fans ready for every reveal.
Before the major announcements even began, the showcase opened with a large-scale number choreographed by Mandy Moore, featuring Dancing with the Stars pros and more than 50 additional dancers. It set the tone for a night that leaned into spectacle, music, nostalgia, and brand-wide celebration.
That matters because D23 is not a traditional industry presentation. It is a fan event. The people in the room are not just tracking release dates. They are emotionally invested. They wear the shirts, collect the pins, line up for exclusives, debate casting, cheer for characters, and treat these stories like parts of their lives.
Disney understood that, and the showcase played directly to that energy.
Disney Brings Back Lilo & Stitch, Bluey, Ice Age, Tangled, and Oswald
The Disney portion of the showcase covered a wide mix of legacy characters, billion-dollar follow-ups, and reimagined classics.
Anne Hathaway, who will be honored as a Disney Legend, appeared to reflect on her connection to Disney, dating back to The Princess Diaries. It was a fitting reminder of how Disney has created multiple generations of stars and comfort films that continue to matter long after their release.
The live-action Lilo & Stitch universe is also continuing. Maia Kealoha, who plays Lilo, came to the stage before Stitch appeared on screen with Angel. Lilo & Stitch 2 is scheduled to begin production in Hawaiʻi later this year, with Chris Sanders directing and returning as the voice of Stitch. The sequel is set to open in theaters on May 26, 2028.
For families, The Bluey Movie was one of the loudest crowd-pleasers. Disney debuted a teaser trailer and poster for the CG-animated feature, followed by a surprise game of Keepy Uppy in the arena with giant red balloons. The film arrives in theaters on August 6, 2027, giving one of the most beloved modern children’s series a major theatrical moment.
The Ice Age franchise also returned with Ice Age: Boiling Point, as Queen Latifah and Denis Leary took the stage to introduce an exclusive clip featuring Scrat, Baby Scrat, and Jurassic Scrat. The new film sends the herd into a dinosaur-and-lava-filled adventure and opens in theaters on February 5, 2027.
Disney also gave fans an update on the live-action Tangled, with Kathryn Hahn appearing as Mother Gothel and a taped message from Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim, who are currently filming as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. The film opens in theaters on March 31, 2028.
One of the more interesting Disney reveals came from Jon Favreau, who introduced Oswald, a live-action and animated hybrid Disney+ series based on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The story follows Walt Disney’s original character as he is released into the modern world after being hidden away since the 1920s. For Disney history fans, that is a deep-cut character getting a new spotlight, and it speaks directly to the company’s ongoing interest in revisiting its own roots. Oswald premieres on February 17, 2027, exclusively on Disney+.
Pixar Leaned Into Sequels and Original Storytelling
Pixar’s portion of the showcase balanced familiar franchises with new ideas.
Alan Bergman introduced Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, who kicked things off with an exclusive first look at Incredibles 3. The Parr family returns to theaters on June 16, 2028, with Peter Sohn directing and Dana Murray and Brad Bird producing.
Pixar also revealed new details for Coco 2, including concept art showing Miguel as a teenager. Benjamin Bratt joined Docter on stage, confirming that Ernesto de la Cruz will reemerge in the sequel. The story sends Miguel back to the Land of the Dead for another life-changing journey. Coco 2 arrives in theaters in November 2029.
The Coco news also extended into gaming, with Disney & Pixar Games and Square Enix revealing that Kingdom Hearts IV will include a world inspired by Coco, with a late 2027 release window.
Pixar’s biggest original reveal was Ghost Market, a new film set at ʻOno Market, a remote plate lunch shop on Oʻahu’s North Shore that serves lost spirits caught between life and death. The living have never entered the space until a fast-talking kid named Kyle stumbles in and finds himself on a supernatural adventure. Directed by Trevor Jimenez and Jesse Andrews, Ghost Market is dated for March 2028.
Pixar also previewed Gatto, arriving in theaters on March 5, 2027. The film follows Nero, a scrappy black cat voiced by Mark Ruffalo, navigating a superstitious Venice while indebted to a ruthless feline mob boss voiced by Laurence Fishburne. With Enrico Casarosa directing, Gatto looks like another Pixar story built around identity, purpose, place, and unlikely friendship.
That lineup shows Pixar moving in two directions at once. It is continuing major franchises like Incredibles and Coco, while still pushing original stories like Ghost Market and Gatto. That balance is important because Pixar’s strongest cultural moments often come from original emotional ideas, but its legacy franchises still carry enormous fan demand.
20th Century Studios Brought Back Romy and Michele
One of the most playful moments of the night came from 20th Century Studios, when Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow entered under a shower of yellow Post-it notes to announce Romy & Michele 2.
The sequel to the 1997 cult classic will debut exclusively on Hulu in 2027 and is directed by Tim Federle. The cast also includes Alan Cumming, Camryn Manheim, Keegan-Michael Key, Rob Huebel, Breckin Meyer, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Janeane Garofalo.
This was one of those announcements that shows Disney’s streaming strategy reaching beyond superhero franchises and family animation. Romy & Michele has a very specific nostalgia lane, especially for viewers who grew up with the original’s humor, fashion, friendship, and quotable energy. Bringing that back on Hulu gives the sequel a clear home.
Marvel Studios Made the Future Feel Real
Marvel Studios delivered one of the most packed sections of the night.
The presentation opened with VisionQuest, with Paul Bettany, James Spader, and Kevin Feige taking the stage to reveal the first trailer and poster. The Disney+ series premieres on October 14, 2026 and closes the trilogy that began with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along.
The story follows Vision after escaping those who tried to weaponize him. In hiding and searching for meaning, he consults AI personas embedded in his programming, including F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., J.A.R.V.I.S., and Ultron. His quiet existence ends when a bounty is placed on him, sending him on the run with Thomas Shepard, a mysterious boy who may be connected to him in a major way.
Then came Avengers: Doomsday.
Feige was joined by Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Hayley Atwell to unveil a special look at the film, which opens in theaters on December 18, 2026. Downey returns to the MCU as Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom, while the film brings together heroes from three distinct universes against an existential threat unlike anything they have faced before.
The cast list alone is massive, including Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Kelsey Grammer, Kathryn Newton, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, Mabel Cadena, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, and more.
But Marvel saved one of its biggest moments for the end: the official reveal of the MCU’s new X-Men cast.
Feige brought out Sadie Sink, who debuted as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, alongside director Jake Schreier. They were joined by Kit Connor as Scott Summers, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, and Maya Boyd as Storm. In a video message, Adam Driver revealed that he will play Nathaniel Milbury, better known as Mister Sinister. The untitled X-Men film opens on May 5, 2028.
That reveal gave Marvel fans something they have wanted for years: a concrete path into the mutant era. After years of teases and speculation, the X-Men are no longer a distant promise. They are part of the MCU’s future, and D23 made that future feel real.
Marvel Games also appeared with a new trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine, the Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment title coming to PlayStation 5 on September 15.
Lucasfilm Balanced Ahsoka and Starfighter
Lucasfilm brought both streaming and theatrical Star Wars energy to D23.
Dave Filoni, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, and Eman Esfandi debuted the teaser trailer for Ahsoka Season 2, which premieres on January 20, 2027, exclusively on Disney+.
The new season continues Ahsoka Tano’s journey beyond the known galaxy while Grand Admiral Thrawn and his allies threaten to push the New Republic toward war. With Ahsoka, Sabine, Hera, Ezra, Zeb, and Chopper all part of the larger conflict, the series continues to feel like one of the central bridges between animated Star Wars legacy and live-action storytelling.
The theatrical side came with Star Wars: Starfighter, as director and producer Shawn Levy brought out Ryan Gosling for the film’s first in-room sizzle. Gosling entered wearing a retro Mickey Mouse Club leather jacket, tying his Disney history directly into his Star Wars future.
Levy described the film as a standalone adventure following a cynical rogue whose mysterious past sends him across the galaxy on a collision course with destiny. Star Wars: Starfighter opens in theaters on May 28, 2027, with a cast that includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray, and Amy Adams.
For Star Wars fans, the message was clear. Disney is still building on legacy, but it is also looking for new theatrical energy.
Walt Disney Animation Closed Big With Zootopia, Hexed, Clay, and Frozen
Walt Disney Animation Studios used D23 to show both franchise strength and original ambition.
Hosts Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan were joined by Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush to announce that Zootopia 3 is officially in early development. The news comes after the success of Zootopia 2, and the crowd reaction made it clear that fans are ready to return to that world.
Bush also revealed Clay, an original animated adventure currently in development. The film follows Flip, voiced by Kieran Culkin, a rebellious misfit chosen during a yearly ritual to mentor a young ball of clay named Mushy. Directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn, Clay is set for a 2028 theatrical release.
Disney also revealed new casting and footage for Hexed, the studio’s original magical coming-of-age story arriving on November 25, 2026. Hailee Steinfeld appeared as Billie Doe, a teenage girl who discovers hidden magical abilities, while Walton Goggins was revealed as Beef Roger Crummchuk, a reclusive three-eyed magical cat. Jodie Foster also joined the cast as Queen Celeste, a sinister ruler determined to protect her power over the magical realm of Hexe.
The night closed with Frozen 3, one of Disney Animation’s biggest upcoming titles. Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Josh Gad performed new music, including a new version of “Frozen Heart” and Olaf’s love song “Ooooh, Samantha.” The final surprise featured new animation of Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven, while hinting at a new villainess whose powers rival Elsa’s. Frozen 3 opens in theaters on November 24, 2027.
Ending with Frozen made sense. It is one of Disney’s modern global pillars, and closing the showcase with music, character, and a major tease gave the arena the kind of emotional finale D23 is built for.
Disney Entertainment Television Had Major Fan Moments
Disney Entertainment Television also had a strong showcase presence.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians turned the Honda Center stage into a moment inspired by Season 3’s The Titan’s Curse, complete with Artemis’s hunters introducing Walker Scobell. Surprise guests Ming-Na Wen as Hera and Andra Day as Athena joined the moment as the official teaser trailer debuted. Season 3 premieres on Disney+ on November 20, 2026.
Disney also announced that Kingdom Hearts, currently a working title, has been greenlit as an original anime series for Disney Channel and Disney+. Developed in partnership with Tetsuya Nomura and produced with Square Enix, the series will tell a new story inspired by the beloved video game franchise.
National Geographic brought the room into Kenya’s Maasai Mara with LION, spotlighting the trailer for the four-part event series. Executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton introduced the story, which follows a real cub named Kio across four years as he grows toward becoming king. LION premieres on National Geographic on August 19 and streams on Disney+ and Hulu on August 20.
The Jonas Brothers also returned to D23 for Camp Rock 3, with Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas introducing a performance of “One Beat Away” and “We Rock” from next-generation stars Liamani Segura, Malachi Barton, Hudson Stone, Lumi Pollack, and Casey Trotter. Camp Rock 3 is now streaming on Disney+.
That entire stretch showed how Disney’s television brands are continuing to serve both nostalgia and new fandom. Percy Jackson speaks to fantasy readers and younger fans. Kingdom Hearts reaches gaming and anime audiences. LION brings premium documentary storytelling. Camp Rock 3 taps into Disney Channel memory while passing the microphone to a new generation.
Disney Theatrical Group Brought The Greatest Showman to the West End
Disney Theatrical Group also made a major announcement with The Greatest Showman.
Following its sell-out run at The Bristol Hippodrome, the stage adaptation will premiere at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London’s West End in spring 2027. The show is based on the 2017 film and features songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, a book by Tim Federle, and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw.
The showcase featured West End stars Oliver Tompsett, Samantha Barks, and Malinda Parris, with the stage production continuing Disney’s long relationship with live theatrical spectacle.
For Disney, theater is one of the clearest examples of how its stories move beyond screens. A film can become a soundtrack, a family memory, a stage event, and a destination. The Greatest Showman fits that model perfectly.
The Anaheim Convention Center Expanded the Fan Experience
Outside the Honda Center showcase, D23 also filled the Anaheim Convention Center with panels, presentations, shopping, immersive activations, and fan programming.
The day included behind-the-scenes looks at shows like Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons, anniversary celebrations for films like Enchanted and Beauty and the Beast, deep dives into Disney Lorcana and Disney Pin Trading, plus ESPN and National Geographic programming.
The show floor was described as the largest in D23 event history, with exclusive retail destinations offering limited-edition merchandise, collectibles, pins, artwork, apparel, books, and event-exclusive offerings.
Additional announcements included Disney and Formula 1 extending Fuel the Magic through 2028, and Mundo Pixar Experience announcing its first-ever U.S. tour launching in 2027.
Disney also continued highlighting its work with Make-A-Wish across multiple experiences, including the Disney VoluntEARS Pavilion, Disney Rewind Concert, and Disney x Formula 1 Fuel the Magic booth.
That show floor element is critical because D23 is not only about what gets announced. It is about how fans physically experience the company’s stories. The shopping, activations, panels, performances, and community moments all become part of the weekend’s culture.
D23 Showed the Full Power of Disney’s Ecosystem
What made this Disney Entertainment Showcase so effective was the range.
Disney was not selling one future. It was selling many futures at once.
For families, there was Bluey, Frozen 3, Lilo & Stitch 2, and Percy Jackson. For animation fans, there was Zootopia 3, Hexed, Clay, Gatto, Ghost Market, Incredibles 3, and Coco 2. For genre fans, there was Marvel, X-Men, Avengers: Doomsday, VisionQuest, Ahsoka, and Starfighter. For nostalgia audiences, there was Romy & Michele 2, Camp Rock 3, Tangled, Ice Age, Oswald, and The Greatest Showman.
That is Disney’s advantage. The company can move from Broadway to superheroes, from preschool animation to adult nostalgia, from wildlife documentaries to galaxy-spanning adventures, and still keep everything under one larger fan umbrella.
D’Amaro’s opening message about connection was not just corporate language. The showcase proved the point. Disney’s biggest asset is the way its stories live inside people’s memories, family traditions, fandom communities, and cultural milestones.
This Was a Roadmap for Disney’s Next Era
By the end of the night, the Disney Entertainment Showcase felt like a roadmap for the next several years of entertainment.
The MCU is finally moving into mutants. Star Wars is setting up new streaming and theatrical chapters. Pixar is balancing franchise sequels with original films. Disney Animation is building toward Frozen 3 while introducing new magical worlds. Disney Television is leaning into fantasy, music, anime, and documentary event programming. Hulu is continuing to serve adult nostalgia. Disney Theatrical Group is expanding another movie musical to the stage.
That is a lot of content. But the bigger story is what it all says about Disney’s strategy.
Disney is not just relying on one audience. It is building across generations, platforms, formats, and fandom identities. The D23 crowd represented that. Parents, collectors, Marvel diehards, animation lovers, theater fans, Star Wars fans, Disney Channel kids, Pixar loyalists, and theme park people all had something to cheer for.
That is why D23 matters. It is where Disney turns announcements into shared fan moments.
And in 2026, the message was loud: Disney’s next era is crowded, ambitious, nostalgic, and built for the fans who have made these stories part of their lives.
Editor-in-Chief | Owner
I’m a dedicated aficionado of all things movies, pop culture, and entertainment. With a passion for storytelling and a love for the silver screen, I’m constantly immersed in the world of cinema, exploring new releases, classics, and hidden gems alike. As a fervent advocate for the power of film to inspire, entertain, and provoke thought, I enjoy sharing my insights, reviews, and recommendations with fellow enthusiasts.