Disney made a lot of big announcements earlier this week. Here’s a few that will impact Disney+ subscribers over the next several months.
News flooded from Disney’s Investor Day 2020 virtual presentation Thursday with much of the spotlight going to Disney+, the company’s flagship streaming platform that launched a year ago. With projects in development from Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Pixar, National Geographic, and more, there’s lots of new shows, narrative films and documentaries to track for those looking to keep up.
Here’s a few key takeaways from Thursday’s presentation that will impact Disney+ subscribers in the coming months:
It had been known for weeks now that “WandaVision,” the new Marvel Studios live-action show featuring the Scarlet Witch and Vision, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, respectively, is premiering on Disney+ on Jan. 15. It had also been indicated that “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” would soon follow. However, it wasn’t known when that series would premiere on the streaming service — until Thursday. Both shows were meant to bow this year but faced production delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Featuring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon, and Sebastian Stan, who reprises his role as Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier from Marvel Studios films, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” will premiere on Disney+ on March 19 — just weeks after the six-episode “WandaVision” miniseries wraps. The series featuring Wilson and Barnes will also run six episodes, with production having taken place in Georgia and the Czech Republic. The show co-stars Daniel Brühl as Baron Helmut Zemo and Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, the former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D who is the niece of Peggy Carter. The series takes place after “Avengers: Endgame” from 2019, and was developed by Malcolm Spellman with Kari Skogland directing.
In addition to “WandaVision” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” having imminent releases, a couple more key programs will soon reach subscribers. Both “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” and “Loki” had trailers released this week as part of Investor Day 2020, and are close to streaming.
“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” follows the events of the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” animated series, returning Clone Force 99, a group of clone troopers who were genetically enhanced. A release date hasn’t yet been provided for the animated program, which is being developed by Jennifer Corbett and Dave Filoni. “Loki,” meanwhile, is expected to be begin streaming in May, giving Marvel Cinematic Universe fans three miniseries to devour in the first half of 2021. “Loki” is another Marvel Phase Four production that will run six episodes. It stars Tom Hiddleston as the trickster from Asgard and Owen Wilson co-stars as Mobius M. Mobius of the Time Variance Authority.
With several standout series soon debuting, each with a gigantic budget that rivals the resources and expense of a summer tentpole film, there’s a lot to get excited for regarding Disney+ over a short span. One not-so-great announcement, however, is that the streamer is raising prices for subscriptions in the United States. Since launching, Disney+ has cost U.S. subscribers $6.99 per month. In March, the price will go up to $7.99 a month, or $79.99 for a full year. There will still be a bundle available, too — pairing the service with Hulu and ESPN+ — for $13.99 a month. It’s not year clear if international subscription prices will change.