In the game known as the streaming wars, Disney+ came out swinging, bringing with it a massive library of movies and TV shows—with new ones being added all the time. Watched everything on Netflix? Disney+ has a seemingly endless selection of Marvel movies and plenty of Star Wars and Pixar fare too. Problem is, there’s so much stuff that it’s hard to know where to begin. WIRED is here to help. Below are our picks for the best films on Disney+ right now.

For more viewing ideas, try our guides to the best films on Netflix, the best films on Amazon Prime, and the best shows on Apple TV+.

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Inside Out 2

Though it’s been nine years since the release of Pixar’s Oscar-winning Inside Out, this sequel picks up just two years after the original film’s ending. Riley, now 13 years old, is officially a teenager—and not quite ready to contend with the various new emotions that come with that phase. Among them: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). Fortunately for all of them, not to mention Riley’s parents, Joy (Amy Poehler) is still there to help balance these emotions out. Yet again, Pixar triumphs in making a movie with a message that is also fun for the whole family.

Con Air

Is Con Air a good movie? Technically, no. Which doesn’t mean that it’s not an immensely watchable film, and a fantastic way to spend two hours of a lazy weekend. Nicolas Cage is at his most Nicolas Cage-y as Cameron Poe, a former Desert Storm army ranger who has just spent the past eight years in prison for accidentally killing a man (despite it being self-defense). After making parole, he manages to hitch a ride home on a plane full of vicious criminals, who are being transported to a supermax prison. But, wouldn’t you know it, these criminal masterminds have a plan to hijack the plane. That means it’s up to Poe to stop them—all while pretending to be one of “them,” and making sure no one touches his stuffed bunny. John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, John Cusack, Colm Meaney, Dave Chappelle, and Danny Trejo are among the stacked cast.

Prometheus

Though the fifth film in the Alien franchise was met with mixed reviews upon its initial release in 2012, it’s one of those movies that has grown better with age and each successive viewing. Ridley Scott directs a script cowritten by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof, which follows a team of scientists (led by Noomi Rapace and Logan Marshall-Green) who are traveling the galaxy in the hopes of unlocking the mysteries of how humankind came to be. But not every creature they encounter is as interested in finding the answers to life’s big mysteries. The (kinda) prequel marks Michael Fassbender’s first appearance in the franchise, playing a jack-of-all-trades android (a role he reprised in 2017’s Alien: Covenant). Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, and Ben Foster round out the stellar cast.

Love, Gilda

Though Lisa D’Apolito’s documentary about the life of Gilda Radner was released in 2018, it feels very of-the-moment—especially with the arrival of Saturday Night Live’s 50th season and Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night movie. The film is packed with a who’s who of SNL stars through the years, with particular attention paid to the women who Radner helped pave the way for in the world of comedy (see: Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Melissa McCarthy). The film features a mix of recently uncovered audio recordings, diary entries, and home movies of Radner—all of which is given further context by interviews with her friends and admirers. It’s a moving portrait of a groundbreaking artist whose life was cut far too short.

Inside Out

Don’t cry. But also cry. A lot. Inside Out is the perfect realization of what every Pixar film strives to achieve. On the surface, it’s a comedic look at human emotion, the complexity of a child growing up, and the delicate balance of family life. But by literally getting inside the head of 11-year-old Riley, the film finds a way to bring emotion to life in a way that is at once comedic, profound, and often ingenious.

Deadpool 2

Have you already seen Deadpool & Wolverine and want to go back and replay the hits? This foul-mouthed superhero movie marks a definite departure from the vanilla content that was available on Disney+ in its first couple years of operation. Ryan Reynolds plays Deadpool, who has the ability to heal from pretty much any injury—and is an angry, violent, wisecracking mercenary tasked with protecting a young mutant from a time-traveling soldier.

The Beach Boys

“There’s definitely been ups and downs,” says singer/songwriter Mike Love in The Beach Boys. “We’ve probably been counted out half a dozen times.” Yet more than 60 years after the band’s founding, these California Dreamers have managed to defy audience expectations just as many times—and redefine what pop music can be in the process. Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny codirect this insightful documentary, which features brand-new interviews with Love, Brian Wilson, and Al Jardine—not to mention the many artists they have inspired (Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monae, Don Was, and Ryan Tedder among them).

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson assembled an all-star cast and crew for this gorgeous stop-motion animation adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s novel. Mr. Fox (George Clooney) makes a promise to his wife (Meryl Streep) that he’ll stop his farm-raiding ways when she reveals that she is pregnant. Years later, the crafty canine is feeling angsty and tempted to return to his criminal pastimes when temptation comes knocking right next door. But Mrs. Fox starts to suspect something is amiss when a bounty of fresh food starts finding its way into their home. Even worse, the local farmers are none too happy about being raided by a pesky fox—and band together to do something about it. Noah Baumbach cowrote the script with Anderson, and the cast includes many of Anderson’s most frequent collaborators, including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson.

Jim Henson: Idea Man

Watching the trailer for Jim Henson: Idea Man, it strikes you: How has there not been an exhaustive documentary about Jim Henson before now? Muppets, The Dark Crystal, Sesame Street—the puppeteer had a hand in all of them. In this new documentary, Ron Howard looks at his (tireless) work, his incredible impact, and the legacy he left behind.

Let It Be

If Peter Jackson’s three-part 2021 docuseries Get Back (which is also on Disney+) left you wanting even more unfiltered access to the Beatles, we’ve got both good news and bad news: Let It Be is the 1970 documentary from which much of the footage seen within that series was taken. On the plus side, the original 16-mm print of the film—which has gone mostly unseen for the past 50 years—has undergone a painstaking restoration, courtesy of Jackson (yet again). While it lacks some of the emotional nuance of the series, as we see less of the sometimes-uncomfortable interactions of a band on the verge of their breaking point, it serves as a wonderful time capsule in which it was created. Feel free to pair the two together for one long binge (and throw in If These Walls Could Sing for good measure).

Poor Things

Emma Stone is on a mission as Bella Baxter, a young woman who is ready to experience all this world has to offer her, regardless of what is deemed polite or appropriate. What Bella doesn’t realize is that she’s the creation of a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe), a man she refers to as God, who has never encountered a human body—dead or alive, his own or someone else’s—that he didn’t want to turn into one of his wild experiments. But Bella is different. Though she has the mind of a child (literally) when we first meet her, her emotional development happens quickly and she soon learns how to make the humans around her bend to her often impulsive whims. Stone recently won the Oscar for her over-the-top performance in this bold experiment of a movie from director Yorgos Lanthimos, who never lets audiences off easily. (The film is also streaming on Hulu.)

Summer of Soul

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson made his directorial debut with this feature documentary, which recounts the groundbreaking Harlem Cultural Festival—a six-week-long celebration of Black culture, including music, history, fashion, and beyond. The film features rarely-seen clips of performers such as Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Sly & the Family Stone. Why have you never heard of the event? Possibly because it was overshadowed by Woodstock, which took place during the same time in the summer of 1969. Ironically, when the film won the Oscar for Best Documentary at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was overshadowed yet again: It’s the award that was being handed out when Will Smith infamously slapped Chris Rock on the stage. (Here’s your chance to rectify missing that acceptance speech.)

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)

Were you one of the lucky ones who saw Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in person? Did you see Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in theaters? Well guess what? You can now also watch it on Disney+! Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) is kind of like the one that played at AMC cinemas, but it’s also got four new acoustic songs: “You Are in Love,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “I Can See You,” and “Maroon.” It also features the folklore track “Cardigan.” So, whether you saw the tour, the movie theater experience—or neither—there’s now yet another way to take in Taylor. Are you ready for it?

The Marvels

Since the release of Captain Marvel in 2019, Brie Larson has become one of the MCU’s biggest stars. Though much ado was made about The Marvels being the lowest-grossing film in the Marvel universe, that shouldn’t deter you from giving it a watch. In this sequel, Larson’s Captain Marvel joins forces with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) to find a way to manipulate space and time so that they can save the world—but with cats!

X-Men

Any property as beloved as X-Men is bound to have more than a few detractors when it makes the leap from page to screen. But the first X-Men movie managed to impress skeptical comic book fans and newcomers to the mutant war with its compelling storyline and stellar cast, which included Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, and then-newcomer Hugh Jackman. The film kicked off the first in an ever-growing franchise of the battle between mutants and humans, which now totals 13 films and more than $6 billion in box office receipts. With X-Men now officially part of Marvel Studios, expect to see lots more of this expanded cast of characters—beginning with Deadpool & Wolverine. Until then, though, go back and watch this 2000 classic, and prepare for the future.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

It may be impossible to reach the heights achieved by timeless classics like Temple of Doom or Raiders of the Lost Ark, but this latest installment in the Indiana. Jones franchise puts the whip back in Harrison Ford’s hands, letting him fight Nazis and finally get (maybe) some closure to his artifact-hunting life. The movie, directed by James Mangold, also gets some fantastic humor and verve from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who plays Helena, the daughter of an old ally of Indy’s who has perhaps less-than-pure interest in the Dial of Destiny, an ancient time-travel device that Dr. Jones, of course, thinks belongs in a museum.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Far From Home, which stars Tom Holland as the Spandex-wearing superhero, is notable for being the first film in Phase Four of the MCU—and the first character we see an Avenger attempting to pick up the pieces following the events of Avengers: Endgame. For Peter Parker, that means taking a boring old class trip to Europe, which turns into anything that but when Earth is attacked by a villainous group of Elementals, which Spidey can only fight with the help of the mysterious—and appropriately named—Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).

Mrs. Doubtfire

Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is a lightly employed voice actor and devoted dad of three who has just been dumped by his wife and is only allowed to see his children one day per week. So he does what any rational person would do: asks his brother, who just happens to be a makeup artist, to dress him up as an older woman and applies to become a nanny working for his ex-wife Miranda (Sally Field). That Miranda doesn’t realize the person she has entrusted her children with is the man she was married to for more than a decade might speak more about her character. Ignore the ridiculous setup and instead enjoy more than two hours of Robin Williams going full Robin Williams. Bon appétit!

Big

Teenager Josh Baskin (David Moscow) wishes on a Zoltar machine that he could grow up overnight—and comes to find his older self (Tom Hanks) staring him back in the mirror the next morning. In an effort to hide his fast-forwarded body, Baskin hides out in New York City, where he falls backward into his dream job at a toy company and meets the woman of his dreams (Elizabeth Perkins). Big is the movie that made Tom Hanks, well, Tom Hanks (it also marked his first Oscar nomination). But it’s Robert De Niro who was originally set to star; when he was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, Hanks stepped in.

Finding Nemo

Nemo (Alexander Gould) is a young clown fish with an imperfect fin and a dad (Albert Brooks) who worries endlessly about his son’s safety. Which is forgivable, given that Nemo’s mom—and all his siblings—were victims of a barracuda shortly before their eggs hatched. So when Nemo is captured while the duo are swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, it’s up to Marlin to find and save his only son. With an all-star cast of voice actors—led by the always-perfect Brooks, and Ellen DeGeneres as a forgetful blue tang named Dory (who would go on to star in her own adventure)—Finding Nemo is part of the heyday of Pixar filmmaking where each film seemed to surpass the absolutely perfect one that preceded it.

The Princess Bride

Rob Reiner directs this adventure-comedy-fairytale, written by William Goldman (the legendary screenwriter who once famously said of Hollywood that “nobody knows anything”) from his own novel. The ever-quotable tale tells the story of a young woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright) who is engaged to marry a prince (Chris Sarandon) but is really in love with former farmhand Westley (Carey Elwes), who she believes was killed in a pirate attack. When Buttercup is kidnapped just days ahead of her wedding, a chain of events proceed to possibly reunite the in-love couple, or spell death for one (or both) of them. Goldman was famously critical of his own work, but didn’t mind taking credit for two of his movies. The Princess Bride was one of them (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the other).

The Little Mermaid

Does the live-action version of The Little Mermaid improve upon the beloved 1989 animated classic? Of course not. But Disney is on a tear when it comes to reimagining the movies you loved as a kid, and this is one of the Mouse House’s better efforts. Oscar nominee Rob Marshall (Chicago, Mary Poppins Returns, Into the Woods) is behind the camera for this tale of a young mermaid who longs to be (sing it with us) “part of your world.” Yet it’s Halle Bailey, delivering a powerhouse performance as Ariel, who truly makes The Little Mermaid worth watching.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Whether you think of Henry Selick’s imaginative stop-motion adventure as a Halloween film or a Christmas movie doesn’t really matter, as there’s never a bad time to add The Nightmare Before Christmas to your watch (or watch-again) list. When the mischief-makers in Halloweentown, including pumpkin king Jack Skellington, discover the magic of Christmas, they decide to kidnap Santa Claus and claim both holidays for themselves. Even in today’s CGI-soaked world, the artistry behind The Nightmare Before Christmas remains painfully impressive—and the macabre yet kid-friendly tone makes it a fun watch for the entire family.

Cinderella

In case you don’t know the story: After Cinderella loses her beloved mother, her father marries a nasty woman with two equally nasty daughters. While they spend their days tormenting the kind-hearted Cinderella, Prince Charming, the most eligible bachelor in all the land, only has eyes for her. Nearly 75 years after its original release, Cinderella remains a Disney classic for a reason. Now it’s back with an impressive 4K restoration that has been several years in the making.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

While no one expected James Gunn’s (presumed) MCU swan song to top the giddiness of his first entry in the series, few people expected it to be so damn depressing either. In addition to giving us Rocket Raccoon’s gut-wrenching backstory, which could have easily been set to Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” the third Guardians film is also one of the only Marvel movies to delve into the psychological effects Thanos’ Snap had on the universe. Enjoy!

Avatar: The Way of Water

One week before Avatar hit theaters (for the first time) in late 2009, James Cameron announced his intention to turn the movie into a full-on franchise. But the director took his sweet time in following through. Avatar: The Way of Water—which checks in on blue lovebirds Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), now married with children—was released in late 2022, a full 13 years after the original made its debut. But Cameron smartly bought himself some time by setting the film 16 years after the events of Avatar. And while the critical reviews were mixed, it still ended up becoming the third-highest-grossing movie of all time, proving yet again that Cameron has some sort of Midas touch at the box office.

The Incredible Hulk

To Marvel fans, Mark Ruffalo is the only Bruce Banner. But that’s only after Eric Bana tried on the supersized superhero’s tiny purple pants in 2003’s Hulk—and then passed them on to Edward Norton for this 2008 flick, which had the misfortune of hitting theaters just one month after Iron Man. The MCU has always had a messy timeline, but audiences shouldn’t be too quick to write this movie off, particularly those looking to kick back with a solid summer popcorn flick. Norton may lack Ruffalo’s effortless charm, but he’s got the Doc Green part of the character down. While the movie has largely (and wrongly) been forgotten, it’s making headlines once again, both because it recently (finally) arrived on Disney+ and because Liv Tyler will find her way back into (the new) Bruce’s arms when she reprises her role as love interest Betty Ross in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World.

The Skeleton Dance

Fans of classic animation got some stellar news in 2023 when Disney announced it would be adding more than two dozen freshly restored old shorts to the Disney+ library. One of the most exciting titles among them is The Skeleton Dance, which revolutionized cartoon culture in 1929. Walt Disney himself wrote, directed, and produced this macabre comedy in which a group of resurrected skeletons rise from their graves and, yep, dance. This is actually much funnier and/or more impressive than it sounds.

Stan Lee

Easily the most recognizable name in comics, Stan Lee has had an impact on the medium—and on pop culture broadly—that simply can’t be overstated. Director David Gelb’s documentary about “The Man” delves into not only his legacy, but also his history. Tracing the comics maestro’s life from his early years in New York City to his work cocreating iconic characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther to his time as everyone’s favorite Marvel movie cameo, Stan Lee is essential viewing for any fan.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

After you’ve seen The Dial of Destiny, go back and witness Indy’s origins in Steven Spielberg’s classic 1980s adventure film, which sprang partly from the mind of George Lucas. The film, set in 1936, sees a seemingly quiet archaeology professor turned adventurer duking it out with Nazis in an attempt to recover the Ark of the Covenant. Indy’s follow-up adventures—The Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989), and (if you must) The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)—are all available too.

Spider-Man

While Sam Raimi’s Tobey Maguire-starring Spider-Man movies predate the official MCU, the famed director really set the stage for what that future universe would look like, with its mix of solid storytelling, genuine laughs, and impressive visuals. Maguire is perfectly cast as the awkwardly charming Peter Parker, who—having just discovered his superhero powers—is learning to harness them.

Venom

Venom may not have been a hit with critics, but WIRED senior editor Angela Watercutter nailed exactly what the movie was when she called it “a bad movie with great cult-movie potential.” While it rivals Doctor Strange for its stacked cast of serious talent—Tom Hardy in the lead, with Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed costarring, plus Zombieland’s Reuben Fleischer as director—the end result was, well, a bit of a jumbled mess. Nonetheless, it somehow manages to be compelling, even if you just turn it on to watch Hardy mumble, eat Tater Tots, and almost literally chew scenery for 112 minutes.

The Original Star Wars Trilogy

Naturally, Star Wars is one of the big attractions on Disney+. And it goes without saying, or at least it should, that the films that comprise the original trilogy are the best of the bunch—and the only Star Wars movies you should watch if you’re opting not to binge all dozen or so features. The caveat for pickier fans is that these are the versions that have been messed with by George Lucas post-release. Some things, like the improved visuals in and around Cloud City, are thoughtful additions, but others are more controversial.

The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

More than 20 years after Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (aka simply Star Wars) helped to define the Hollywood blockbuster, George Lucas returned to the space opera well with an all-new trilogy for an all-new generation of moviegoers. It went about as well as you’d expect. We won’t pretend that The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and/or Revenge of the Sith (2005) have even an ounce of the heart, humor, or heroism of the original films. But they’ve become essential pop culture viewing, and a rite of passage for sci-fi fans, if only to get what all the Jar Jar Binks hate is about.

The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

When Disney purchased Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, it was essentially George Lucas handing over the keys to the Millennium Falcon. While fans were rightly skeptical about whether the Mouse House would be able—or even want—to recapture the slightly countercultural environment in which the series was originally created, one hopeful thought united them all: Whatever Disney concocted could not be worse than the Prequel Trilogy. And they were right. By giving the reins to J.J. Abrams (The Force Awakens), Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi), then Abrams once again (The Rise of Skywalker), the series became more of a love letter to the original films and the generations of filmmakers—and fans—they inspired. Happily, actors Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver proved worthy successors to the smugglers, scavengers, Jedi masters, and Sith Lords who preceded them.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

As WIRED senior writer Jason Parham wrote in his review of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this movie is haunted by the absence of Chadwick Boseman, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s original King T’Challa who died following a battle with colon cancer in 2020. To that end, writer-director Ryan Coogler had to make a much different kind of superhero film, one that addressed the loss of its main character while also pushing Marvel’s cinematic storyline forward into its next phase. “It’s rare for MCU films to channel the turbulence of grief with such unflinching focus,” Parham wrote. “Coogler has equipped his sequel with a changed vocabulary: It speaks equally from a place of loss as it does triumph. Grief is its mother tongue.” To that end, the director uses the death of T’Challa to usher in a new Black Panther as well as new heroes (Ironheart) and adversaries-turned-allies (Namor).

Turning Red

Mei Lee is a 13-year-old with a problem: Whenever she’s overcome with any sort of overwhelming emotion, which is just about every emotion at that age, she transforms into a giant red panda. Eventually, Mei comes to learn that it’s an inherited family trait. And while there are people who would like to exploit her supernatural powers, she slowly learns that only she has the power to control them. Think of this as a spiritual sequel to 2015’s Inside Out, which explored the complex inner workings of an 11-year-old’s constantly changing emotions.

If These Walls Could Sing

Abbey Road Studios is best known as the place where the Beatles recorded some of their most iconic albums, including 1969’s Abbey Road. But the hallowed halls of this legendary music studio have played a much bigger role in the music industry, as it has hosted the likes of everyone from Elton John, Pink Floyd, and Aretha Franklin to Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Radiohead, Adele, Oasis, Kate Bush, and Frank Ocean. This documentary, which arrived on the heels of Peter Jackson’s docuseries The Beatles: Get Back (which is also streaming on Disney+ and is highly recommended), is directed by Mary McCartney—daughter of Sir Paul—who practically grew up in the studio and, as such, is able to treat her subject with the reverence it deserves.

Avatar

James Cameron’s Avatar was all anyone could talk about when it was released in theaters in 2009 and promptly went on to make more than $1 billion, becoming the cinematic iceberg that sank another Cameron epic, 1997’s Titanic, from its place as the highest-grossing movie of all time. For a movie that made so much bank, it never occupied a huge space in the cultural conversation about movies. Like so many of Cameron’s works, much of its innovation came from the technology that essentially had to be invented to make it possible.

Iron Man

The MCU has released nearly three dozen films since 2008, yet the very first of them—Iron Man—remains one of the best. It’s almost hard to believe how hard director Jon Favreau had to fight to get Robert Downey Jr. the leading role, as he’s arguably one of the MCU’s most beloved figures. Before there was a whole franchise plus a shared TV universe, Downey, as Tony Stark/Iron Man, was just allowed to do his thing. It was a gamble that paid off for all involved.

West Side Story

From Martin Scorsese to Spike Lee, pretty much every great director has made—or at least tried to make—a grand Hollywood musical, perhaps one of the toughest genres to successfully pull off. Steven Spielberg made the task even more difficult when he decided to adapt Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and ​​Arthur Laurents’ West Side Story—which Robert Wise already did to great acclaim in 1961. But, Spielberg (being Spielberg) managed to create an updated take on the story of Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler), two love-struck teens caught in the middle of an escalating rivalry between two street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets. The update gives nods to the original (like casting Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her role as Anita in Wise’s film) while improving on some of its controversial aspects (like casting Natalie Wood in the role of a Puerto Rican teen).

Lady and the Tramp

Sure, you can watch the live-action/CGI version that Disney+ released shortly after it launched, but why bother when the 1955 original is here too? Put aside the rather vulgar stereotypes that were common at the time (the movie now comes with a warning) and Lady and the Tramp remains one of the most iconic Disney animations, and a love story for the ages. When a spoiled cocker spaniel named Lady finds herself competing with a new baby for the attention of her parents, she ends up getting loose and befriending a mangy but charming mutt named Tramp. Ultimately, Lady needs to choose the pampered life she’s always known with Jim Dear and Darling, or a life of spaghetti dinner discards with the hopelessly romantic Tramp—unless there’s another way.

The Muppet Movie

Between The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson and the Muppets were everywhere in 1979. Their first big-screen outing serves as more of a prequel, as it follows Kermit the Frog’s journey from a swamp in Florida to Hollywood, where he’s headed to pursue his dreams of becoming a movie star. Along the way, we get to witness where and how he meets the fellow members of his felt-made crew, from Fozzie Bear to Miss Piggy. Hijinks ensue when a restaurateur named Doc Hopper doesn’t take too kindly to Kermit turning down his offer to serve as the official legs of his chain’s famous fried frog legs, and follows the frog in order to seek revenge.

Luca

Enrico Casarosa’s Luca earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature in 2022 for its sweet and soulful story about a young boy named Luca who is hiding a dark secret: He’s a sea monster living in a town on the Italian Riviera that absolutely despises his kind. Ultimately, Luca is a moving coming-of-age film about friendship, family, and overcoming our own prejudices—and truly one of Pixar’s best features.

Captain Marvel

Marvel’s biggest mistake in the entire MCU canon (so far) was not commissioning Captain Marvel sooner. The film, set in the past, sees the rise of Marvel (Brie Larson) as she discovers her origin story and develops her powers. The film, the first entry in the Marvel universe with a female lead, channels the spirit of the 1990s both in its setting and in style, with heaping spoonfuls of Samuel L. Jackson and all the plot and subtlety of a blockbuster action movie. Larson adds a healthy dose of sarcasm to undercut her character’s immense power, and Jackson is eerily brilliant, making for a super fun 123 minutes.

Ant-Man

Who doesn’t love a heist movie? Paul Rudd’s MCU debut acted as something of a palate cleanser after the heavy, literally Earth-shattering events of Age of Ultron. Rudd plays Scott Lang, a reformed criminal who teams up with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter (Evangeline Lily) to keep Pym’s shrinking technology from falling into the wrong hands. The film’s depiction of quantum physics wouldn’t hold much water at CERN, but it’s terrific fun—thanks in part to Michael Peña’s star turn as Lang’s former cellmate Luis and, of course, Rudd’s legendary likability. If you want to make it a Rudd-athon, both Ant-Man and the Wasp and last year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania are streaming, too.

Mulan

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and its shutdown of almost the entire movie industry, Disney decided to try something new with its live-action version of Mulan by making it available to Disney+ subscribers instead of releasing it in theaters. The film itself is one of the latest in Disney’s recent string of live-action remakes and sees Liu Yifei in the title role, with reviews praising the cast, visuals, and action sequences.

Avengers: Endgame

There’s a moment in the event-movie-to-endgame-all-event-movies when you realize that writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus have gone full Harry Potter and the Cursed Child all over the MCU. Once you get past the rather glum beginning, you can settle in for what you have come to expect from any Avengers movie: Tony Stark cracking wise; Doctor Strange doing weird things with his hands; Professor Hulk explaining the science of what’s going on; and Black Widow and Captain Marvel kicking ass, both emotionally and physically. It’s a messy but epic baton-pass in the form of an angsty portal-powered mega-battle. And we’re not going to lie: We’ve watched those audience reaction videos, and they too are a thing of joy.

Hamilton

If you only know Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical from the obscenely high ticket prices and snippets of the soundtrack, here’s your chance to find out what all the fuss is about. A version of the production, recorded via a six-camera setup over two performances by the original Broadway cast, was put on Disney+ after plans to release it in cinemas were scrapped. Aside from a couple of censored swear words and the fact that it’s directed (by Thomas Kail), it’s essentially the same show—an energetic, empathetic, witty, quippy hip-hop musical about US founding father Alexander Hamilton.

Moana

One of the potential answers to “What, oh, what to put on after Frozen and Frozen 2?” Moana is in fact better than Frozen. By that we simply mean better soundtrack, better heroine, better visuals, and better side quests. There’s also 100 percent more Dwayne Johnson as a tattooed demigod and Jemaine Clement as a giant crab doing a Bowie impression. Set thousands of years ago on the fictional, Polynesia-inspired island of Motunui, Moana’s hero’s journey is fairly classic, but the sumptuous animation and Lin-Manuel Miranda tunes are top-tier Disney. (Sure, we’d love to see Taika Waititi’s original script, but we can live without it.)

Free Solo

If your friend told you they’d decided to solo-climb up the sheer 3,000-foot granite El Capitan wall in Yosemite, California, with no rope, you’d think they had gone mad. But that’s exactly what Alex Honnold set out to do back in 2017. Honnold’s quest to climb the vertical wall was documented by his two director friends, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, as he took on the ascent to become the world’s first person to free-climb El Capitan. But it’s not just about the ascent, it’s also about Honnold’s complicated life, his emotional issues, and all the things that have driven him to pursue one of the most dangerous missions ever attempted by any free climber. The cinematography in Free Solo is also dizzyingly beautiful, and the entire thing will have you gripping the arm of your chair in terror.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis) is an experimental inventor who creates an electromagnetic shrinking machine. Naturally, he accidentally shrinks his own children (if you didn’t already guess that from the title), plus the kids from next door, then unwittingly throws them in the trash. To have any chance of becoming their normal size again, the teeny tots must navigate their way across the family’s (now seemingly gigantic) yard and back to the house. It’s something fraught with peril when you’re half the size of an aspirin.

Toy Story (All of Them)

While it might have seemed that Pixar could never make anything as good as the original 1995 Toy Story, each of the three subsequent films add depth to the franchise’s canon. All of the movies are critically acclaimed—and they’re all available on Disney+. When combined, the four films tell a story about growing up and how everything in life, inevitably, changes. Woody (Tom Hanks) and the gang go from learning how to deal with new people to understanding loss. It’s something that’s also followed the cast: In Toy Story 4, the voice of Mr. Potato Head was created through archive recordings after Don Rickles, as the man behind the voice, died ahead of the film’s release.

The Lion King

Remember the terrifying wildebeest stampede in the 1994 version of The Lion King? That was actually computer animated, because drawing them by hand would have taken a long, long time. Special attention was taken to blend it into the cel-shaded backgrounds, and this was all before Toy Story came out the following year. Which is all to say that not only is the ’90s version a perfect movie that had absolutely zero need for a charm-deficient 2019 remake (which is also streaming on Disney+ in case you want to compare), it’s also the best Lion King to use CG animation.

10 Things I Hate About You

Heath Ledger singing “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” on the bleachers. That’s the iconic scene in this top-caliber high school romcom. The plot is taken from The Taming of the Shrew, the cast—including Ledger, Julia Stiles, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt—are all adorable, and the late ’90s nostalgia is potent. Offering some much-needed variety from the sci-fi and animation that dominates the Disney+ launch catalog, 10 Things I Hate About You is as good as comfort-food movies get.

Tron & Tron: Legacy

Tron and its modern sequel, Tron: Legacy, aren’t your typical Disney films. The original sees a programmer (Jeff Bridges) become trapped inside a computer system where he meets and befriends programs, including the eponymous hero Tron, who are resisting the power of a growing artificial intelligence, the Master Control Program. It became a sci-fi cult classic, leading to the creation of a modern sequel that continues the story and features an epic score cowritten by Daft Punk. Both are watchable distractions, even if the sequel feels a little thin in places.

Willow

Another nostalgia fest, this time for fans of ’80s fantasy. Willow is a family-friendly, mythic quest that’s best seen as George Lucas and Ron Howard’s fun, $35 million Tolkien fan fiction. The story of a farmer tasked with protecting a magic baby from an evil queen is not exactly the most original story in the world, but that hasn’t stopped this from becoming a classic, with Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood and Val Kilmer waving a sword around. Classic Sunday afternoon fare.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier is among the best Marvel movies. It makes time for quieter character moments, and the action, while still spectacular, feels a little more grounded and real than the CGI-fueled shock and awe of the mainline movies. In this outing, Captain America faces off against a rogue element of SHIELD led by Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce.

Thor: Ragnarok

The first two Thor films were among the worst in the whole series—Chris Hemsworth’s thunder god was dour and charmless. But here, director Taika Waititi injected some much-needed color into the proceedings, borrowing heavily from the Planet Hulk storyline from the comics. Thor finds himself stranded on a bizarre planet, ruled over by Jeff Goldblum (who is pretty much playing himself). There, he crosses paths with Bruce Banner’s Hulk, who has been missing since the events of Civil War. It’s hugely funny, and arguably the best film of the series.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The newer Star Wars one-off films attract strong opinions, and Rogue One is no different. But while it has its issues, it fills an important hole in the universe and features some of the best action sequences in the entire saga. Its main black mark is the rather iffy CGI recreation of Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin, but it’s still a fun romp that lacks the narrative baggage of the new trilogy.

Black Panther

Black Panther had a huge cultural impact. It was refreshingly unusual to see a blockbuster superhero film with such a diverse cast—and the Afrofuturist setting was unlike anything Marvel had ever done before. Michael B. Jordan steals the show as Killmonger, who returns to his father’s home to claim the throne from T’Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman).

WALL·E

Released in 2008, a time when, for many, the climate crisis felt like a distant, abstract threat, WALL·E is classic Pixar. It’s a love story—sort of—that focuses on two robots. But it’s also a story about survival, believing in yourself, and dancing through the vacuum of space propelled by a fire extinguisher. The animation, especially on the desolate, barren Earth, is a sight to behold. The opening scenes of the film are also basically a silent film, with the score and robotic sound effects doing a fantastic job bringing out the emotion and drama of what’s happening.

Up

Pixar’s Up can claim one of the most moving opening scenes of any movie. Despite being released more than a decade ago, in 2009, the animation hasn’t aged or lost any of its charm. In a little over 90 minutes, director Pete Docter takes us on the journey of Carl, an old widower who is seeking out Paradise Falls. Carl’s trip in his flying house is made in memory of his wife, Ellie, who had always wanted to visit the falls. The film won two Oscars—Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score—but was also nominated for three more. These included Best Picture, which at the time made it only the second animated film to have received the nomination (1991’s Beauty and the Beast—which is also streaming on Disney+, and most definitely worth a rewatch—was the first).

The Jungle Book

Whatever mood you’re in, Disney+ has The Jungle Book to suit it. The streaming service has both the 1967 animated classic, with its catchy soundtrack and moments of humor, plus the live-action version released in 2016. The two films couldn’t be more different. If you want to go for full family entertainment, pick the original, but if you’re after something a little darker, the modern remake is where you should head. (Bonus fact: The entire live-action film was shot in a warehouse.)

Guardians of the Galaxy

The first volume of Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t burst into the MCU until 2014, which is relatively late considering Phase One began with Iron Man in 2008. However, it’s become a firm fan favorite, providing some of the Universe’s most memorable (and important) characters. Quill, Rocket, Groot, Gamora, and Nebula are all distinctive and in many ways more likable than other key MCU characters. Guardians is worth returning to if you want to remember a slightly simpler time before Thanos’ Snap.

Disney+, if you didn’t know, isn’t just for kids. With its ownership of the Lucasfilm brand and the Marvel titles, the streaming service offers plenty of grown-up content in its bid to compete with Netflix and Amazon—and we’re not just talking movies. Since launching the service, Disney has used the name recognition of Star Wars and Marvel to launch scores of TV shows, from The Mandalorian to Loki. In the list below, we’ve collected the ones we think are the best to watch, from those franchises and beyond.

Also: Because Disney+ merged with Hulu earlier this year, most of the same shows you might like on Hulu (see our list of picks here) are also available to stream on Disney+.

Want more? Head to our best movies on Disney+ list if you’re looking for movies, and our guides on the best shows on Netflix and best shows on Apple TV+ to see what Disney’s rivals have to offer. Don’t like our picks, or want to suggest your own? Head to the comments below and share your thoughts.

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Agatha All Along

After Kathryn Hahn became the (not-so-surprising) breakout star of 2021’s WandaVision miniseries (more on that below), MCU fans were thrilled—but, again, not surprised—when she nabbed her own series with Agatha All Along. The long-awaited spin-off, which premiered on September 18, takes place three years after the events of WandaVision, with witch Agatha (now stripped of all her magical powers) enlisting teenager (Joe Locke) and a new coven to help her regain her status as HWIC. Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, and Debra Jo Rupp round out the stellar cast.

Bluey

Yes, Bluey is technically a children’s show. But everyone is welcome to enjoy this animated series from Australia, which centers around an endlessly curious blue heeler pup named Bluey and her family (mom, dad, and little sister). The show’s brevity—each episode clocks in at around eight minutes, and there are also mini episodes that are half that run time—is part of what makes it such a fun and easy watch. But the exploration of everyday feelings and emotions that everyone can relate to (humans, too) have made it a bona fide cultural phenomenon. Rose Byrne, Natalie Portman, and Eva Mendes are among the stars who have lent their voices to the show.

Arctic Ascent With Alex Honnold

In Free Solo (which is also streaming on Disney+), climber Alex Honnold dared to do the unthinkable, becoming the first person to free solo climb the 3,000-foot rock wall of Yosemite’s El Capitan. For most people, that dauntless endeavor would have been enough adventure for one lifetime. But Alex Honnold is not most people, as this three-part National Geographic docuseries makes clear. Here, he travels to Greenland with fellow climbers to conquer more unclimbed spaces in one of the most remote corners of the world. Vicarious anxiety never felt so exciting.

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures

If helping to raise a new generation of Star Wars geeks was even a small part of your reason for having kids, this animated series, which is basically the Star Wars version of Muppet Babies, is a great place to start their education. Set during the High Republic era, approximately 200 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, it follows a group of young Jedis—Jedi Lites—who are sometimes stumbling their way through learning the ways of the Force. Like any good kid series, it also teaches important lessons about life and making a positive difference in the world. Season 2 dropped in August, so now is a perfect time to rewatch the first season—or start the show for the first time.

The Acolyte

A Jedi turning to the Dark Side is a concept as old as the Star Wars franchise itself, and not something fans have given much thought to in terms of the “why.” But this Disney+ series dares to ask that question, and plays out a bit like a true crime procedural in a sci-fi landscape. Carrie-Anne Moss stars as a Jedi Master, and if her character seems a bit like Trinity from The Matrix series, that’s by design. Series creator Leslye Headland told Empire that the character owes much of its inspiration to the Wachowskis’ movies and that Moss’ Indara is basically “Trinity with a lightsaber.” In August, Disney announced that one season is all we’re going to get of The Acolyte, so savor all eight episodes.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire

It’s been almost five years since Disney released the last Star Wars movie, and it will likely be 2026 before The Mandalorian & Grogu arrives. Fortunately, Disney+ has plenty of TV series to fill the void, including this animated anthology that adds new stories about the franchise’s Galactic empire, in the same time period in which the original trilogy existed. It follows the very different journeys of two characters: Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), a Force-sensitive human and member of the Nightsister coven who, after being one of the few of her people to survive the Clone Wars, is seeking revenge. Meanwhile, Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger) is a former Jedi who is questioning her own disillusionment with the order and what her road ahead looks like. Both are forced to make decisions that will change their individual destinies, and the galaxy far, far away with it.

Doctor Who

This spring marked the beginning of a new era for Doctor Who fans when Ncuti Gatwa was officially handed the sonic screwdriver to take the legendary sci-fi series in new directions as the Fifteenth Doctor. Russell T. Davies is back to oversee all the time-traveling shenanigans as the latest incarnation of the Time Lord journeys through space and time with companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). The pair officially made their debut as part of the latest Christmas specials, which also saw the return of fan favorites David Tennant (here playing the Fourteenth Doctor) and Catherine Tate in honor of the show’s 60th anniversary. While the series will keep its standing as a BBC staple in the UK and Ireland, American audiences will need to head to Disney+ to experience it all. And the Whoniverse is expanding: at this year’s Comic-Con International, Disney and the BBC announced The War Between the Land and the Sea, an upcoming five-part miniseries spinoff starring Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, is in the works.

X-Men ’97

Of all the big-budget X-Men movies and TV shows that have existed over the years, it’s hard to believe that a cartoon series from the ’90s is one of the most beloved entries. But it’s true. And fans of that series, which ran for five years beginning in 1992, have been eagerly awaiting this revival, which arrived in March. Many of the original voice actors have returned to reclaim their characters, who must learn how to navigate a world without Professor Xavier to guide them. The events of this series pick up just one year after the point where the original show (which you can read more about below) ended.

Renegade Nell

Louisa Harland shines as Nell Jackson, the renegade of the title, who accidentally becomes one of the most feared highwaywomen in 18th-century England after she is framed for murder. Of course, this being a Disney series, it’s best to expect something a little magical—which in Nell’s case is Billy Blind, a magical sprite sent to help her realize her true destiny. What is surprising is that the series, which is perfectly suited to teens and their families, was created by Sally Wainwright, the brilliant mind behind such adult-themed series as Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack.

Iwájú

Tola Martins (Simisola Gbadamosi) is an adventurous 10-year-old who longs to discover more about the history and culture of her native Nigeria, which is portrayed as a kind of Wakanda. But her father, a wealthy scientist and tech CEO, prefers that his daughter remain within the bubble of privilege he has built around her on their island home. When she decides to travel into the city to surprise her dad, his own worst fears are realized when she is kidnapped. The limited sci-fi series, which is set in a futuristic Lagos, plays out a bit like a graphic novel—which is a good thing. With its striking animation and themes of class and racial divide and social justice, Iwájú is the thinking family’s next binge-watch.

Dinosaurs

Nineties kids no doubt remember this sitcom about a family of dinosaurs. Earl Sinclair is a fortysomething megalosaurus living with his family in Pangaea circa 60,000,000 BC. While his days are spent working as a tree pusher (yep, he pushes over trees), he lives for his family: wife Fran and kids Robbie, Charlene, and Baby Sinclair, whose running gag of hitting his dad over the head with a frying pan and shouting “Gotta love me!” never gets old. Not even three decades on.

Genius: MLK/X

Since first premiering in 2017, Nat Geo’s Genius series has given viewers an exhaustive history of some of the world’s greatest thinkers, beginning with Albert Einstein (masterfully played by Geoffrey Rush). For its latest season, the network is diving into the real histories of the lives of civil rights icons Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre). Rather than just hit the high points, like the famous speeches you likely know by heart, Genius delves into the past and deep below the surface to show how their backgrounds and personalities led them to become the icons we know today.

Echo

This Marvel series continues the studio’s recent trend of shining a spotlight on its fearless—and complicated—female characters. In this case, that character is Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), aka Echo, who is best known to audiences as a baddie from Hawkeye. But over the course of its relatively short five episodes, all of which are streaming now, we learn why Maya—one of the MCU’s few deaf characters—must reconcile the events of her past and reconnect with her Native American roots in order to confront the future she has created for herself. The series is already earning solid reviews, especially for the work of Hollywood newcomer Cox, who deftly manages to shoulder the weight of an entire MCU series.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Nearly 20 years after the release of the first book in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, this small-screen adaptation of that first title is being praised for how faithful it has remained to Riordan’s beloved words. Being a tween is hard enough, but for 12-year-old Perseus “Percy” Jackson (Walker Scobell) it gets even harder when he learns he’s the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and that he has pissed off his uncle, Zeus, who believes that Percy has stolen his thunderbolt. (And you thought having a zit was bad!) Fortunately for Percy there is Camp Half-Blood—a place where demigods like himself can learn to harness their powers and use them for good. It’s there that Percy learns the whole “with great power comes great responsibility” thing and embraces it—even if he’d rather be playing video games with his friends.

Rewind the ’90s

The further removed people become from any particular decade, the more ridiculous that decade seems to become. And the ’90s are no exception, especially when you’re reminded that the government feared Furby, of all things. This limited series from Nat Geo is a loving look back at the decade that made us dependent on the internet, introduced us to the Spice Girls, and made Fabio a sex symbol around the world. If you don’t know who Fabio is, you now have even one more reason to watch. (Disclosure: WIRED’s culture editor, Angela Watercutter, is a talking head in this series.)

Behind the Attraction

Disneyland, Walt Disney’s very first theme park, opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955. In the nearly 70 years since, Disney parks have become a worldwide phenomenon and inspired rabid fan bases who make annual (if not more frequent) pilgrimages to these so-called Happiest Places on Earth. But what goes on behind the scenes? From the creation of major attractions like the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean to its bustling food scene (Dole Whip, anyone?), this docuseries goes behind the scenes of the world’s most famous amusement parks.

Goosebumps

For more than 30 years, R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps books have fed the nightmares of young readers—much to their delight (well, usually). Now Disney is inspiring a whole new generation of horror lovers with this fun series, which follows the lives of a group of high schoolers who begin to unravel the terrifying truth about a decades-old murder—and the roles their nearest and dearest might have played in it—in their otherwise picture-perfect hometown. While the always-affable Justin Long stars as a teacher who may or may not be possessed in season 1 of this anthology series, season 2—which was announced in February—will bring an all-new cast with it, including Friends star David Schwimmer.

Loki

The MCU is exhaustingly huge. Yet while Loki is undoubtedly part of that universe, the series could just as easily work as a stand-alone piece, and it’s all the more fun and surprising as a result. There are enough plot twists, silly one-liners, and time-travel antics to keep everyone entertained, and even a wisecracking alligator. If that doesn’t do it, Loki has a visual effects budget that would put most Hollywood blockbusters to shame. Sure, it’s not the most intellectually stimulating show out there, but Tom Hiddleston does a great job of turning Loki into a fairly complex, interesting character. No word yet on whether there might be a third season in Loki’s future—and even Hiddleston is in the dark. “I truly don’t know,” he admitted to Variety in a recent interview, adding: “There have been other times when I thought that it was the end and I have been mistaken. But if this is the end, I’m so proud of where we ended up.”

Daredevil

Before Disney+ became the home for all of Marvel’s TV content, Netflix was the place to find it—beginning with Daredevil, in which blind attorney Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) spends his days seeking justice and his nights looking for revenge as a masked vigilante attempting to rid his Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of its criminal element. While the series ended in 2018, Cox has reprised the role and is at work on a new series, Daredevil: Born Again, which will be a Disney+ exclusive when it arrives in January 2025—hopefully (the reboot is in the midst of a massive overhaul).

Ahsoka

We know what you’re thinking: Wait, another Star Wars series? And we don’t blame you for asking the question. But for old-school franchise fans, Ahsoka just might surprise you. Rosario Dawson reprises the title role as Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi who studied under Anakin Skywalker, which she first played in season 2 of The Mandalorian. Here, Ahsoka sets off on a journey to locate Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen, Mads’ brother)—a master manipulator who seems to be on a mission to become the grand ruler of the galaxy. A second season is in the works.

The Wonder Years

In 2021, writer-producer Saladin K. Patterson (Frasier, The Bernie Mac Show) rebooted the award-winning, and much beloved, series The Wonder Years for a new generation. Don Cheadle narrates the adventures of Dean Williams (Elisha “EJ” Williams), as he comes of age in Montgomery, Alabama, in the final years of the Civil Rights Movement. Both seasons of the worthwhile series are now streaming.

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire

While Black Panther may have gotten an official sequel with 2022’s Wakanda Forever (which is, of course, available to stream on Disney+), this animated anthology series is in many ways a spiritual successor to that Oscar-winning MCU flick. More than a dozen up-and-coming African storytellers were handpicked to write and/or direct these 10 short films, which build on the makers’ cultures and histories to paint a fascinating, gorgeously animated—and often dystopian—picture of Afrofuturism.

Secret Invasion

From the moment it launched, Secret Invasion sparked conversation—although not for the reasons Marvel might have hoped. Turns out, the studio used artificial intelligence to create the show’s opening credits, a move that turned off some fans. Whether it’s curiosity about those Midjourney-looking visuals or general interest in what Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has been up to, Secret Invasion is worth a look. Captain Marvel costars Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn (Talos) team up again, and the show follows the two as they investigate a clandestine invasion of Earth by a shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls. If that doesn’t do it for you, you might want to tune in for Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke’s first—though surely not their last—forays into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Muppets Mayhem

As any Muppets fan will tell you, The Electric Mayhem Band is a highlight of any show the gang puts on. This time, Dr. Teeth and the gang are front and center, on a quest to record their first studio album with the help of an ambitious music executive, played by one-time YouTube star Lilly Singh. While one season is all you’re getting, get ready to rock nonetheless.

A Small Light

While the story of Anne Frank is well known, the life of Hermine “Miep” Gies—Otto Frank’s secretary, and one of the five Dutch citizens who helped to hide the Frank family—is lesser known. This powerful Nat Geo miniseries helps to change that, with Bel Powley delivering a moving performance as a young woman who takes a heroic stand, regardless of the consequences.

American Born Chinese

Oscar winners—and Everything Everywhere All at Once costars—Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan reunite for this Disney+ original series. Jin Wang (Ben Wang) is your typical teenager who’s just trying to get through the day of dealing with high school social hierarchies. But his life is forever altered when he’s asked to serve as a mentor to Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu), a foreign exchange student who is hiding some pretty big secrets. Like that he’s actually on an otherworldly mission from the heavenly realm and has chosen Jin to serve as his guide. Part coming-of-age tale and part mythological fantasy, the single-season series is a formidable adaptation of Gene Yang’s graphic novel.

Star Wars: Visions

For a franchise as varied and diverse as Star Wars, sometimes its output can feel a little same-y. That’s not the case with Visions. The point of the anthology series is to provide “all-new, creative” takes on the Star Wars universe. The first series, which premiered in 2021, featured nine installments from some of the best anime studios in Japan, including Kamikaze Douga and Trigger. The second anthology, which arrived in 2023, broadens the scope further, incorporating work from studios in India, Ireland, Spain, Chile, France, South Africa, the US, and the UK. If you’re looking for the best one-off tales from the Star Wars universe, look no further.

The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian was, and is, exactly what the Star Wars franchise needed. Everything about this Jon Favreau series feels like classic TV—from the episodic adventures to the cameos. Set in the outer reaches of the galaxy, it follows a moody, masked Mandalorian bounty hunter (WIRED cover star Pedro Pascal) and really delivers on the hype with its retro-futuristic robots, salty Space Western vibes, lack of Skywalker baggage, and, of course, Grogu (aka Baby Yoda). The Mandalorian really set the tone for what a great Star Wars series could be, and while not every subsequent show has been as good, others, like Andor, have lived up to the precedent it set—and proved Star Wars stories can make for great TV. There’s still no official word on a fourth season, but there is one more exciting adventure on the horizon: a movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is rumored to begin production in June (with a 2026 release date).

Andor

Andor is something of a miracle. Created by Tony Gilroy, the filmmaker brought in to save Rogue One, it’s the origin story of one of that movie’s most beloved characters, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). Set in the early years of the Rebellion, it charts Andor’s path to becoming one of the most integral of the Rebels. With a supporting cast that includes Fiona Shaw and Stellan Skarsgård, it also features a fantastic score from Nicholas Britell (Moonlight, Succession). After spending so much time with Mandalorians and Jedis, it’s a welcome reprieve and perhaps the closest thing to prestige TV the Star Wars universe has released yet,

Ms. Marvel

With Ms. Marvel, Disney manages to combine its knack for producing coming-of-age tween fare with its new role as caretaker of the MCU. Iman Vellani charms as Kamala Khan, an Avengers-obsessed high schooler from Jersey City who feels like an outsider in most areas of her life. But when a gold bangle arrives from her grandmother in Pakistan, Kamala begins to realize that all the time she’s spent fantasizing about what life would be like with superpowers might have been preparing her for real life. With one foot in the teen drama world and the other in the comic book universe, Ms. Marvel—which just happens to feature Marvel’s first Muslim superhero—marks yet another admirable step forward for the company in both innovation and inclusion. In 2023, Vellani’s Ms. Marvel made the leap to the big screen to star alongside Brie Larson in The Marvels.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

Tatiana Maslany is no stranger to complicated characters (see: Orphan Black) or to playing more than one side of a single character (see again: Orphan Black). In She-Hulk, she gets to hone her deft skills even further while amping up the silliness of it all. Maslany plays Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), with whom she shares that angry green gene. Ultimately, this turns out to be a boon for Walters—and the audience—when she is given the chance to head up a new branch at her law firm that’s dedicated to cases involving “superhumans” like herself. While Maslany could easily carry the show on her own (yet again, see: Orphan Black), an all-star supporting cast that includes Ruffalo, Jameela Jamil, Tim Roth, and Benedict Wong only adds to the fun and further cements the show’s place in the MCU.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ewan McGregor has not always had the kindest words for the Star Wars prequels in which he first played the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi—a role he inherited from Alec Guinness, who also had plenty of less-than-favorable things to say about the franchise. So it was somewhat surprising when Lucasfilm announced that McGregor would be donning his Jedi gear again to star in a stand-alone Star Wars series for Disney+. (Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has already said there will not be a second season.) In many ways, however, it allowed McGregor and former costar Hayden Christensen to course-correct some of their earlier work, as it follows a downtrodden Obi-Wan attempting to process his personal and professional disappointment over losing Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) to the Dark Side.

The Beatles: Get Back

In January 1969, just more than a year before they announced they were breaking up, the Beatles allowed a film crew unprecedented access to the creative process and recording of Let It Be, which would be their final studio album. Fifty years later, Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson was presented with the nearly 60 hours of film footage and more than 150 hours of audio that resulted from this project, and he remastered it and turned it into a three-part docuseries. Whether you’re already a Beatles fan or not, the documentary is a fascinating look at the creative process of one of the music world’s most influential bands as they work against the clock to finish recording an album, decide to have a free concert on their label’s rooftop, and occasionally butt heads. Knowing what the subjects do not know—that this will be the last time they perform live together or record an album—only adds to the project’s intimacy. The miniseries won all five Emmys it was nominated for, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.

Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac brings yet another marquee name to Marvel’s growing roster of all-star talents with Moon Night. Here, Isaac plays a man with dissociative identity disorder, giving us not one but three distinct characters: mercenary Mark Spector, British gift shop employee Steven Grant, and the mysterious—and seemingly ominous—Jake Lockley. Ultimately, he must face off against himself to get the answers he’s seeking. For Moon Knight, Isaac told Empire that he was thrilled to be able to do something “really fucking nutty on a major stage”—and he delivers.

The Book of Boba Fett

As with The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau helms this Disney series, in which the criminally unsung bounty hunter of the Star Wars films finally gets his day in the sun. The series is technically a spinoff of The Mandalorian and takes place in the same time frame, after the events of Return of the Jedi. That explains why Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and his partner Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) are attempting to take over the underworld previously controlled by Jabba the Hutt.

The Muppet Show

While The Muppet Show, which ran for five seasons between 1976 and 1981, is considered a piece of classic television today, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for creator Jim Henson. Henson produced two one-off Muppet specials that were intended to take the show into prime time, but neither came to fruition. Fortunately, the Muppets did have a recurring gig in “The Land of Gorch” sketches that aired during Saturday Night Live’s first season, which—when that became a hit—gave Henson proof that there was a potentially massive audience for an adult-oriented Muppet show (not to mention celebrity connections to entice plenty of A-list names to host). The rest is Muppet history.

The Punisher

The Punisher is yet another Netflix-turned-Disney+ Marvel series that also happens to be a spinoff of Daredevil. Like Daredevil, the Punisher (real name: Frank Castle, played by Jon Bernthal) is a vigilante who seems to relish exacting revenge, regardless of the results. He and Daredevil operate within the same universe, and while the Punisher sort of admires Daredevil’s quest for true justice, Daredevil despises the Punisher’s by-any-means-necessary methods. Bernthal brings an intensity to the role that, while undoubtedly violent, also has a sense of humor about it.

Boy Meets World

If ABC’s TGIF lineup wasn’t a part of your night as a kid, you clearly didn’t grow up in the ’90s. But Disney+ is happy to right that wrong by housing all seven seasons of the teen sitcom in its library. Corey Matthews (Ben Savage) deals with the ups and downs of growing up and ever-evolving relationships with friends and family—plus that one teacher, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels)—who always has the right answer to your problems, whether you like it or not. As the show progressed and the kids grew up, serious issues like drugs and sex were thrown into the mix, which didn’t always please the network. When the show aired on the original Disney Channel, a few episodes weren’t included in the lineup because of the more mature subject matter. You can also check out all three seasons of Girl Meets World, the series reboot (which features Corey as the parent and Mr. Feeny) when you’re done.

Jessica Jones

Just about six months after Daredevil arrived on the scene, Netflix took another chance on a Marvel property with Jessica Jones. In this dark dive into the world of superheroes, Krysten Ritter plays a private investigator who gave up her days as a superhero after a major catastrophe. But you can’t deny who you are, as Jessica discovers when it seems like every case that comes her way forces her to confront her past—and the supervillain Kilgrave (David Tennant), who turned her into a shell of her former self.

Hawkeye

Yet another in an ever growing string of spinoff TV shows from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hawkeye gives some long overdue attention to Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton, who in many ways has often seemed like the forgotten Avenger. The supernaturally skilled archer is in most of the ensemble Avengers films, but this Disney+ series marks his first solo outing. The show sees Hawkeye teaming up with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a precocious twentysomething who shares his skills for slinging arrows but lacks his eye for danger. It’s set during the holidays, and there are shades of Die Hard as the eponymous character tries to save the day and make it home in time for Christmas. Let the arguments about whether it’s a Christmas TV show begin.

Monsters at Work

Monsters at Work is the Monsters, Inc. spinoff you didn’t know you needed. It picks up the action six months after the end of the iconic Pixar movie—after Sully and his friend and colleague Mike (a giant green eyeball) have reworked the Monstropolis energy grid to run on laughter instead of children’s screams. The show, which includes elements of a workplace comedy, premiered in the summer of 2021; its long-awaited second season arrived in April.

The Bad Batch

Yes, Disney really is milking its Star Wars properties for all they’re worth. The Bad Batch is an animated spinoff series set in the aftermath of the Clone Wars, between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy in the overarching timeline. It follows a group of clone soldiers with genetic defects that give them individual traits and personalities, making them well suited to taking on daring mercenary missions. All three seasons are available to stream.

WandaVision

This slow-burning sitcom parody is unexpectedly compelling. For the first couple of episodes, even hardened Marvel fans will have very little idea what’s going on, as Avengers Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) live out an idyllic family life in black-and-white 1950s suburbia. Quickly, it becomes clear that something is wrong in the quiet town of Westview, as the world of the show ties into the wider MCU. Olsen reprises her role in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which picks up right after the events of WandaVision. Though there will not be a second season, fan-favorite Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) has a spinoff series, Agatha All Along, which premiered its first two episodes on September 18 (more on that above).

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

After the surreal sitcom stylings of WandaVision, the second Marvel show to land on Disney+ covers more familiar ground. It’s an action-packed thriller that follows Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as they try to fill the void left by Captain America in the months after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Star Wars Rebels

Accessible for kids and adults alike—and undoubtedly one of the best Star Wars TV series on Disney+—this animated series follows a group of rebels led by the former Jedi Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and featuring his force-sensitive Padawan, Ezra Bridger (Ezra Gray). Fan favorite Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) is another regular character across its four seasons, which do a neat job of fleshing out the time between the end of the prequel trilogy and the beginning of the original one.

The Simpsons

Have you got some time on your hands? Well, the 35 seasons of The Simpsons currently streaming on Disney+ should keep you busy. What can be said about one of the longest-running—and arguably most famous—animated TV shows ever made? While the first season is a little patchy by today’s standards, and there are ongoing arguments about when the show went from essential viewing to neglected cash cow, whatever your view, there are literally weeks worth of entertainment here. The show’s 36th season kicks off on September 28 on Fox, but Disney+ will be the exclusive home to four new online-only episodes, including a two-part Christmas special.

X-Men: The Animated Series

If you really want to nerd out, this critically acclaimed animated X-Men series from the ’90s is worth a watch. In fact, the first two films in the live-action movie franchise drew heavily from this cartoon, which serves as a nice reminder of what can be done with rich source material.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This seven-season series, which is for serious Marvel fans, revolves around S.H.I.E.L.D.’s less super agents, led by Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). The first season takes a while to warm up, but it really hits its stride in its second and especially third seasons, and it eventually ramps up with a complex plot that ties into the films.

Agent Carter

Agent Carter is a better show than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it struggled to find an audience during its two seasons. Hayley Atwell reprises her role as Peggy Carter from several MCU films in this 1940s-set series, where she doubles as an agent for the US government while helping Howard Stark (Tony’s dad) out of more than one jam. The two seasons stretch to only 18 episodes, so it’s a quick watch, but one worth making the time for.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

This is another Star Wars animated show worth seeking out, though it’s not to be confused with the equally worthy 2003 animated series Star Wars: Clone Wars from legendary Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky. Both series deal with the period between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith and chronicle the rise of Anakin Skywalker from arrogant Padawan to powerful Jedi Master.

Inside Pixar

There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes content on Disney+. These are short clips that, in another age, would have been confined to the DVD extras menu. But this series of 20-minute documentaries on different Pixar movies offers a fascinating insight into the animated hit machine.

What If …?

Here’s an animated series based on one simple question: What if? The Watcher, played by Jeffrey Wright, is an extraterrestrial being who observes the multiverse, occasionally making minor changes to influence events. This series looks at how events in the Marvel movies would have turned out differently if they’d had a Sliding Doors moment. The first episode follows an alternate timeline in which Steve Rogers remains a scrawny sidekick and Agent Carter becomes a Union Jack-draped super soldier. Actors from the films reprise their roles, including Josh Brolin as Thanos, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Karen Gillan as Nebula. The second season arrived in late 2023.