When Disney+ first launched five years ago, I didn’t have the highest hopes for the latest streaming service on the block. ‘Who’s going to pay to watch Disney films that fans have already seen a hundred times?’ were my initial thoughts.
But with an increasing number of releases exclusive to the service and an ever-expanding collection of older series and films, Disney+ has proved me wrong time and time again. It has an impressive list of studios and brands under its name including National Geographic, Marvel, and Star.
Some of the best shows of the past five years have been released on the service, including Moonlight and Wandavision, which delve even deeper into the world of Marvel. It has not shied away from investing in new projects either, with British comedy Extraordinary proving to be a smash hit.
There have also been a pleasing number of British comedies such as Stath Let's Flats, Friday Night Dinner and Motherland. It’s positive to see these sorts of shows getting onto an even wider platform than BBC iPlayer and Channel 4.
In celebration of its first five years of existence, here we run through some of Disney+’s greatest hits so far – and five of the upcoming movies and TV shows that we are most looking forward to.
You already know that Disney has all the Star Wars canon and Marvel content, so I have mostly avoided that here. Instead, I have decided to flag stuff that might have flown under your radar.
What are the best films and TV shows on Disney+ now?
Old and new Disney classics
characters from Inside Out 2 screaming in horror as a button goes off on the dashboard in front of them
(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios)
You cannot have a list of the best things to watch on Disney+ without mentioning Disney’s animated films. It’s almost impossible to pick out even a few to recommend, as the back catalogue spans almost 90 years, from the studio’s first feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. They have become the bread and butter of the studio’s offerings, combining beautiful animation and heartfelt storytelling.
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All of Pixar’s releases are here, too, so there are plenty of animated films to choose from. Shout out to last year’s Inside Out 2 which made me and many others sob. The studio has even moved into new territory with its first TV show, Win or Lose, which follows a school softball team called the Pickles preparing for their championship game.
There really is something for everyone, ranging from old-school classics such as Fantasia to the latest Disney princess entry Moana 2 (which, in fairness, is rubbish). Just let’s not talk about the live-action remakes.
Extraordinary | Official Trailer | Hulu - YouTube Extraordinary | Official Trailer | Hulu - YouTube
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This Disney+ original was a pleasant surprise when it first came out and with the release of its second series last year, it has cemented itself as a rip-roaring British comedy worthy of a watch.
Máiréad Tyers perfectly portrays Jen, a 20-something woman still reeling from the death of her father. On top of that, she lives in a world where everyone in her life has superpowers except her, including her flatmate Carrie (played by Sofia Oxenham) who can speak with the dead. It’s a fun spin on the now-tired superhero tale, poking playful fun at the genre with the inclusion of some rather pointless powers (one man can use his bum as a printer).
Sadly, it seems that the show has not been renewed for a third season; but if you want to enjoy some sharp humour and clever storytelling, this could be the perfect watch.
Bob's Burgers
Bob and his family stand open-mouthed in a line
(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios)
Sitting alongside older adult animations such as The Simpsons and Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers has quickly become a favourite to rival its predecessors.
We follow burger-restaurant owner Bob as he works to make his business a success with the help of his wife Linda and their three kids. Bob has a lot to put up with, from odd requests from his clingy regular customer-turned-friend Teddy to his children getting up to all sorts of mischief.
It has an easy-going and wholesome feel, always managing to pack a bunch of laughs in and securing itself as a top-tier comfort show. Despite it running for 15 series, the series has managed to maintain its quality all the way through as well.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Official Trailer - YouTube Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | Official Trailer - YouTube
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As with Disney Studio’s classic animated releases, there are so many to choose from when it comes to Marvel’s back catalogue. The studio has undoubtedly produced a few stinkers in the past few years, but one to break through was the final instalment of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
This iteration follows on from the loss of one of the group’s members, and Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill is not dealing with it well. Despite that, the rag-tag team of space adventurers must continue to defend the universe.
Cue all the usual Marvel action scenes and villainous monologues we have become all too used to from the studio; but this instalment manages to be genuinely emotionally affecting. Learning about wisecracking team member Rocket Raccoon’s tear-jerking backstory gives the film a much-needed emotional component.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary Season 1 Teaser | Rotten Tomatoes TV - YouTube Abbott Elementary Season 1 Teaser | Rotten Tomatoes TV - YouTube
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Disney+ has a fair amount of mockumentaries currently on the service such as Modern Family and What We Do in the Shadows, but one of the best to hit the small screen is Abbott Elementary.
Written and starring relative newcomer Quinta Brunson, the series depicts the day-to-day life of teachers working in an underfunded and mismanaged school in Philadelphia. It manages to hold a perfect balance between the serious conversation about the American school system and the everyday capers.
It’s fun to see the mockumentary format being played with as well, as the camera crew are shoved out the way by characters and sneak around to capture what should be a moment of intimacy.
What's coming up next?
Disney+ is not the best for letting users know which shows or films will be coming on the service, but we have spotted some exciting upcoming releases that we will certainly be keeping our eyes out for.
The Bear: Series 4
the cast of The Bear gathered in the kitchen
(Image credit: FX)
Has cooking ever been more stressful to watch than in The Bear? The show turns the heat up to 100 with its depiction of a fast-paced kitchen environment, following promising chef Carmy as he is forced to return home from the fine-dining world to run his family’s sandwich shop after a shocking death.
Each episode really gets the heart pumping and the emotions reeling, especially as the initially clashing colleagues grow closer together.
There’s not much known about the latest season, but can we expect the same nail-biting tension and intensity? Yes, chef.
Only Murders in the Building: Series 5
Only Murders in the Building (Official) Teaser | Hulu - YouTube Only Murders in the Building (Official) Teaser | Hulu - YouTube
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Somehow this show about a murder occurring in the same apartment block is onto its fifth series. Not that I’m complaining: this star-studded comedy has climbed the ranks as one of Disney+’s most popular watches.
Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez all shine as residents at The Arconia, an apartment complex in Manhattan. The characters’ paths cross in the first series when a body is discovered, and they team up to find the culprit in the form of a murder mystery podcast.
The following seasons each revolve around a death that has happened on the site, so it will be interesting to see how the creators find a way to weave another story of mystery and intrigue.
Freakier Friday
Freakier Friday | Teaser Trailer | In Theaters August 8 - YouTube Freakier Friday | Teaser Trailer | In Theaters August 8 - YouTube
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Before you storm off the page in a fit of rage… hear me out. There have actually been three movie iterations of the Freaky Friday story (it was also originally based on a book of the same name published in 1972), but none made such a splash as the 2003 edition starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as the mother and daughter duo.
The first film follows the pair as they come head to head before Curtis’s Tess gets married to her second husband. When they mysteriously wake up inhabiting each other’s bodies, the two are forced to see the world from another perspective.
It’s not a cinematic masterpiece by any means, but the knock-out comedic performances from Lohan and Curtis really bring the film together, making it somewhat of a cult classic today.
This much-awaited sequel will take the concept one step further, adding two new characters to the mix in a four-way body swap.
Aliens: Earth
Much to the joy of sci-fi fans, Disney+ includes all of the Alien franchise from the original movie Alien to the newest Alien: Romulus.
Now, it has taken a bold leap and announced the release of a TV series in the same world, taking place two years before the events of Alien. As well as being the first series to come out of the franchise, it is also the first to put the aliens on our home planet.
The series will look at what happens when the xenomorph threat makes it to Earth, and how a young woman and a group of tactical soldiers face up against it. With any hope, we will be treated to the same hair-raising tension and scare factor that made its predecessors classics today. How this show fits in with the rest of the Alien series will be fascinating for hardcore fans, too.
Thunderbolts
Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* | Teaser Trailer | Only In Theaters May 2025 - YouTube Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* | Teaser Trailer | Only In Theaters May 2025 - YouTube
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There have not been many Marvel releases that have excited me in the past few years, but it feels as though Thunderbolts could have potential. For one, it has a top-notch cast, including Florence Pugh, David Harbour and the Winter Soldier himself, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes.
They form part of the Thunderbolts, a team of anti-heroes who are recruited to go on missions for the government in the absence of the Avengers.
While it is hard to have the highest of hopes for Marvel these days (not to sound overly pessimistic), the group dynamic seems to be taking a page out from the Guardians of the Galaxy script and casting a team of rag-tag outcasts as reluctant heroes.
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