This past weekend has been one of
epic wonderment and hyped-up excitement, if one happened to be a fan of Disney,
or its two major subsidiaries Marvel and Lucasfilm of “Star Wars” fame. That
was the period of the 2019 D23 Expo, held at Anaheim Convention Center, and it
was chock-full of some all-new reveals for what the three major branches of the
Disney media umbrella. The announcements run the gamut from the upcoming
blockbusters, to exclusives for digital streaming, and even a planned expansion
area of attractions for one of Disney’s major theme parks. Let us consider them
all.
Comic Book Resources has been a major treasure trove of information
for what new stuff Disney has shared regarding a wide plethora of their future
media across multiple platforms. As expected, a majority of the announcements
during this year’s D23 Expo involved more content to expect when the exclusive
digital streaming service Disney+ launches in November 12. A major portion of
these are surprise additions to the already formidable lineup of the Marvel
Cinematic Universe, while others are spinoffs from “Star Wars” and a popular
Disney Channel musical film franchise, along with yet more live-action
adaptations of Disney animation classic.
To wit, Disney+ will have Marvel
shows connected to the MCU such as “Ms. Marvel,” one of the early reveals
before D23 started in earnest. Then there is “She-Hulk” and “Moon Knight.” The
first two have connections to earlier MCU media – Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan to “Captain
Marvel”/Carol Danvers and She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters the cousin of Avenger
Hulk/Bruce Banner. Apparently they are also part of the MCU franchise’s “Phase
4.” Other newly-unveiled Marvel productions that are not necessarily MCU-related
include animated series “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” for Disney Channel and “Spidey
and His Amazing Friends” on Disney Junior, targeting younger audiences.
Back to Disney+, Lucasfilm
finally showed their first ever trailer for “The Mandalorian,” a “Star Wars”
spinoff series based on the space bounty-hunting society that was copied by
Jango and Boba Fett. Next is “High School Musical: The Musical – The Series,”
an awkwardly-named and ridiculously “meta” spinoff of the “High School Musical”
film trilogy. Set in the “real-life” East High School, Albuquerque, where the movies
were supposedly filmed, the student body is put up to produce a stage musical
adaptation of “High School Musical,” and the romantic chaos it entails. Next,
Disney+ proves it can carry live-action Disney Animated Canon adaptations with
its first trailer for “Lady and the Tramp.”
Not everything shown in D23 this
weekend was new or original. There were also updates on stuff already revealed
earlier this year, with concept images for the MCU Phase 4 films “Black Widow”
with Scarlett Johansson and “The Eternals” which now includes Kit Harington in
cast, a new special preview for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” this
December (featuring an apparent Sith-Rey), and new visuals on the next season
of Marvel’s “Spider-Man” animated series (ironic since his MCU version is in
limbo following the breakdown of the Marvel-Sony agreement).
Finally there is also new
information regarding Avengers Campus, the long-awaited Disney theme park
expansion area. Owing to a Marvel licensing deal with Universal Studios, Walt
Disney World will not get its own version, but Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort will
get one, added to Disney California Adventure. Disneyland Paris too will have
its own iteration. Planned attractions include a “simulator ride” allowing
guests to pilot an Avengers Quin-jet (similar to the Millennium Falcon on Star
Wars: Galaxy’s Edge). What is more, the DCA Avengers Campus will apparently
open next year, so it technically is not a long wait for Marvel fans.
There were plenty more surprises
that Disney had to dazzle its loyal fandom during the 2019 D23 Expo weekend,
but those which have been stated above are arguably the key elements of their
ongoing quest to become a ubiquitous part of the world’s pop culture. Disney+
is in pretty solid shape for its opening just a few months from now. The last
chapter of the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy looks set to somewhat heal the
divisive wounds of “The Last Jedi” and “Solo.” Marvel is apparently unfazed
despite the potential loss of film rights to Spider-Man. And of course, there
is a new Disney theme area to watch out for soon enough. To bet against Disney
and its subsidiaries at this point is simply foolishness.
Images
from: Comic Book.com, Syfy, Coming Soon, and Slash Film
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