Disney’s D23 Expo 2022 Wrap Up

A​s summer winds to a close, it’s once again time for Disney to unload all their upcoming projects on movie and television fans everywhere. This weekend was their annual D23 Expo, and the announcements came in heavy this year, with new movies and series from the likes of Lucasfilm, Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney proper. Let’s wrap up D23 and go over everything we learned this weekend. We’ll go into each category to see what we can look forward to in the upcoming year.

S​tar Wars

E​ver since Disney took control of the franchise, there has been more Star Wars content than ever. The future looks no different. There were a lot of reveals, trailers, and announcements this year. Surely there will be something for everyone.

A​ndor

A​ new trailer dropped for the upcoming series. This series shows the beginning of the revolution against the empire. While we know how Andor’s story ends, we don’t know much about how it began. Lucasfilm has already greenlit a second season and says this is a 24-episode spy-thriller. It will debut on Disney+ on September 21.

T​ales Of The Jedi

N​ot much was said about season 2 of The Bad Batch, but Dave Filoni did give us a trailer for the upcoming series of shorts for Tales Of The Jedi. It looks like we’ll get some tales about a young Count Dooku, a baby Ahsoka, and Mace Windu. All six will debut on October 26th.

S​keleton Crew

T​his new series follows a group of young kids who get lost in the crazy Star Wars universe. They only showed the first pic of the series, starring Jude Law. It will be released in 2023.

A​hsoka

I​t was announced that Eman Esfandi has been cast as fan-favorite character Ezra Bridger in the upcoming series. We will also see Hayden Christensen return as Anakin Skywalker after his run as Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi earlier this year. The show will hit Disney+ in 2023.

The Mandalorian Season 3

O​ne of the best Star Wars properties to come out of the Disney merger has been The Mandalorian. It should be no surprise that they revealed a trailer for the upcoming third season at D23. It looks like our hero has run afoul of his own group as he is cast out from his Mandalorian sect. He will have to turn to some of his closest allies as he battles the usual group of bounty hunters and crimelords. It looks like we’re even traveling back to Mandalore. The series will hit in 2023.

L​ucasfilm

W​hile Star Wars takes up most of Lucasfilm’s attention during events like these, we did get two additional reveals about upcoming Lucasfilm projects. Two classic franchises make their return soon.

W​illow

Another trailer for the fantasy adventure series was shown. We get to see more of the cast, and Willow even runs across his reviled trolls. The trailer shows some returning cast members from the original film while highlighting what the younger cast will bring. It was also announced that Christian Slater has joined the cast. The series will hit on November 30th.

I​ndiana Jones 5

H​arrison Ford with his co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge took to the stage to introduce a sneak peek at some footage from the upcoming film. Ford got emotional as he stated that this was his last time putting on the hat and the whip. The trailer hasn’t been released online yet but shows a retired Indy talking to his old friend Sallah about how he missed the adventure.

Shots of Waller-Bridge riding a horse through New York City and Mads Mikkelsen wearing a Nazi uniform were also part of the quick teaser. The film comes out on June 30th, 2023. Maybe the most exciting part of the weekend for Indy fans was seeing this pic of Indy and Short Round reuniting backstage.

M​arvel

M​arvel always has a ton of announcements at events like these. At San Diego Comi-Con, they let loose with the upcoming plans for the Avengers films and where the cinematic universe was heading. Still, they had plenty to talk about this year.

The Marvels

A​ll three of the main cast took the stage along with director Nia DaCosta to introduce some fun footage of the upcoming film. It looks like this brings more of a lighthearted tone closer to Ms. Marvel than the first Captain Marvel film. All three characters will be switching places as they try to figure out why their powers keep triggering the body swap shenanigans. It should lead to a lot of fun interactions. It hits theaters on July 28, 2023.

E​cho

T​hey showed some footage of the upcoming Disney+ series that will see the return of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. The footage showed Kingpin wearing an eyepatch from their previous encounter, but nothing about the plot seemed to be revealed. One shot did have Echo looking at her glowing hands. This could be a nod that she was once the host for the Phoenix Force. It comes to Disney+ next summer.

C​aptain America: New World Order

T​he only real news was that Tim Blake Nelson is reprising his character from The Incredible Hulk and will now be The Leader after his brain was infused with the Hulk’s blood at the end of that movie. The new Captain America movie will be in theaters in May of 2024.

T​hunderbolts

​Kevin Fiege revealed the roster for the team on stage at the event. Yelena Belova will lead a team consisting of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Red Guardian (Black Widow), Ghost (Ant-Man And The Wasp), John Walker (Falcon And The Winter Soldier), Taskmaster (Black Widow), and Bucky (Captain America: The Winter Soldier). With this line-up, we’re guaranteed a fun film.

L​oki Season 2

F​ans got to see some footage from the upcoming season of Loki. It looks like Loki is trying to warn everyone of the upcoming war with Kang The Conquerer. He features heavily in the footage that was shown to help set him up for his big turn as the main villain in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. It was also announced that Ke Huy Quan will join the cast in a mysterious role.

W​erewolf By Night

J​ust in time for Halloween, Marvel is presenting a special of Werewolf By Night. This trailer looks great as it plays into the old Universal Monsters movies. It looks like someone in a group of supernatural hunters is actually a werewolf. Everyone begins to be picked off as the werewolf makes its way through the whole group. Man-Thing even makes a brief appearance! Look for it on October 7th on Disney+

A​nt-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

The Ant family is back, and they get sucked into the Quantum Realm this time. They showed footage of the film, and it looks like Scott will have to pull a heist for Kang, or he will never see Cassie again. This will be the first push of Kang as the main villain of the MCU going forward. The film hits theaters on February 17, 2023.

I​ronheart

Riri Williams’s character will debut in the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but fans got to see some footage of her upcoming series. It was revealed that her main antagonist in the series will be The Hood. This street-level crime boss gets ahold of a hood and cape that makes him nearly invincible. With this, he can take over as the biggest crime boss in the whole city. It should be interesting to see how these characters interact. Look for it in 2023.

Secret Invasion

Nick Fury finally gets to take center stage in this Disney+ series. The trailer confirmed that Skrulls have invaded the world. With no one to trust, Fury will have to turn to his closest allies to find out who is behind the invasion and how to stop it. Has someone been a Skrull the whole time the MCU has been around? Find out when it lands on Disney+ in 2023.

D​isney

D​isney was once considered an animation powerhouse but has pushed away from its animation side for a bit. Their current trend is remaking some of their classic animated movies. This year will see some more of that, along with a few sequels to some loved live-action films.

The Little Mermaid

D​isney is bringing its latest live-action remake to theaters in May of 2023. A teaser trailer debuted at the event and looks pretty solid. Halle Bailey stars as Ariel and is backed up by quite a cast. Jacob Trembley voices Flounder, Awkwafina is Scuttle, Melissa McCarthy plays the evil Ursula, and Javier Bardem is Ariel’s father, King Triton. If their previous remakes are any indication, this one will also be a visual feast.

D​isenchanted

A sequel to the fan-favorite 2007 film Enchanted showed off its first trailer. The entire cast showed up to present the trailer and had a lot to say about the film. Giselle and Robert move out of the city into a fixer-upper of a house. When she is unhappy with her life at that moment, she wishes for a fairytale life again. Obviously, that doesn’t go as planned. It looks like a fun movie, and fans of the original have to be happy to get a sequel finally.

M​ufasa: The Lion King

Another live-action offering is a prequel to their recently remade Lion King. This film will explore how Mufasa became King of the pride lands after being orphaned at a young age. A teaser trailer was shown at the event but hasn’t been made public yet. In it, we are shown Pride Rock while the recognizable music from the original film plays. Baby Mufasa gets swept away in a flood but will rise to King. It is expected to hit in 2024.

Peter Pan & Wendy

We’re returning to Neverland as Disney offered a sneak peek of their newest Peter Pan offering. A trailer was played where we got a glimpse of Neverland before we found Wendy and the Lost Boys. A quick shot of Peter Pan is shown, and then it ends with a look at Jude Law’s Captain Hook. As usual, the cast is a stellar lineup for the film. Newcomers Alex Molony will play Peter Pan and Ever Anderson will play Wendy. Jude Law is the evil Captain Hook, while Jim Gaffigan is sure to please as his first mate Smee. The film hits Disney+ in 2023.

S​now White

A​ brief teaser was shown announcing the upcoming Snow White live-action film starring Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the evil queen. Both stars presented the trailer, and Gadot even gave a preview of the evil laugh she is using in the film. Marc Webb is directing from a script by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson. I can’t wait to check this one out in 2024.

T​he Haunted Mansion

A​ new Haunted Mansion film is on the way with a cast to die for. This time starring Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Jared Leto, Jamie Lee Curtis, Winona Ryder, Dan Levy, and Rosario Dawson. The quick glimpse they showed focused mainly on the Mansion as it should. Expect to be scared, in a fun way, in March of 2023.

H​ocus Pocus 2

The film is on its way this fall, but a new trailer for the film debuted at D23. The Sanderson sisters are back, and as usual, hijinks ensue. The trailer shows a bit more this time around, and we even get to see Billy lumbering around, saying he’s a good zombie. The film drops on Disney+ on September 30th.

The Santa Clauses

Tim Allen returns to the role of Santa in this series as he decides it might be time for him to retire. He seeks out his replacement and interviews some famous faces for the role. The trailer dropped online at the same time. If you’re a fan of this Christmas franchise, you have a lot to be excited about. Throw a yule log on the fire and hang your stockings as Santa will arrive on November 16th on Disney+.

W​ish

T​his new animated film is set to help celebrate 100 years of Disney in 2023. It will be a tale of the famous wishing star set in the Kingdom Of Wishes. It stars Ariana DeBose as Asha, is directed by Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn, produced by Peter Del Vecho & Juan Pablo Reyes, and features new songs by Julia Michaels. Expect to see Wish in November of 2023.

Iwájú

D​isney is teaming up with Kugali to bring Iwájú to life on Disney+ in 2023. The series is set in Lagos, Nigeria, and should be a fun sci-fi story. It’s the first time Disney has collaborated with an outside studio, and it looks like this one will be a lot of fun.

P​ixar

P​ixar had a lot of announcements this year. It looks like we’re getting a lot from the brand in the upcoming years. This may be the most Pixar content we’ve ever gotten all at once.

I​nside Out 2

A​my Pohler stopped by to let everyone know that Inside Out 2 was on the way. The emotions we got to know in the first film will be returning. It is currently in production and won’t be out until 2024.

E​lio

A​ young boy is mistakenly transported across the universe. He is thought to be the ambassador of Earth and has to get other worlds to understand what it’s like being human. This should be a fun little sci-fi story from a child’s perspective. Look for it in 2024.

W​in Or Lose

The all-new Pixar regular series is coming to Disney+ in 2023. This baseball-themed show will follow the team of The Pickles as they are on their way to the championship game. Each episode will follow a different character on the team. Will Forte voices Coach Dan for the series. If there is one thing Pixar nails, it’s an ensemble show. I can’t wait to see it.

E​lemental

Another Pixar film follows Ember, a fire character, as they meet Wade, a water character. Through the film, the two realize that even though they have a lot of differences, they also have a lot of similarities. Expect Elemental in June of 2023.

What were some of your favorite announcements at D23? Let us know in the comments.