All articles tagged with #disney plus
ESPN is raising prices for its Select and Unlimited streaming plans, with Select going to $13.99/month and Unlimited to $31.99/month (annuals also increasing). Disney Plus bundles that include ESPN Select are getting more expensive, while bundles with ESPN Unlimited arent affected. The changes take effect September 17 and represent ESPN0s first standalone price hike since the service launched.
Wonder Man, which premiered in January 2026 and was renewed for a second season, was canceled weeks later. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II says the decision deserves study and points to opaque viewership data as the business reason, highlighting concerns about which Marvel projects get prioritized and the optics of cancellations like the Blade remake.
Disney+ has published a 15-title prep list for Avengers: Doomsday, blending MCU films, Fox X‑Men entries, and key series (notably Loki) to map the Multiverse Saga ahead of the December 18, 2026 release. The lineup includes The Avengers, Infinity War, Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shang-Chi, Captain America: Brave New World, Deadpool & Wolverine, Thunderbolts, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, X-Men, X2, Loki, and Captain America: The First Avenger, among others, signaling a shift from Kang to Doctor Doom and focusing on multiversal storytelling while leaving out titles like Daredevil: Born Again and Moon Knight.
Chris Carter's cut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe — titled Vrach Frankenshteyn — premieres August 14 on Disney+ and Hulu, arriving as Ryan Coogler develops a Hulu reboot; the director's cut reportedly heightens the horror elements trimmed for the PG-13 release and reunites the original Mulder, Scully and Skinner in the film's new version.
The X-Files creator Chris Carter has released a director’s cut of The X-Files: I Want to Believe—now titled The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn—streaming on Disney+ starting Aug. 14. The shorter, more horror-forward version, crafted with Frank Spotnitz, aims to give fans what they wanted and signals potential future installments, contingent on Ryan Coogler’s upcoming reboot; Carter also reflects on past studio edits, fan engagement, and the UFO conversations that continue to intrigue the franchise.
David Henrie says there have been loose conversations about turning Wizards Beyond Waverly Place into a movie to wrap up the Russo family saga, driven by the finale’s setup of a family wizard competition and a potential audience response before deciding on a film.
Disney+ will premiere Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi, an eight-episode anime limited series that expands on The Ninth Jedi shorts. Following Lah Kara as she trains under Margrave Juro, she and a fellowship of Jedi-in-training embark on a quest to save her father, in both English dub and original Japanese; the series drops August 5, 2026.
Wonder Man's Season 2 renewal was reversed by Disney/Marvel; co-creator Andrew Guest posted a candid TikTok saying the move wasn’t a marketing stunt and that contracts were signed and schedules cleared for a writers’ room start this month, but the decision was made internally to stop. He stressed that everyone involved loved making the show and called for important conversations about which stories platforms choose to back, noting the broader MCU context and Abdul-Mateen II's Emmy bid. Wonder Man remains available on Disney+.
Disney+ canceled Wonder Man after an initial renewal for a second season in March, despite a strong premiere period and an Emmy nomination for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The star reacted on Instagram with gratitude to viewers and a playful “See You at the Emmys,” signaling a bittersweet finale for the Marvel series.
Deadline confirms Marvel's Wonder Man has been canceled after a single season on Disney+, reversing an earlier Season 2 renewal; Season 1 consisted of eight episodes and drew 618 million minutes viewed in its opening week, with the show skewing older; the characters could still appear in the MCU in future projects, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II earned an Emmy nomination for his performance.
Glen Powell’s football comedy Chad Powers returns for Season 2, releasing September 3 on Hulu and on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. The new season follows Russ Holliday’s Chad Powers lie, with Coach Hudson and Gerry in hot pursuit, while Ricky tries to keep the ruse from unraveling and push toward the College Football Playoff. First-look photos have dropped. The series, based on ESPN’s Eli’s Places and co-created by Powell and Michael Waldron, features new and returning cast members and is executive-produced by Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, and others from Omaha Productions and ESPN.
The Mandalorian and Grogu opened solidly but then plunged in Week 2, likely becoming the franchise’s lowest-grossing Star Wars film (behind Solo). Analysts attribute the falter to releasing a TV-series-based movie during Disney+'s era and competition from a surge in low-budget horror, though its modest budget and future Disney+ streaming plus merchandising keep long-term upside.
The article notes that even though The Mandalorian and Grogu achieved a record Rotten Tomatoes audience score, the milestone didn’t translate into meaningful impact on viewership or momentum, highlighting how an aggregate audience rating isn’t a reliable proxy for a show's real-world appeal or streaming success.
Star Wars’ theatrical release The Mandalorian and Grogu opened with fanfare but plummeted 70% in Week 2, dropping to third place with about $25 million as indie horrors Obsession and Backrooms dominated the weekend. The result underscores ongoing franchise volatility, though Disney+ streaming promises long-tail audience engagement even if films stumble at theaters. With a reported $165 million budget (offset by California tax credits) and future projects like Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling, Lucasfilm and Disney aim to leverage Mandalorian’s brand to drive subscriptions and merchandise while refining the movie strategy.
The X-Men ’97 Season 2 trailer shows the team scattered across different eras as they face the rise of Apocalypse, signaling bigger battles and emotional moments across nine episodes premiering July 1 on Disney+. The trailer also hints at new mutant cameos, including a possible Deadpool moment, and longtime voice casts return for another high-stakes mutant adventure.