We’ve gone through many months this year when Disney+ just didn’t have much to offer in the way of original shows. Yet here in December, we have an embarrassment of riches, including new episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on a weekly basis. And to close out the month, Marvel’s animated series What If…? will burn off its third and final season with one episode per day.
That’s a good way to close out the year, but Marvel fans will have to wait until March 2025 for the next live-action show, Daredevil: Born Again. There will be a new Spider-Man animated series first, but we haven’t seen enough of that show yet to determine whether it can live up to X-Men ’97.
Keep scrolling for the best shows on Disney+ right now. You’ll find our picks below.
Looking for some more guidance on how to make the most of your streaming service subscriptions? We have also compiled guides to the best movies on Disney+, the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Amazon Prime, and the best shows on Hulu. Don’t forget to check out the guide for the best new shows to stream this week.
If you’re not already subscribed, the Disney Bundle is worth considering. With it, you get Disney+, ESPN+, and the ad-supported Hulu plan, making it an impressive value for the price. You’ll enjoy new Disney content, live sports coverage, and Hulu’s various originals.
-
-
What If...?2021
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2024)
71%
7.2/10Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is skewing a lot younger than any of the previous live-action shows in the franchise have done before. The story focuses on Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers), Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), KB (Kyriana Kratter), and Neel (Robert Timothy Smith), an unlikely group of kids who found an abandoned starship in their isolated home world. When Wim accidentally activates the ship, it sends them out into the galaxy without a way home.
The kids soon learn that no one knows where their planet is, but it’s rumored to be the home of a treasure. That’s why a pirate, Jod Na Nawood (Jude Law), is sticking close to these children for a chance at the score of a lifetime. Jod is a special pirate can use the Force and pass himself off as a Jedi.
What If...? (2021)
69%The third and final season of Marvel’s What If…? will be burned off over eight consecutive days starting on December 22. This season will begin with the Avengers doing a riff on Power Rangers and Voltron as the heroes get giant mechs. Howard the Duck is returning for a spotlight episode, while this season incorporates the Eternals, Shang-Chi, and other characters from recent MCU films.
Since this is the final season, the Watcher may be making his last stand for a while. If the early look at the episodes is any indication, the other Watchers may prove to be the final villains on this show.
Tsunami: Race Against Time (2024)
National Geographic’s Tsunami: Race Against Time offers a stunning look back at the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that was caused by one of the biggest earthquakes on record. Through real footage captured of the event, this miniseries walks viewers through a terrifying and intimate view of the unfolding tragedy.
The devastation left behind by the tsunami affected several countries and claimed the lives of thousands of people. Perhaps the most frightening thing about this event is that there was no way to stop it, as few were able to escape the effects of its fury.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (2024)
Considering what a big star Selena Gomez has become since starring in Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place, it’s a coup to get her back for the sequel series, even if she’s only reprising her role as Alex Russo for the first episode. Instead, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place puts the focus on her brother, Justin Russo (David Henrie), who was also a wizard before he retired from the life to marry Giada (Mimi Gianopulos) and start a family.
Alex returns long enough to get Justin to agree to train a new young wizard, Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown). This new wizard may become an important part of his life alongside his sons, Roman (Alkaio Thiele0) and Milo (Max Matenko). This show isn’t Harry Potter, but it is very family-friendly, and that fits Disney+ like a glove.
The Simpsons (1989)
87%
8.7/10The Simpsons season 35 is now on Disney+, and the word is that the show is undergoing a much-needed creative refresh. It’s been badly needed because The Simpsons has had a hard time living up to its nearly immaculate early seasons. But with the animated juggernaut approaching its 40th anniversary in 2027, the adventures of Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, and Maggie could continue to 40 seasons and beyond.
The sky is the limit in animation, and the 36th season recently premiered on Fox and Hulu with a spoof series finale. When it comes to longevity, The Simpsons is in a class all by itself.
Agatha All Along (2024)
66%
6.8/10Apparently you can’t keep a good villain down, although giving Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) her own show might turn out to be a questionable decision considering that she’s never even starred in her own comic book before. But Marvel and Disney+ appear to have confidence in Hahn’s ability to carry Agatha All Along even though the only other cast member with real star power is Aubrey Plaza.
This show picks up three years after WandaVision, as Agatha remains stuck in her TV-inspired life by the late Wanda Maximoff. But now that Agatha’s frenemy Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza) and an enigmatic teen (Joe Locke) have freed her, she’s ready to go on a quest to regain all of the powers she lost in the battle with Wanda. There will definitely be musical numbers along the way.
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy (2024)
7.4/10Stranger Things‘ Gaten Matarazzo headlines the voice cast of LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy as Sig Greebling, a teenager who stumbles across the building blocks of reality itself. Unfortunately for Sig, his inability to get the pieces back in the correct order has screwed everything up.
Suddenly heroes like Darth Jar Jar (Ahemd Best) are evil. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) was never a Jedi. Even Sig’s brother, Dev Greebling (Tony Revolori), is unrecognizably villainous. This is Sig’s mess, and he’ll have to figure out how to fix it if he ever wants to live in his old reality again. He just needs a helping hand from some unexpected sources.
grown-ish (2018)
71%
6.6/10OceanXplorers (2024)
7%Say what you will about James Cameron, but the famous film director is passionate about the ocean. Cameron is producing and narrating National Geographic’s six-part series OceanXplorer, which is set on the research vessel that shares the show’s name.
In each episode, a team of explorers and scientists visit some of the most remote oceans in order to utilize cuttin edge research technology to learn more about the creatures that live there and the ecosystems below. It’s a compelling nature program that attempts to expand the knowledge of not just the viewers, but also the people who are directly involved with the show.
Zorro (1957)
8.2/10“Out of the night when the full moon is bright, comes the horseman known as Zorro.” The theme song for Zorro remains catchy decades after it was written, and it’s easy to see why this series was such a massive hit at the end of the 1950s. Guy Williams exudes charisma as Don Diego de la Vega, a man who is summoned home from Spain to California by his father, Don Alejandro de la Vega (George J. Lewis).
To fight injustice, Diego adopts the masked persona of the Fox, Zorro, while maintaining a secret identity as a wealthy playboy. If that setup reminds you of Batman, that’s not a coincidence. Zorro predates Batman as a pulp hero, and canonically, the young Bruce Wayne was inspired by his predecessor.
Doctor Who (2024)
72%
5.7/10Let’s dispense with the fiction that Doctor Who on Disney+ is somehow a different series than the version that was revived on BBC in 2005. After all, showrunner Russell T Davies was the same man who reintroduced the Doctor to modern audiences 19 years ago. Ncuti Gatwa now stars in the series as the Fifteenth Doctor, a time-traveling adventurer who has a new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).
As a tradeoff for the larger budget on Disney+, Doctor Who only has eight episodes this season. But former showrunner and arguably the best Doctor Who writer, Steven Moffat, also contributed an episode this season. And that’s always something to be excited about.
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire (2024)
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire may be the only non-live-action show that we get for the franchise’s foreseeable future. This series ties up some loose ends from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Ahoska by presenting previously unknown chapters in the lives of former Jedi Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger) and Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto).
Both women have fallen into darkness, but only one of them has a chance for redemption. Through three episodic shorts, their respective journeys lead them to their ultimate destinations.
X-Men '97 (2024)
It’s been nearly 27 years since X-Men: The Animated Series ended, but the new show, X-Men ‘97, is picking up where things left off. The critically wounded founder of the team, Professor Charles Xavier, is gone, and the remaining X-Men are forced to consider a new alliance with their former foe, Magneto, to continue their battle for mutant rights.
Be on the lookout for several familiar villains and a few allies as well. The early episodes of X-Men ‘97 will introduce a new enemy of the team, who arrives with some surprising revelations that may reverberate throughout the first season of the revival and beyond.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021)
67%
7.8/10It might be a while before there’s another Star Wars animated show after The Bad Batch, but this show is going out on its own terms. Picking up where season 2 left off, one member of Clone Force 99 is dead, and their younger sister, Omega (Michelle Ang), has been captured by the Empire and taken to their hidden cloning facility.
Now, the team has to rally and figure out how they can rescue Omega and reunite their makeshift clone family. Meanwhile, Omega is trying to convince former Clone Force 99 member Crosshair (Dee Bradley Baker) to help her escape because she’s determined to save both of them. Getting out won’t be easy, and the full force of the Empire is hunting the remaining clones.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023)
74%Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians is getting a second chance in Hollywood, courtesy of Riordan himself. The Adam Project’s Walker Scobell stars as Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old kid who has no idea that he’s a demigod and the son of Poseidon.
After discovering his true heritage, Percy is sent to Camp Half-Blood with his friend, Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), where they befriend Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries). This trio is going to have to come together quickly, because Zeus (Lance Reddick) has accused Percy of stealing his thunderbolt. And if Percy can’t find the real thief, a war between the gods may be inevitable.
Behind the Attraction (2021)
72%
7.7/10Disneyland and Walt Disney World are home to some of the most elaborate theme park rides and attractions ever made. The Disney template has been so popular that many of the parks’ rides have been recreated at Disney theme parks around the world. Disney+’s Behind the Attraction documentary series offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of these rides, and the men and women who brought them to life.
The newly released second season includes episodes focused on Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, EPCOT, and more. Theme park enthusiasts are going to love it, but even casual fans can enjoy the show as well.
Loki (2021)
74%
8.3/10Disney+ is getting Doctor Who later this year, but Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is practically filling the role already in Loki season 2. The Asgardian God of Mischief isn’t quite the villain he used to be, but he’s not exactly a hero either. The new season finds Loki in the odd position of having to save the TVA (Time Variance Authority) from a cataclysmic event that could destroy all timelines.
Standing in the way of Loki is his female counterpart, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), who also happens to be the first woman that Loki has ever truly loved. And in a nod to the larger MCU, Jonathan Banks is back as an early incarnation with Kang who may not be what Loki or his ally, Mobius (Owen Wilson), expected to find.
Goosebumps (2023)
62%
6.5/10Three decades ago, the original Goosebumps TV series adapted R. L. Stine’s horror stories for children as an anthology. But the new incarnation of Goosebumps is throwing that out the window and embracing serialized stories. Instead of one-off tales of terror, the show revolves around Isaiah (Zack Morris), Margot (Isa Briones), James (Miles McKenna). Isabella (Ana Yi Puig), and Lucas (Will Price) as they try to unravel the death of Harold Biddle (Ben Cockell), a teenager who died in a fire in 1993.
Harold has his own plans, as he possesses an English teacher, Nathan Bratt (Justin Long), who moved into his family’s former home. You can expect to see many of Stine’s signature creations this season, including the Haunted Mask and Slappy the Dummy (Chris Geere), who is just as evil as he ever was.
Ahsoka (2023)
68%
8.0/10The story for Ahsoka was first teased in 2018 with the final episode of Star Wars Rebels. Now, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) is teaming up with her former apprentice, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), against a pair of Dark Jedi, Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), who want to help the remains of the Empire bring back Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) to restart the war with the New Republic.
But Ahsoka and Sabine have to overcome their issues with each other before they have a chance to prevent a catastrophe. And if they can’t stop Thrawn from revitalizing the Empire, then their efforts will have been in vain.
I Am Groot (2022)
6.7/10The second season of I Am Groot has arrived with more mischief from the title character. This series of animated shorts takes place around the time frame of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, as Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) just can’t help finding new ways to get himself in trouble while exploring the galaxy around him.
For the most part, the rest of the Guardians don’t play a role in this series. But you can expect a cameo from Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and at least one other established Marvel character who hints that Groot may have a larger destiny than anyone may have suspected.
The Wonder Years (2021)
The word has come down that ABC has canceled The Wonder Years after two seasons, but the show’s entire run is currently on Disney+. This series was a reimagining of the original show The Wonder Years that aired in the 1980s and early ’90s. The new show focused on Dean Williams (Elisha “EJ” Williams), a 12-year-old Black child growing up in Alabama during the late 1960s.
Dulé Hill co-starred in the series as Dean’s father, Bill Williams, with Saycon Sengbloh as Dean’s mother, Lillian Williams, and Laura Kariuki as Dean’s sister, Kim Williams. Don Cheadle lent his voice to the show as an older Dean who looks back on his childhood across the course of the series.
Moon Knight (2022)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
73%
7.1/10While the Star Wars prequel trilogy has its fair share of blunders, Revenge of the Sith and Ewan McGregor’s performance were solid showings. That made the actor a fan favorite among the fan base, even the best Obi-Wan for many people, and he makes his grand return for the solo series.
Set 10 years after the execution of Order 66 and the fall of the Republic, Obi-Wan Kenobi sees a weary and disillusioned Jedi Master thrust back into action to rescue a young Princess Leia Organa. However, this covert operation also leads to another fateful clash with his former apprentice, now Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen).
Sketchbook (2022)
Dramas, action, and comedy might be what bring fans into the Disney brand, but Disney+ also offers some solid documentary material as well. That includes covering the company’s work, with Sketchbook proving to be a delightful instructional docuseries on bringing to screen several loved Disney characters.
The series also does well to highlight the talent behind the scenes that does so, with each episode bringing in a different artist demonstrating how they bring these characters to life, as well as how they found themselves working at the studio. Sketchbook should satisfy anyone that’s artistically inclined, as well as those that simply want to see the masters at their craft.
Monsters at Work (2021)
55%
7/10Disney Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. is some of the best-animated work the studio has ever put out, and its world has been expanded more in the last decade. In addition to the 2013 prequel film, Monsters at Work is a Disney+ original series that shows another side of a beloved franchise.
The series takes place after the events of the 2001 movie, the story follows the new protagonist Tylor Tuskmon as a fresh graduate from Monsters University who’s shocked to learn that the company is no longer in need of Scarers. Mike and Sulley return to the cast as well, as they deal with the struggles of running the company and its transition to running on laugh-based power.
The Mandalorian (2019)
71%
8.7/10The blockbuster series that helped Disney+ take the lead in the “streaming wars,” Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian returns after a two-year hiatus (although the character made an appearance in The Book of Boba Fett). The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue in season 3, which promises more action, more Darksaber fights, and more Grogu!
Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu after last season’s finale. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. Future episodes promise that the Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together to strange new worlds like Mandalore.
Baymax! (2022)
Big Hero 6 was a breakout success in 2014, bringing a creative spin on the superhero genre with the tried-and-true Disney animation formula. The lovable nurse robot returns in the titular Baymax! — a spinoff animated TV series comprised of short stories.
Taking place within the same continuity as the movie and the other TV spinoff series, Big Hero 6: The Series, Baymax! follows the endearing robot as he goes around San Fransokyo helping the people of the city. It’s a fun and charming new way to expand upon the vibrant world established on-screen by the movie.
Marvel's Luke Cage (2016)
Marvel's Jessica Jones (2015)
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022)
Star Wars Rebels (2014)
Star Wars: Andor (2022)
74%
8.3/10Bluey (2018)
9.7/10Prop Culture (2020)
Ms. Marvel (2022)
Marvel's Daredevil (2015)
72%
8.7/10black-ish (2014)
77%
7.1/10Amphibia (2019)
8.1/10The Beatles: Get Back (2021)
85%
9.3/10Gargoyles (1994)
8.1/10Star Wars: Visions (2021)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
66%
8.3/10Raven's Home (2017)
7.3/10Phineas and Ferb (2007)
8.0/10WandaVision (2021)
77%
8/10Spider-Man (1994)
8.4/10Kim Possible (2002)
7.2/10Gravity Falls (2012)
8.9/10The Proud Family (2001)
6.5/10X-Men (1992)
8.5/10
