Can you really blame them, though? Disney already had jaws dropping with all of their Marvel reveals, but they did not stop there. It seems like Disney took some of their most popular films from the last several years and decided to simultaneously make sequels, just so they could announce them at this very event. On top of that, they took Ryan Gosling and made him the protagonist of his very own Star Wars film. We have a lot to dig into, so without further ado, these are the most exciting announcements from D23!
Ryan Gosling in Star Wars: Starfighter
For years, Star Wars fans have been begging for the universe to expand its scope. For so long, nearly every Star Wars project has taken place within the same general time frame. This was interesting for a while, seeing stories that occurred just after Luke Skywalker initially defeated the Empire. However, when every project surrounds the same characters during the same era, the grand universe begins to feel much smaller. Starfighter takes place after The Rise of Skywalker, which means it will be the first film to introduce us to this previously unexplored era. This gives director Shawn Levy a lot of creative freedom because he can establish a whole new status quo.
Of course, it always helps to have the ever-charismatic Ryan Gosling helming the project. The teaser at D23 showed us that Gosling will serve as a quasi-mentor to a young boy as they explore completely new planets in "the fastest starfighter ever built". The various flying shots lead us to believe that this film will heavily channel some Top Gun: Maverick energy. All signs point to this being a new frontier for the Star Wars franchise, and we can’t wait to see Gosling take center stage.
Incredibles 3
While Incredibles 2 may not have reached the heights of the original film, it absolutely reminded audiences that they love watching this superpowered family. At the D23 panel, Pete Docter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer, said that the entire plot of this new film will center around the fact that Supers are finally legal again. This results in the formation of the Super Hero League, which is a "heavily sponsored organization" that is focused on making the most profit from their Supers. The influx of new talent causes Mr. Incredible to, once again, feel insecure about his place in the world. Bob must come to terms with the fact that getting older has made him slower than many of these younger heroes.
Speaking of younger heroes, the kids will be taking center stage in Incredibles 3. Docter explained that the first film was about Bob, the second film was about Helen, and this third installment would feature Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack becoming heroes in their own right. Of course, every great superhero story needs a villain. We do not know anything about this mysterious threat aside from his vague silhouette, though the accompanying theme music implied that this might be the most intimidating threat the Incredibles have ever faced. We are beyond excited to see how the family will save the day this time.
Frozen 3
One thing that has largely been missing from the Frozen franchise is a real villain. Yes, Han was technically the villain in the first film, but he did not reveal his true intentions until the very end and was quickly beaten by the sisters. In the second installment, the conflict was based on miscommunication, and the true villain was Elsa’s grandfather who died many years prior. It is insane that this series, for all of the great songs it has, is missing a truly wicked villain song. Frozen 3 is certainly going to remedy this issue. The short snippet shown at D23 sees the cast being called away from Anna and Kristoff’s wedding. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven are sucked through a portal into a mysterious snowy forest. They are immediately met by an ominous woman who seems to have the same ice powers as Elsa. The woman dons a jagged cape formed from icy butterflies as she approaches the sisters. She remarks, "The famous sisters from Arendelle, we finally meet." Clearly this character will serve as a dark counterpart to Elsa, which is drawn from the original fairytale which Frozen is based on. It will be interesting to see how Elsa and Anna contend with such a powerful new character.
Coco 2
Ten years later, we are finally returning to Miguel and the Land of the Dead. Benjamin Bratt joined the D23 stage to share concept art from the film and a short synopsis of the plot. From what we can gather, Ernesto de la Cruz is seeking revenge on Miguel for ruining his legacy. This evil plan results in Miguel being plunged back into the afterlife, where he must face a series of obstacles to escape. Along his journey, Miguel has to team up with former enemies and deceased loved ones.
We got to see a heartwarming image of an older Miguel reuniting with Mama Coco in the Land of the Dead. The new character designs are absolutely adorable and seem like a perfect progression without changing the characters too much. We are already mentally preparing to shed tears if Miguel has to say goodbye to his sweet great-grandmother once again.
Zootopia 3
Zootopia was predators, Zootopia 2 was reptiles, Zootopia 3 is birds? Makes sense. As teased in the ending of the previous installment, it seems that avian creatures will be the main focus of this film. It is unclear where this progression will take the story. Will the birds have their own undiscovered history just like the snakes? How are they going to advance this story without making it feel like they are retreading the same themes? The franchise is in a very unique position where this third film could solidify it as one of the best Disney series, or it could end up feeling extremely repetitive.
All we know is that Nick and Judy will finally be viewed as respected detectives. Up until now, they have always come into conflict with their supervisors for trying to simply do their job. At this point, they have saved the city twice, so it would be a fascinating change of pace to have them framed as heroes in-universe. Regardless of the plot, we keep returning to these films because of the charming dynamic between the two leads, and we are eager to see more of it.
Overall, Disney seems to be taking a "play to your strengths" strategy. They know exactly which films work, and they have put all of their effort into continuing those franchises. With that being said, none of these films seem like outright cash grabs. Each of these ideas is doing something innovative in its own way, and we are eager to see every one of them in theaters!
