D23: What to expect and what to hope for
Article by Kieran Burt
D23 is nearly upon us, and with it all of the Marvel, Star Wars and other project announcements that will surprise audiences everywhere. However, there have already been some hints of what audiences can expect at the Expo, and there are some things that are likely to show up. This is what has been confirmed and will likely be at D23.
D23 starts on September 9 2022 and runs until September 11 2022, where there will be several panels running across all days from Marvel, Lucasfilm, a panel on video games, Pixar and so much more. However, a day earlier on September 8 2022, is Disney plus day. While not strictly part of D23, it nonetheless will feature a celebration of the streaming service, and will feature a huge amount of content arriving. Here is a list of what audiences can see appearing on the day:
Obi Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return
Thor: Love and Thunder
Pinocchio
She-Hulk Episode Four
Cars on the Road
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder
Frozen and Frozen II Sing-a-long
Remembering
Welcome to the Club
Wedding Season
Growing Up
Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory
On the following day, September 9, 2022, D23 will officially start. Audiences will be treated to panels from Disney Live Action Studios, Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios will explain the upcoming projects for their respective studios. Pixar has three upcoming films, Elemental in 2023 and two unannounced films in 2024. Walt Disney Animation Studios currently has two films, Strange World in November and an untitled project a year later. And finally, Disney Live Action Studios will release its Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted, in November. News can be expected about some of these projects, especially the so far untitled films.
Disney and Marvel will also be hosting a videogames showcase, focusing on upcoming games and already-released titles. Amy Hennig’s upcoming Marvel video-game will be unveiled, along with a press release from DIsney explaining that “fans can expect new reveals from titles including Disney Dreamlight Valley, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and a sneak peek at the upcoming Marvel ensemble game from Skydance New Media.” These games aren’t the only ones likely to receive news, as it’s possible that Disney may tell fans the release date of Jedi: Survivor and also tell fans about the Star Wars game that Amy Hennig is working on.
On September 10 2022, both Lucasfilm and Marvel will have panels, and fans can expect a wealth of news coming out of these panels. Deadline confirmed last week that Matt Shakman, the director of WandaVision, is currently in talks with Marvel to direct the Fantastic Four, and if these talks are successful audiences could receive official confirmation from Marvel at their D23 panel. Other cast and crew announcements for upcoming Marvel projects, such as Blade, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Echo and more could be announced. The Disney plus series Armour Wars was noticeably absent from the line-up Marvel released at Comic-Con, so it and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special may get release dates. Marvel may also release a second trailer for the upcoming Black Panther sequel, and/or a first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania.
Turning to Lucasfilm, it’s highly likely that a second trailer for The Bad Batch Season Two will be released, as while there is some confusion with its release date, it’s still coming out on September 28. Andor is debuting on September 21, so more details are bound to be shown. Audiences may receive more information or even a trailer for the third season of The Mandalorian, and more information about Skeleton Crew and Ahsoka. On the film side, it’s possible that audiences may receive an update on Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron or Taika Waititi’s unnamed Star Wars film. A title reveal for Taika’s film would be amazing, and would help bring Star Wars movies back to the forefront. More information about Indiana Jones five is also likely.
20th Century Studios will also have some time dedicated to it, and the movie that everyone is looking forward to is Avatar: The Way of Water. A second trailer for the film would certainly excite audiences.
September 9 2022 will be a quiet day at the convention, with a look at the future of Disney Parks and products and a sneak peek at the upcoming Disney plus documentary Mickey: The Story of a Mouse, all about Mickey mouse. However, this is all of note that is debuting on the final day.
Disney plus day and the three days of the Expo are bound to excite many fans with looks at many upcoming projects, as well as news about new ones. There is plenty to look forward to, with videogame, TV and film fans being shown the cascade of upcoming content from Marvel, Star Wars, PIxar, and the many other franchises Disney own.
