Grab the popcorn! Disney announced a wealth of new projects that will have fans of Star Wars, Marvel and more rushing to press play.
The company held its annual Investor Day event on Thursday, December 10, and shed light on brand-new series and feature films to look forward to in the coming years. Some of the biggest reveals brought the Star Wars franchise to new heights as 10 new shows are expected to hit Disney+ — with one major star making a highly-anticipated return.
Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy, is joining former costar Ewan McGregor in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The show will begin production in March 2021 and will follow the Jedi master (McGregor) grappling with his student’s turn to the Dark Side. Set a decade after the pair face off in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, Christensen will appear as Darth Vader.
“It was such an incredible journey playing Anakin Skywalker,” the Jumper actor said in a press release following the big announcement, adding that “it feels good to be back” in the Star Wars world.
Fans of another major franchise also have a packed calendar of new releases. On Thursday, Disney execs gave updates on the latest Marvel projects, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Captain Marvel 2 and Disney+ original series. The studio also confirmed that the role of T’Chala will not be recast for the upcoming Black Panther sequel following Chadwick Boseman’s death in August.
Apart from the worlds of comics and fantasy, Disney also has a few nostalgic tricks up their sleeves. Zac Efron will be putting a new spin on ’80s comedy Three Men and a Baby, while Whoopi Goldberg is set to reprise her role in a brand-new Sister Act movie. The EGOT winner teased a potential third film two months before the news was confirmed.
“For a long time, they kept saying no one wanted to see it,” Goldberg said during an October interview on The Late Late Show With James Corden. “And then quite recently, it turns out, that may not be true. People may want to see it. So, we’re working diligently to try to figure out how to get the gang together and come back.”
Scroll down to see more of the biggest projects announced during Disney’s Investor Day event.