Ahead of the holidays, Disney Plus dropped a brief trailer for the properties to stream on the platform in the coming year. As the cherry on top of the Disney Plus 2023 release slate teaser, the clip further showcased the first look of Loki Season 2, Star Wars’ live-action Ashoka series, along with the upcoming Peter Pan & Wendy film.
Additionally, the half-minute clip showcased glimpses of the highly awaited Secret Invasion MCU series. The teaser further highlighted Ironheart (Riri Williams) from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was a two-fold tease. While the footage of Wakanda Forever signifies the Disney Plus debut of the film, the focus on Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams teases the Ironheart series’ expected release in around Fall.
Top Upcoming Disney Plus 2023 Releases
With the first public preview of Loki Season 2, Ashoka, and The Mandalorian Season 3, Disney Plus is all set to bring a legion of the platform’s original content in 2023. The most awaited properties of next year’s Disney Plus slate includes:
Loki Season 2
The second season of 2021’s hit MCU series Loki is perhaps the most awaited property in Disney Plus’ lineup for next year. Loki Season 2 will pick up from the cliffhanger of the first season and is further expected to weave the consequences of multiversal mishaps in the MCU.
Additionally, the series is also expected to add more to the lore of Kang The Conqueror, the big bad of the upcoming phases of the MCU.
- Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Tara Strong, and Jonathan Majors.
- Expected Release Date: According to Marvel Studios, the series will be dropped in Summer 2023.
- Episodes: Loki S2 will have six episodes.
Secret Invasion
Following Loki Season 2, MCU’s Secret Invasion will tackle the famed storyline from the comics. The series will deal with the Skrull’s invasion on Earth and is expected to pick up the alien race’s story after 2019’s Captain Marvel. Secret Invasion is written by Mr. Robot writer Kyle Bradstreet.
- Cast: Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Ben Mendelsohn (Talos), Martin Freeman (Everett Ross), Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, Cobie Smulders (Agent Hill), and Olivia Colman.
- Expected Release Date: According to Marvel Studios, the series will be released in Spring 2023.
- Episodes: Secret Invasion will have six episodes.
Star Wars: Ashoka Season 1
Following Ashoka’s live-action debut in The Mandalorian Season 2, the legend from the clone wars has finally received her solo series. With director and actor Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni (writer of Star Wars The Clone Wars) being at the helm as showrunners, Ahsoka Tano’s return to the live-action universe is long awaited by fans.
- Cast: Rosario Dawson as Ashoka, Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/ Darth Vader), and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, amongst others.
- Expected Release Date: 2023 (Exact release timeline TBA)
- Episodes: Star Wars Ashoka is expected to have six to eight episodes.
The Mandalorian Season 3
After the hyped ending of the second season, the upcoming one is expected to deal with the consequences of Din Djarin wielding the Darksaber. Furthermore, the upcoming season will also see the return of the cultural phenomenon known as Grogu, who decided to come back to Din in The Book of Boba Fett. The Mandalorian Season 3 is also expected to have further revelations as to what may happen of Grogu’s Jedi training with Luke Skywalker.
Additionally, the upcoming season may also see stars like Carl Weathers and Bryce Dallas Howard returning to helm a few episodes as directors.
- Cast: Pedro Pascal (Din Djarin/ The Mandalorian), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon), Carl Weathers (Greef Karga), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), and more.
- Expected Release Date: In May 2022, Jon Favreau confirmed that the third season will drop on March 1, 2023.
- Episodes: The Mandalorian Season 3 will have eight episodes.
Ironheart
With Riri Williams’ debut in Black Panther Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne is set to return as Ironheart in her solo MCU x Disney Plus series. The series will further explore the tales of the young MIT student who invented her own Iron Man armor.
Following her exploits in Wakanda in Black Panther 2, Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams’ will create her own suit to become the titular hero. The show will also explore the concept of dark magic with the introduction of Parker Robbins (The Hood).
- Cast: Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams/ Ironheart), Anthony Ramos (The Hood), and Lyric Ross, amongst others.
- Expected Release Date: According to Marvel Studios, Ironheart will drop in Fall 2023.
- Episodes: Ironheart will have six episodes./
Star Wars The Bad Batch Season 2
While details about the second season’s plot are scarce, it is likely to focus on the exploits of The Bad Batch, formerly known as Clone Force 99.
- Cast: Dee Bradley Baker (voice – Crosshair, Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker) and Michelle Ang (Omega).
- Expected Release Date: First two episodes will drop on January 4, 2023.
- Episodes: Star Wars The Bad Batch Season 2 will have sixteen episodes.
Peter Pan & Wendy
As Disney continues to bring their animated classics to live-action, “the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” is next. The film will likely have callbacks to Disney’s 1953 animated film, Peter Pan.
- Cast: Alexander Molony (Peter Pan), Ever Anderson (Wendy Darling), Yara Shahidi (Tinker Bell), and Jude Law (Captain Hook), amongst others.
- Expected Release Date:2023 (Exact release date TBA)
Agatha Coven of Chaos
Following Agatha Harkness’ debut in WandaVision, the witch is all set to return in her solo series. Coven of Chaos is expected to give an expansive look into Agatha’s backstory and origin. Furthermore, the series will likely also address her present status in the MCU after she was imprisoned in Westview by Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch).
- Cast: Kathryn Hahn (Agatha Harkness), Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, Emma Caulfield, and Ali Ahn, amongst others.
- Expected Release Date: According to Marvel Studios, Agatha Coven of Chaos will drop in Fall 2023
- Episodes: Agatha Coven of Chaos is expected to have nine episodes.
Echo
The series will follow Maya Lopez’s journey after her fallout with Kingpin in the Hawkeye series. Echo’s solo MCU series is reported to have both Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) and Matt Murdock (Daredevil).
- Cast: Alaqua Cox (Echo), Chaske Spencer, Devery Jacobs, Graham Greene, Vincent D’Onofrio (Kingpin), and Charlie Cox (Daredevil), amongst others.
- Expected Release Date: While initially, Marvel Studios announced the series to be released in Summer 2023, the show has suffered a significant delay recently. It is now expected to drop in Winter 2023.
- Episodes: Echo is expected to have six episodes.
X-Men ’97
After over three decades since its introduction, the classic animated X-Men series will return to Disney Plus. X-Men ‘97 is the revival of the iconic show, which ran from 1992 to 1997. The revival also marks the return of the original voice actors to their respective roles.
- Cast: Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), George Buza (Beast), Alyson Court (Jubilee), Chris Potter (Gambit), Catherine Disher (Jean Grey), Christopher Britton (Mr. Sinister), amongst others.
- Expected Release Date: According to Marvel Studios, the X-Men ‘97 revival will drop in Fall 2023.
- Episodes: X-Men ‘97 will reportedly have ten episodes.
With this balanced slate of upcoming Star Wars and MCU projects for Disney Plus, it is likely that the streaming giant will be able to retain a significant portion of subscribers. However, it remains to be seen whether fans will suffer fatigue from the content of these franchises in the coming year.
