Disney+ announces 10 new Star Wars series, 10 new Marvel shows

The Walt Disney Company has revealed a massive slate of new projects on its 2020 Investor Day, for its streaming services. This includes Marvel and Star Wars series on its fast-growing Disney+ platform.

Disney said it plans to release 10 new TV series each in the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, including two spinoffs of 'The Mandalorian,' over the next few years.

One of Disney’s all-time classics is coming to #DisneyPlus with the new live-action retelling of Pinocchio, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis. pic.twitter.com/44bHbFRhMe

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) December 11, 2020

In a virtual presentation for investors, Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek laid out super-sized ambitions for its direct-to-consumer efforts,leaning heavily on some of the company’s biggest brands. Over the next few years, Disney is planning to premiere directly on Disney+ not just an armada of Star Wars and Marvel series but 15 live-action Disney Animation and Pixar shows and 15 Disney Animation and Pixar feature films.

Customers should expect about 100 or more titles every year, executives said in the presentation to investors, reported Reuters.

Disney presented a blizzard of remakes, sequels and spinoffs of various shapes and sizes on December 10 - 100 new titles in all - including a 'Beauty and the Beast' prequel series, a 'Moana' animated series, a 'Three Men and a Baby' reboot with Zac Efron, a 'Swiss Family Robinson' series and, yes, even the Kardashians.

Come one, come all to #DisneyInvestorDay! Expect major announcements from the worlds of @DisneyAnimation, @Pixar, @MarvelStudios, @StarWars, @NatGeo, @DisneyPlus, and more. Follow this thread for live updates starting at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT today! pic.twitter.com/Duh0KHcojG — Disney (@Disney) December 10, 2020

But Disney also kept its biggest films - including Marvel’s 'Black Widow', Pixar’s Luca, a Lion King prequel - on course for theatrical release. Whereas WarnerMedia last week pushed its entire 2021 slate to streaming, Disney executives signaled that theatrical release remains essential to its big-budget spectacles and its business, overall.

"We build the franchises through the theatrical window,” said Chapek.

Still, the four-hour presentation presented a more seamless vision of content across platforms that made scant mention of its closed theme parks, or of the pandemic. That included a dizzying amount of series, many of them connected to big-screen movies past and present, reported Associated Press. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said a pair of new Marvel series - Secret Invasion, with Samuel Jackson, and Ironheart - will “tie directly to Marvel future films.” The only difference between the company’s short-form TV content and its theatrical content, said Bob Iger, executive chairman, “is length.”

Not all the news was in streaming. Lucasfilm announced that Patty Jenkins ('Wonder Woman') will direct the next Star Wars theatrical film, 'Rogue Squadron', with a release in theaters planned for Christmas 2023.

Jenkins becomes the first woman to direct a 'Star Wars' film. In a video, she said the film, about starship fighters, will satisfy a long-held dream of hers as the daughter of an Air Force captain.

"When he lost his life in service of this country, it ignited a desire in me to turn all of that tragedy and thrill into one day making the greatest fighter pilot movie of all time,” said Jenkins in a video message.

Other films are going ahead with theatrical plans, among them a Buzz Lightyear prequel, due in 2020, and the 'Black Panther' sequel. Feige confirmed that the role of the late Chadwick Boseman will not be recast but that its makers are still interested in “exploring the world of Wakanda” in Ryan Coogler’s film, due in theaters July 2022.

Among the Star Wars series are two spinoffs of 'The Mandalorian', set during the series’ timeline - Rangers of the New Republic and Ahsoka, with Rosario Dawson. Shooting also recently began on Andor, a series developed by Tony Gilroy ('Bourne Identity'), with Diego Luna’s character from the 2016 film 'Rogue On'.

Other, less expected Star Wars stars are returning. Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the prequels, will reprise his role as Death Vader in 'Obi-Wan Kenobi', with Ewan McGregor.

Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader, joining Ewan McGregor in OBI-WAN KENOBI. The Original Series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, and is coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9WR2npRUkk

— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

"We have a vast and expansive timeline in the ‘Star Wars’ mythology, spanning over 25,000 years of history in the galaxy with each era being a rich resource for storytelling,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “Now with Disney+ we can explore limitless story possibilities like never before and fulfill the promise that there is truly a ‘Star Wars’ story for everyone.”

Disney steered several upcoming movies to its streaming service, including 'Pinocchio', with Tom Hanks, 'Peter Pan & Wendy' and an 'Enchanted' sequel with Amy Adams titled “Disenchanted.” The animated 'Raya and the Last Dragon' will in March debut simultaneously in theaters and by premier access on Disney+. This is similar to the approach it took earlier this fall for 'Mulan', with a $30 early-access fee on top of the monthly subscription.

Disney made other adjustments to reorient its film operations around streaming. Hulu, which this year debuted the Andy Samberg comedy 'Palm Springs' and Sarah Paulson thriller 'Run', will be home to more original films from 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures. Hulu will also be the new home of the Kardashians, recently departed from E!. The streaming service also renewed 'The Handmaid’s Tale' for a fifth season.