Disney has a steady stream of content to release over the next three years, it revealed at this weekend’s D23 fan conference, starting with probably its most popular entry, The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian
With Baby Yoda – aka Grogu – at its center, The Mandalorian is the series that launched Disney Plus all the way back in the pre-pandemic era of 2019.
Season three takes place after The Book of Boba Fett, which was essentially The Mandalorian season 2.5. The show’s hero – Din Djarin, also affectionately known as “Mando” (Pedro Pascal) – is informed that he and Grogu are now a clan of two. And because Mando has taken off his helmet: “You are Mandalorian no more.”
While that is surely unwelcome, if not unexpected, news for Mando, it also offers him some freedom to go out and explore new worlds and meet new people, as the teaser trailer suggests. But he still dreams of returning home and bringing Grogu with him.
Season three of The Mandalorian premieres on Disney Plus in February 2023.
Andor
With Obi-Wan Kenobi behind it, the next big Star Wars series to debut is pre-prequel Andor. The two-season series stars Diego Luna, reprising his role of Cassian Andor from Rogue One. It is set five years before the events of that film and tells the story of how Andor evolved from common criminal to rebel and, eventually, hero.
Besides Luna, the series also stars Forest Whitaker, Genevieve O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw and Faye Marsay. Toby Haynes, Susanna White and Benjamin Caron direct specific episodes, and Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Luna and Michelle Rejwan executive produce. Gilroy is also the creator and showrunner.
Andor premieres with three episodes on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
Tales of the Jedi
Animated series Tales of the Jedi comes from the creators of The Clone Wars, including The Mandalorian mastermind Dave Filoni, and is composed of six shorts that tell the backstories of famous Jedi warriors, such as Ahsoka, who will be headlining her own series next year, and her teacher, Anakin Skywalker, later known as Darth Vader.
The series features several famous faces, including Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu and a young Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn.
Tales of the Jedi debuts October 26 on Disney Plus.
Marvel’s Secret Invasion
Not to be outdone, Marvel has several of its own series in the pipeline, including Echo, season two of Loki, The Marvels, Ironheart and Agatha: Coven of Chaos. The most anticipated of these is probably Marvel’s Secret Invasion, which begins the story arc of the Krull invasion of Earth.
It stars two-franchise star Samuel L. Jackson, back as Nick Fury, and Cobie Smulders as his number-one, Maria Hill. It’s also jam-packed with big names, including Don Cheadle, reprising his role as Captain James Rhodes aka War Machine; and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos as well as new Marvel entrants Olivia Colman (The Crown) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones).
Marvel’s six-episode Secret Invasion starts streaming next year.
Marvel has several other series on the way, as outlined in this timeline released at San Diego Comic-Con in July.
In non-Star Wars or Marvel news, Disney also is rebooting ‘80s fantasy flick Willow as a series starring the original Willow, Warwick Davis, as well as Christian Slater as a character only described as a friend of Madsmartigan (Val Kilmer, who will not appear in the film). Joanne Whaley will also reprise her film role in the six-episode series.
Willow premieres November 30 on Disney Plus.
Willow Official Trailer
Disney also dropped trailers for several anticipated films at the fan event, including Indiana Jones 5, which star Harrison Ford told the crowd would be his last outing as Indy; Disenchanted, a sequel to 2007’s Enchanted, starring Amy Adams as a Cinderella living her not-entirely-happily ever after with her prince/husband (Patrick Dempsey) in the suburbs of New York City; and the live-action remake of Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey.
Indiana Jones 5
Disenchanted
Little Mermaid Live Action
Tags: disney lucasfilm marvel studios star wars the mandalorian