What Shows Are on Disney Plus? It is important to know what shows are on Disney Plus. Disney’s streaming platform is a bit quiet until Secret Invasion premieres, but Disney+ still has some of the best TV shows to stream right now.
New shows come to Disney+ every month, helping the platform highlight its variety and give viewers content that ranges from welcome legacy additions to smaller-scale original series. It’s a solid library to sift through until the next high-profile premiere.
What Shows Are on Disney Plus?
But on top of Disney+’s usual big-budget productions, there are also documentaries, animated shows, and more to watch. Even so, that depth of content can feel daunting to sort through, so we’ve taken the time to comb through the platform’s catalog to give you a streamlined guide to the best shows to stream on Disney+ right now.
The Best Shows on Disney+ Right Now
Here are some of the best shows on Disney+:
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.
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.
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.
The Simpsons
Let’s face it: Of the 34 (and counting) seasons of “The Simpsons,” only about nine are truly great. But that impressive run had such a cultural impact that quotes from and references to it have become linguistic shorthand. The creator, Matt Groening, and his animators conceived the Simpsons and the town of Springfield as an endlessly elastic source of colorful characters and sharp jibes about American families, institutions, and values. Our critic called its animation “ingenious” and its scripts “consistently inventive.”
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Before the TV side of Marvel was folded into Marvel Studios, the studio put out a successful, long-running spy drama centered around Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D. The aptly named Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. sees actor Clark Gregg reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson as he and his supporting cast tackle a series of strange cases—with the enemies to match.
This series introduced a variety of characters into the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time, with Chloe Bennet’s Quake one of the highlights. It’s an exciting series of original adventures and crossovers with the MCU’s feature films.
Marvel’s Agent Carter
After making her debut in Captain America: The First Avenger, Peggy Carter, one of the MCU’s best female characters, went on to headline the ABC solo series Agent Carter. While short-lived, the series was well-received for its creative blend of style, drama, and action and also for making sure to highlight the human aspect of Peggy first and foremost.
Agent Carter sees her balancing her professional life with the dangers that come with working for the Strategic Scientific Reserve and the likes of Howard Stark, Tony Stark’s father.
Black-Ish (2014-2022)
Prolific black comedy creator Kenya Barris (You People) takes on the traditional family sitcom and infuses the dialogue, character bits, and situations with his signature social commentary through his unique perspective. Black-Ish follows the Johnson family, led by heavily opinionated patriarch Andre “Dre” Johnson (Anthony Anderson) and caring yet praise-hungry matriarch Rainbow “Bow” Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross).
They raise their kids through lessons on what it takes to be a black person in America, with varying levels of success. The series takes many of its cues from older black television series like Family Matters and My Wife and Kids while updating its messages for the 21st century.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) may be one of the most normal people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She just happens to be the She-Hulk as well. In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Jennifer’s life is transformed after she is infected with the blood of her famous cousin, Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).
Despite Bruce’s best efforts to turn her into a superhero, Jen resumes her career as a lawyer only to find herself at the forefront of a law firm’s superhuman law division. Unfortunately for Jen, her life only gets stranger from there.
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.
Loki
The MCU is exhaustingly huge. Yet while Loki is undoubtedly part of it, the series could just as easily work as a stand-alone, and it’s all the more fun and surprising as a result. There are enough plot twists, silly one-liners, time-travel antics, and even a wisecracking alligator to keep everyone entertained. If that doesn’t do it, then 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 more complex and interesting character. Loki’s long-awaited second season arrives on October 6.
The Mandalorian
Jon Favreau’s Space Western The Mandalorian was Disney+’s first live-action Star Wars venture. And what a project it turned out to be! (We can all thank the show for gifting us with Baby Yoda, a.k.a. Grogu, among other things.) Set five years before 1983’s Return of the Jedi, The Mandalorian follows bounty hunter Din Djarin, hired by Imperial forces to retrieve Grogu. Instead, they go on the run so Din can protect the baby.
While looking to reunite Baby Yoda with his kind, the duo travels to Mandalore so Din can redeem himself for the transgression of removing his helmet. Several Star Wars actors have reprised their roles, albeit briefly. (The most notable is Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker in season two.) The show wrapped its third season in April.
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is one of Marvel’s more groundbreaking projects. The show introduced the MCU’s first Muslim superhero, Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), who will appear next in The Marvels movie later this year. In the series, the Pakistani American teen gains superpowers through her grandmother’s bangles and delves into her family history during 1947’s India-Pakistan partition. The cast and creators mostly hail from South Asian backgrounds, lending much-needed authenticity to a TV show of this magnitude.
X-Men: The Animated Series
X-Men: The Animated Series features mutants like Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Professor X, Rogue, Gambit, and Jubilee, with each season following everything from Jean Grey’s transformation into Phoenix to Magneto’s attempt to start a human-mutant war.
It also remains one of the best-animated adaptations, along with X-Men: Evolutions, which is available to stream as well. And thankfully, a continuation of the original, titled X-Men ’97, is set to arrive on Disney+ this year.
Marvel and the MCU on Disney+
Here are some of the best Marvel and MCU movies on Disney:
MCU Movies on Disney+
MCU Phase One includes:
The Avengers
The Avengers was the proof that ultimately led to an entire expanded cinematic universe. When the movie first came out, it was a movie like no one had seen before. As the culmination of multiple Marvel movies and characters, including Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, and Thor, it had fans already drawn in before it even hit theaters. This movie features the union of all of Earth’s mightiest heroes, and Marvel proves that they can pull off the team-up concept.
All Avengers movies can also be streamed on Disney+, making for one epic Sunday of bingeing.
Captain America: The First Avenger
There are plenty of reasons to watch the first Captain America movie, including Chris Evans, Chris Evans, and Chris Evans. But really, Chris Evans makes Captain America fly off the comics and onto the screen with class. The World War II backdrop gave the MCU something new to work with, and the clever, thrill-filled narrative kept the story interesting.
Iron Man
Before there was the MCU, there was just Iron Man. It’s easy to see how an action movie this fun could snowball into the highest-grossing movie of all time. The charm and smarm of Robert Downey Jr.’s billionaire turned indestructible superhero still shine in their own self-contained story before getting wrapped into a giant shared storyline.
MCU Phase Two includes:
Ant-Man
Guardians of the Galaxy tends to get all the credit for being the most irreverently funny Marvel movie, but don’t sleep on the charms of Ant-Man. The film’s public narrative never quite recovered from the departure of Edgar Wright from the director’s chair, and it deserves to be measured as an amusing heist caper in its own right rather than against a version of the film that was never realized. Plus, who doesn’t love Paul Rudd, perfectly cast as a wise-cracking but well-intentioned cat burglar?
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The 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.
Guardians of the Galaxy
While the multi-verse and other mythological developments have hampered other franchises within the Marvel cinematic universe, the third installment in James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” series thrives by giving extra attention to a single character, Rocket, the wisecracking raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper.
As Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and the Guardians are still mourning the loss of Gamora during “The Snap,” a new threat called the High Evolutionary emerges from Rocket’s past, and new revelations about his traumatic origins come to light. Our critic, Maya Phillips, was less impressed, but she still found “glints of joy in the more mundane and ancillary quibbles among the found family of misfits.”
MCU Phase Three Includes:
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 asses, 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.
Avengers: Infinity War
After 10 years of worldbuilding and filling out the superhero rosters with teams all around the world and galaxy, the MCU made its most ambitious move yet. Avengers: Infinity War brings together every major and minor character established in the MCU up to that point and puts them all on the board for the Avengers’ biggest challenge.
Audiences finally get to experience the true terror of Thanos the Mad Titan, brought to life by Josh Brolin (Deadpool 2), and it is a delight to dive into the depths of his self-righteous character. Directors Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Cherry) balance all the characters expertly and deliver an action-packed tragedy that moves at the speed of light.
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 afro-futurist 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).
MCU Phase Four Includes:
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The sequel to Black Panther does a fantastic job of paying tribute to the late king of Wakanda, T’Challa, as well as the actor who played him, Chadwick Boseman. Wakanda is still struggling with the loss of its leader, and a new enemy bubbles up to the surface, threatening the African country. It’s time for a new Black Panther to rise, but can it be possible without the heart-shaped herb?
Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder takes the Ragnarök formula and pushes it bigger and weirder than before, adding some good old-fashioned romance into the mix. There’s darkness too and, as with all love stories, a bit of tragedy, but Waititi’s primary objective is to entertain and not to devastate you.
This ends up being both a blessing and a curse, as while Thor: Love and Thunder is the most entertaining Phase 4 movie to date, its irreverent touch means that when it aims for the heart, it never quite hits a bullseye.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Sam Raimi’s sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange isn’t the beloved director’s first superhero movie, but it is his first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe style of making movies, which ultimately proves to be both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, the movie is probably the closest thing the Marvel franchise has gotten to a straight-up horror film, and it’s full of Raimi’s signature practical effects (plus the ever-important Bruce Campbell cameo).
Yet, because the MCU is such a box office powerhouse, the movie never goes full Raimi—which is understandable but somewhat disappointing for fans of the Evil Dead maestro. Still, it’s ultimately a fun ride with multiple versions of Benedict Cumberbatch’s cocky Doctor and Elizabeth Olsen as the power-seeking Scarlet Witch.
MCU TV Shows on Disney+
Daredevil
Netflix’s loss is Disney’s gain. The latter nabbed the rights to the streamer’s Marvel TV shows in 2022, including the best one, Daredevil. The action drama centers on Matt Murdock, a lawyer by day and vigilante by night in New York City, who attempts to take down Wilson Fisk’s criminal empire.
Daredevil is an immersive and gripping series, but it only lasted three seasons on Netflix despite critical and fan acclaim. Thankfully, Cox reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk. And he’ll also return to lead a new drama (with D’Onofrio and Jon Bernthal) on Disney+ next year.
Hawkeye
Hawkeye not only brings Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton back but also does an effective job of introducing his next-in-line. The six-episode series charts how a young Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) confronts enemies from her family’s past and ends up aiding Clint in fighting his demons. The show also marks the return of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin (replacing the role from Netflix’s Daredevil) and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova (from Black Widow). Oh yeah, it’s also a pretty fun Christmastime binge.
Loki
Marvel’s Asgardian trickster finally gets his solo adventure in this Disney+ original series that brings back MCU veteran Tom Hiddleston as the titular god of mischief. After the events of Avengers: Endgame cut Loki loose in the MCU timeline, this series explores what happens when the trickster finds himself forced to work with an interdimensional agency to prevent just the sort of chaos he’s accustomed to creating.
Owen Wilson joins Hiddleston in the show’s cast and new episodes of the series premiere weekly on Disney+.
Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD
Remember that time Agent Coulson was stabbed in the heart by Loki’s scepter? Well, he survived. For six charming seasons, the SHIELD agent-turned-director went on to lead a group of other misfit agents against the everyday and supernatural horrors of the world. There may be some debate over its canon status, but no one can question its quality. Top notch!
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 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. Vellani will reprise her role in The Marvels, the upcoming MCU feature that will arrive in theatres in November.
Star Wars Movies and Shows on Disney+
Star Wars Rebels (2014)
Even though it didn’t quite measure up to the highs of The Clone Wars, Rebels still garnered a much-deserved, positive critical reception for continuing the franchise’s success in the realm of animation. Star Wars Rebels is the natural sequel to The Clone Wars, this time largely following a new main cast of characters. It begins 14 years into the devastating aftermath of Emperor Palpatine’s Order 66, with Jedi now endangered and actively hunted down.
While the protagonists are mostly original, it rewards longtime fans with satisfying conclusions to story arcs started in the preceding series and thrilling appearances by characters from the original trilogy. All four seasons of Star Wars Rebels are available to stream now.
Star Wars: Andor (2022)
It’s a bit of a misnomer to call this Rogue One prequel series Andor. It is the story of the doomed Rebel operative, Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). However, the narrative has greatly expanded to include Rebel masterminds Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), as well as a dedicated Imperial agent, Dedra Meero (Denise Gough).
The show’s relatively slow pace has put off some Star Wars fans, but it has incredible writing and excellent performances by Skarsgård and guest star Andy Serkis that have already made this season an unforgettable experience.
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 on May 4, 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.
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.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
The most divisive “Star Wars” movie is also one of the boldest and best, defying the orthodoxy of the Jedi traditionalists to embrace a more operatic vision of the overmatched Resistance doing battle against the First Order. It starts with the shock of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) casually tossing a lightsaber off a cliff and keeps the heresies flowing from there, all to heighten the emotional stakes for the battles to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Full List of What’s New on Disney+ for August 2023
Available August 2
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Farm Dreams, season one, six episodes
- How Not to Draw Shorts, season one, five episodes
- Kiff, season one, four episodes
- Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, new episodes streaming
4 August
- Rio 2
August 9
- Chibi Tiny Tales, season three, 11 episodes
- Dino Ranch, season two, nine episodes
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, season-four premieres
Available August 11
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- Barnyard Olympics
- Donald’s Cousin Gus
- Donald’s Nephews
- The Flying Jalopy
- Goofy and Wilbur
- Mickey’s Steam Roller
16 August
- Disney Junior’s Wonderful World of Songs, season one, ten episodes
- Hamster & Gretel, season one, four episodes
- The Villains of Valley View, season two, six episodes
- Wicked Tuna, season 12, 20 episodes
Available August 17
- The Wonder Years, season two, ten episodes
18 August
- LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest, premiere
Available August 23
- Ahsoka, two-episode premiere
25 August
- Cinderella, 4K remaster
- Explorer: Lost in the Arctic
Available August 30
Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes, season one, six episodes
Pretty Freekin Scary, season one, six episodes
Chip ’n’ Dale: Park Life, season two, new episodes
