Credit: DisneyDisney is pulling out all the stops for 2026, and the studio’s confidence is clearly at a high.
During Disney’s Q4 2025 earnings call, CEO Bob Iger officially confirmed the studio’s five biggest theatrical releases of the coming year, including two titles that could shatter box office records: Avengers: Doomsday and The Mandalorian & Grogu.
While these dates have been previously announced, hearing them again as we stand just weeks away from the new year makes them feel startlingly real. 2026 is no longer some distant future—it’s right around the corner, and Disney is ready to dominate.
A Stacked Slate with Billion-Dollar Potential
Iger’s presentation to shareholders highlighted five tentpole releases:
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1, 2026)
- The Mandalorian & Grogu (May 22, 2026)
- Toy Story 5 (June 19, 2026)
- Moana (July 10, 2026)
- Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026)
What’s remarkable about this lineup is the realistic potential for four of these five films to cross the $1 billion threshold. The Devil Wears Prada 2, while highly anticipated, is the only question mark in an otherwise can’t-miss collection of franchise juggernauts.
The Return of Star Wars to Theaters
After an almost seven-year drought since The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars is finally returning to the big screen with The Mandalorian & Grogu on May 22, 2026. The beloved Disney+ series has proven its cultural staying power, and the opportunity to see Din Djarin and Baby Yoda (Grogu) on the big screen is the kind of event that could drive massive repeat viewings.
With Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin joined by Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White (as Jabba the Hutt’s son), the film has the star power and fan devotion to become a box office phenomenon. If it succeeds, Disney has already positioned it as the start of a potential new trilogy, with Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling already dated for May 28, 2027.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Lucasfilm, but the ingredients are all there for a triumphant return.
Avengers: Doomsday—A Record-Breaker in the Making?
Then there’s Avengers: Doomsday, arriving December 18, 2026. This is the big one—the sequel fans have been waiting over seven years for since Avengers: Endgame became the second-highest-grossing movie of all time.
Marvel Studios has reportedly assembled a staggering cast of MCU actors for this ambitious two-part story (concluding with Secret Wars in December 2027). With the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four reportedly uniting to face Multiversal Incursions and Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, Doomsday has all the makings of a cultural event.
Could it break records? Absolutely. The anticipation for this film is off the charts, and if Marvel can stick the landing after a rocky few years, we could be looking at a new box office champion.
Pixar and Disney Animation Join the Party
Don’t sleep on Toy Story 5 (June 19) and the live-action Moana (July 10). The former is bringing back Tom Hanks and Tim Allen seven years after Toy Story 4 crossed $1 billion, while shifting focus to Joan Cusack’s Jessie as the toys face their greatest threat yet: technology replacing traditional play.
Meanwhile, Moana reunites Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Maui with newcomer Catherine Laga’aia stepping into the title role. With Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music and a rumored refreshed ending for live-action, this could be the rare Disney remake that justifies its existence.
Both films have legitimate billion-dollar potential, making Disney’s summer 2026 an absolute juggernaut.
The Reality Sets In
As Iger rattled off these titles to shareholders, the message was clear: Disney is betting big on 2026, and they have every reason to be confident. After a year of mixed results in 2025—where Lilo & Stitch soared past $1 billion while Marvel stumbled and Snow White failed to connect—the studio is coming back swinging with its most valuable IP.
These dates have been on the calendar for months, but now that we’re just weeks away from 2026, they feel tangible. Real. Unavoidable.
Get ready. The House of Mouse is about to have a very, very big year.