Disney confirms launch date for new streaming service – Star Wars, Marvel spin-offs and The Simpsons all set to feature
CEO Bob Iger also finally confirmed that THREE Marvel TV series are in the works for Disney+
Disney has confirmed that its new streaming service, Disney+, will launch in the United States in November 2019.
The service will be the first major platform to stream all 30 seasons of The Simpsons, after Disney gained the rights when it acquired 20th Century Fox last month.
CEO Bob Iger, speaking at a press conference in California, also confirmed that the much talked-about Marvel series centred around Tom Hiddleston's Loki is in the works, as well as two further Avengers spin-offs – one starring Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), and another with Falcon (Anthony Mackie).
- Former Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal to lead new Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian
- Everything you need to know about Disney's upcoming streaming service
Disney+ will launch for US viewers on Tuesday 12th November 2019 at a cost of $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year. While the company has not confirmed a release date for the service in the UK, Disney+ is expected to roll out across Europe from 2020.
Disney also intends on making any future film releases exclusive to the service, although unlike Netflix it will still release major motion pictures in cinemas first.
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Disney’s combination of family classics coupled with modern Marvel blockbusters certainly makes for an impressive slate, not to mention the buzzy addition of The Simpsons.
However, there could be frustration from UK Star Wars fans: while spin-off series The Mandalorian will be available from launch in the US, the service isn’t expected to be made available in the UK until the first or second quarter of 2020.
Then there is the wider question: just how many ‘over-the-top’ streaming services are users willing to pay for? Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple, BritBox in the UK – this is a streaming war on multiple fronts.
As previously reported, the first major new series to launch on Disney+ will be The Mandalorian, a Star Wars spin-off helmed by Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book). The series will be available as soon as Disney+ launches.
Further Star Wars spin-offs, including a Rogue One prequel centred around Diego Luna's Cassian Andor, are in the works. The as yet untitled Cassian Andor show will also feature Alan Tudyk, reprising his role as sarky Imperial security droid K-2SO.
The presentation featured an announcement video from The Simpsons themselves, in which Homer welcomes their new "corporate overlords" and forces his family members to put on Mickey Mouse hats. There's also a nice cameo from Dumbo... Check it out below.
On top of all of this, there will also be a Jeff Goldblum-led documentary series from National Geographic, a Toy Story series based around new character Forky, 7,500 TV episodes (in its first year, that is) and films.
Find out about all of the new shows coming to Disney+ here.
