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Credit: DisneySomething interesting is happening at Disney right now. After a stretch of uncertainty and a handful of projects that didn’t land the way the studio hoped, there’s a noticeable shift in the air.
The company is teasing a wave of new films that feels far more confident and creative than what we’ve seen in recent years. Instead of playing it safe, the lineup hints at Disney trying to find its footing again—experimenting with different genres, unexpected stories, and a mix of crowd-pleasers and bold swings.
It’s the kind of slate that suggests the studio knows it needs to win people back and is finally ready to put in the work. With rumors circulating, early development whispers popping up, and several major releases officially on the calendar, the momentum feels different. This time, the future doesn’t look predictable—it looks very exciting.
Let’s dive into what they’re dangling in front of us.
Star Wars Gets a Redemption Arc (Maybe)
Take The Hunt for Ben Solo, for instance. Adam Driver himself pitched this Star Wars redemption story alongside director Steven Soderbergh back in 2021, but Disney shelved it. Now fans are rallying hard—billboards in Times Square, planes flying over Disney Studios with “Save The Hunt for Ben Solo” banners.
The film would follow Ben Solo’s quest for redemption after The Rise of Skywalker, and the grassroots campaign shows that there is a genuine appetite for more nuanced Star Wars storytelling. Whether Disney will cave to fan pressure remains to be seen, but the vocal support suggests they might be leaving money on the table.
Sigourney Weaver’s Space Return
Speaking of unexpected returns, there’s the possibility of Sigourney Weaver returning to the Alien franchise after nearly 30 years. She’s considering a screenplay by franchise creator Walter Hill that explores what happens to someone who tries to save humanity but becomes a problem the system wants to lock away.
After decades away from the role that defined her career, Weaver’s potential comeback could inject fresh energy into a franchise that’s been searching for direction.
Prince Charming Gets the Hemsworth Treatment
From sci-fi horror to fairy tale fantasy, Chris Hemsworth is reportedly in talks to play Prince Charming in a standalone film directed by Paul King—and it won’t be tied to Cinderella. Paul King’s track record with the Paddington films suggests he could find the perfect balance of humor and heart for such an unconventional project.
New Franchises and Familiar Faces
Meanwhile, Disney acquired the rights to Katherine Rundell’s “Impossible Creatures” book series, with CEO Bob Iger expressing enthusiasm about its potential as a full-fledged movie franchise.
And Scarlett Johansson is reportedly circling Mother Gothel in a live-action Tangled film—a project pulled back after Snow White underperformed, but is now getting a second look.
Late 2025: Avatar Returns
Moving from speculation to certainty, Disney’s confirmed slate is genuinely ambitious. Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters December 19, 2025, continuing James Cameron’s epic Pandora saga. After The Way of Water (2022) proved audiences still have an appetite for Cameron’s blue-skinned Na’vi, this third installment should be another box office behemoth.
2026: The Year of Sequels
Early 2026 brings The Devil Wears Prada 2 on May 1—a sequel fans have been dreaming about since the 2006 original. Later that month, The Mandalorian & Grogu arrive on May 22, bringing the beloved Disney+ series to the big screen.
Summer 2026 is packed: Toy Story 5 drops on June 19, the live-action Moana follows on July 10, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings in on July 31. Avengers: Doomsday arrives December 18, 2026, promising to course-correct after some of Marvel’s recent misfires.
2027 and Beyond: Franchise Fever
2027 continues the momentum. Ice Age: Boiling Point kicks off February 5, Star Wars: Starfighter follows May 28, and Frozen III is slated for November 24. Avengers: Secret Wars closes out the year on December 17.
There’s also Bluey the Movie (August 6) and The Simpsons 2 (July 23). Looking further ahead, Incredibles 3 is confirmed for 2028, while 2029 is set to bring both Avatar 4 and Coco 2. There’s even a Camp Rock 3 in development—a nostalgia play aimed at millennials who grew up with Disney Channel originals.
Why Disney’s Playing Every Card
Here’s what Disney’s really doing: throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. They’re mixing proven sequels (Toy Story 5, Frozen III) with risky originals (Impossible Creatures, Prince Charming) and franchise expansions that could go either way. It’s a strategy born from both confidence and desperation—confidence in their IP library, desperation to find what actually works in today’s fractured entertainment landscape.
This approach makes sense when you consider Disney’s recent struggles. Live-action remakes have been hit or miss. The MCU needs a shot in the arm after lackluster Phase 4 and 5 entries.
Star Wars has been more successful on Disney+ than in theaters lately, with shows like The Mandalorian and Andor earning critical praise while theatrical releases have become increasingly divisive. Disney’s theatrical dominance, once considered unshakeable, now feels genuinely vulnerable.
So they’re hedging their bets. They’re leaning into animated sequels because those have been relatively bulletproof—when Pixar or Disney Animation announces a follow-up, audiences generally show up. They’re bringing streaming successes to theaters, banking on the goodwill The Mandalorian built. They’re reviving nostalgic properties like The Devil Wears Prada that could draw older demographics back to theaters.
The Safe Bets and the Wild Cards
The honest answer? Maybe. The lineup is ambitious enough to work on paper, but execution matters infinitely more than the promise of a good idea. The nostalgia plays will probably work. Toy Story 5 and Frozen III are nearly guaranteed successes, the kind of films that could be mediocre and still make hundreds of millions because parents will take their kids regardless.
The wildcards are the new properties and live-action remakes. If Impossible Creatures connects, Disney gets a new franchise to milk for a decade. If the live-action Moana works where Snow White didn’t, they’ve figured out the formula for successfully translating animation to live-action. But if these experiments fail, Disney will have spent hundreds of millions learning that audiences are tired of their current playbook.
Can They Actually Win Us Back?
What’s clear is that Disney knows it needs to win back audiences, even if it’s not entirely sure how to do it. The teased projects show they’re listening to fans—the Ben Solo campaign proves grassroots enthusiasm can at least get their attention. The confirmed lineup shows they’re willing to take risks while also playing it safe with beloved franchises, walking the tightrope between innovation and repetition.
The next few years will tell us whether Disney’s ambitious lineup is the comeback story they’re hoping for or just another case of promising more than they can deliver. They’ve got the properties, the talent, and the distribution muscle to pull off this Hollywood equivalent of a full-court press.
However, they also need audiences to show up, critics to be kind, and, most importantly, filmmakers to deliver stories that justify their existence rather than just exploiting brand recognition. We’ll find out soon enough if they still have the creative magic to match their corporate ambition.