Disney Unveils Slew of New Films at Fan Event

Thank goodness Deadpool & Wolverine is still in cinemas, or Ryan Reynolds’ sweary mutant might have taken over Disney’s usually squeaky-clean D23 fan event in Anaheim, California. As it was, Reynolds only appeared briefly on the giant screens at the 15,000 capacity Honda Centre for a recorded segment thanking fans for supporting his film to a likely $1bn global box office return this weekend. And naturally to remind Marvel boss Kevin Feige – tongue in cheek – who saved the studio.

It was left to Disney’s more conventional franchises across its subdivisions Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and what used to be 20th Century Fox to steal the show. With a number of new movie announcements and impressive sneak peeks, this was a fan event that suggested the Mouse House has plenty up its sleeve to keep audiences interested over the next few years.

One of Marvel’s most highly-anticipated future episodes is Fantastic Four: First Steps. Attendees were treated to the first footage from Matt Shakman’s film, which seems to be set in an alternate reality 1960s. Imagine if Wes Anderson, in Asteroid City mode, directed a Marvel movie and you might get somewhere close to the look and feel of this one. Stars Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/Thing) look a cut above previous incumbents. The fuzzy, Apollo-era vibes hint at a big screen take on WandaVision’s eccentric retro-futurism. The movie has just started production in the UK and is due out next year.

Marvel boss Kevin Feige also treated attendees to an in-depth look at the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. The plot centers around the discovery in a remote ocean of the element adamantium, famously the incredibly hard metal from which Wolverine’s claws are made in the comics. Harrison Ford takes over the role of General Thaddeus E “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt in Julian Onah’s film, and there were gasps at the end of a segment of footage as the character transformed into a version of the legendary Red Hulk (with Ford’s face!).

Over in the former Fox corner of the Disney universe, James Cameron took to the stage to reveal that the new Avatar movie will be titled Avatar: Fire & Ash. The Canadian film-maker is determined to show us every mystical, photo-real corner of the cosmic moon Pandora. This time, it looks like we’ll be meeting a new tribe of Na’avi with flamey crests on their heads. Footage was limited, but Cameron will be hoping to repeat the achievements of the original Avatar (from 2009) and its 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. The new episode is due to hit multiplexes in December 2025.

Still basking in the remarkable box office success of Inside Out 2 (now the highest-grossing animated film of all time), Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter revealed that studio stalwart Andrew Stanton will direct the forthcoming Toy Story 5. The new episode will focus on a battle for supremacy between Woody, Buzz et al., and a new tech-based rival for the affections of the children who play with them. Stanton is best known for directing Finding Nemo and its sequel Finding Dory, as well as Wall-E. He co-wrote all four of the earlier Toy Story films, and will be regarded as an incredibly safe pair of hands for the new instalment. Docter also revealed that a third movie in the much-loved The Incredibles series has been greenlit, with Brad Bird once again at the helm.

Docter also showcased exclusive footage from the upcoming film Elio. This movie is about a young space fanatic who is beamed up to the cosmos and ends up being mistaken for Earth’s leader by an alien organization known as the Communiverse.

The D23 fan event is never complete without a Star Wars update. The big news this time around was an exclusive first peek at the much-anticipated debut big screen outing for The Mandalorian and Grogu, introduced by director Jon Favreau and writer Dave Filoni. There were audible gasps in the audience as Star Wars Rebels’ pointy-eared Zeb made his first live action appearance, but rather less excitement at the prospect of Babu Frick lining up alongside Baby Yoda. The sight of Grogu in his Mandalorian Beskar armour almost had some fans passing out from the excitement.

Jared Leto was greeted with rapture for Tron Ares. Footage suggests the new episode will see the lightcycle-riding digital baddies entering the real world, playing on Hollywood’s ongoing fascination with nefarious AI. First introduced in 1982, when the original film marked an early use of CGI graphics, this sci-fi saga ought to be perfect for the Disney machine. Ares boasts tunes from Nine Inch Nails, while Jeff Bridges is back again. Director Joseph Kosinski also returns after taking charge of Legacy. With Top Gun: Maverick in his back pocket, Disney clearly trusts him to make sure the Master Control Program is operating on full power mode this time around.

Source: The Guardian, ComicBook