This is the way: Disney to launch 20 'Star Wars' and Marvel TV series in the next couple of years
Disney has spoken.
Disney is planning to launch an array of Star Wars and Marvel series on its streaming service over the next couple of years, the company announced on Friday (Manila time).
In a virtual Disney Investor Day conference, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy revealed that 10 Star Wars series will debut on Disney Plus starting 2021, including The Mandalorian spinoff series Rangers of the New Republic and Ahsoka.
Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, will reprise his role as Darth Vader alongside Ewan McGregor in the titular role in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Rogue One prequel series Andor, starring Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, will also premiere in 2022 while Dear White People creator Justin Simien is developing a new series titled Lando. Mystery-thriller The Acolyte from Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland is also in the works.
Apart from that, a slew of Star Wars animated series will also debut on Disney Plus such as A Droid Story, The Bad Batch as well as Star Wars: Visions, an anthology collection of animated short films that will be produced by leading Japanese anime studios.
“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," Kennedy said. "Now with Disney Plus we can explore limitless story possibilities like never before and fulfill the promise that there is truly a ‘Star Wars’ story for everyone.”
Apart from the series, Lucasfilm also revealed that Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins will helm the next Star Wars film Rogue Squadron that is slated for release in Christmas 2023. Jenkins will be the first woman filmmaker in the franchise’s history who will direct a Star Wars film.
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) December 10, 2020
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios is further expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe by announcing upcoming projects including Secret Invasion, Ironheart, and Armor Wars.
The new series will join the studios’ current lineup of Disney Plus titles such as WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, as well as animated series What If…?, Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and a series of original shorts I Am Groot.
The studio also revealed the third installment in the Ant-Man franchise, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as well as a new Fantastic Four film. Marvel Studios’ upcoming feature films also include Black Widow, Shang Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, Eternals, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther 2, Blade, Captain Marvel 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
“This incredible slate of new original content reflects our continuing commitment to harness the resources and immense creativity across our company to bring audiences extraordinary entertainment experiences unlike anything else in the market,” executive chairman Bob Iger said. “We’re proud that the unparalleled quality of our storytelling from our iconic brands remains evident across all distribution platforms, from movie theaters to our direct-to-consumer services."
(Images from IMDB)