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Published Aug 14, 2026, 9:55 PM EDT
Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation assemble for one big hype sesh
Graphic: PolygonTwo years after Disney used D23 to hype the futures of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney Animation, and its theme parks, the company is back in Anaheim to ask: What comes next?
The company has a new CEO in former parks chief Josh D’Amaro, Toy Story 5 is a billion-dollar hit, and the streaming business is on firmer ground as a consolidation of Disney Plus and Hulu looms. But The Mandalorian & Grogu and the live-action Moana underperformed, Marvel's Avengers plans feel like a gamble instead of a sure thing, and YouTube #content remains an existential threat. In 2019, nothing looked bigger than Disney. In 2026, the mega-corp's future looks unclear.
The only sure thing, the only real savior of a flailing cultural icon: more Kingdom Hearts. We can all agree on that.
The stakes make this year's D23 one to watch. Based on rumors, potential reveals include:
- Another major look at Avengers: Doomsday
- Updates on Disney’s new X-Men movie
- A first peek at Star Wars: Starfighter and Ahsoka season 2
- News on Frozen 3, Toy Story, Coco 2, and Disney Animation’s Hexed
- Updates on projects including The Princess Diaries 3, a live-actionTangled, Lilo & Stitch 2, and the next Simpsons movie
Buckle up. Here's the latest:
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Kingdom Hearts 4 gets 2027 release date and a brand-new Pixar world
Image: Square EnixKingdom Hearts fans got some major surprise updates at D23 on Friday. Disney and Square Enix revealed a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 that showcases a new world based on Pixar's Coco.
The new 90-second trailer shows Coco stars Miguel and Hector, rendered closely to their appearance in Pixar's film, and Sora decked out in Día de Muertos face paint. While Miguel performs on stage at the festivities, Sora fights off Heartless Shadows with his keyblade. We also get a look at Sora's Coco World-themed keyblade, a colorful weapon composed of guitars, sugar skulls, bones, and marigolds. The trailer shows Sora, Miguel, and Hector teaming up in battle.
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Bluey movie trailer revealed, as exciting as anything Avengers at D23
Disney unveiled a teaser trailer for its feature-length Bluey movie at D23 on Friday, offering the first substantial look at the Heeler family’s jump from the small to big screen. It's very Bluey.
The trailer reveals just how Bluey will transform into a bigger, theater-worthy adventure. The shift to 3D is immediately noticeable, but the characters still move and behave like the Heelers. The fans — kids who love Bluey and Bingo’s style of play, adults routinely crushed by Chilli and Bandit’s parental revelations — should be thrilled.
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After 25 years, we're officially getting a Kingdom Hearts anime
Image: Square EnixUpdate: We manifested a Kingdom Hearts anime. A few hours after pleaing for action, Disney announced at the 2026 D23 convention that a series would indeed be coming to Disney Plus in the future.
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The Mandalorian and Grogu gets Disney Plus release date
Image: LucasfilmThe Mandalorian and Grogu brought Star Wars back to movie theaters, and now the duo is heading to their original home: Disney Plus. On Friday, Lucasfilm and Disney announced a home streaming release date for The Mandalorian and Grogu alongside the kickoff of D23, confirming that we'll all be streaming this summer's Star Wars flick starting in September.
After a digital release in July and an upcoming 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray release, The Mandalorian and Grogu will finally come home to the masses on Sept. 2, when the film starts streaming on Disney Plus.
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Kingdom Hearts fans will only get one shot to watch Square Enix's big D23 panel
Image: Square EnixIt’s been two months since the surprise drop of a new Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer during a Nintendo Direct livestream, and fans have a new reason to get their hopes up for more news very soon.
Disney is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts in 2027. That celebration kicks off this weekend with a special panel at Disney's D23 fan expo that brings together some of the key developers and voice actors behind the franchise. Anyone can watch the whole thing on YouTube — but only if they tune in live, Square Enix says.
English (US) ·