The morning after an intoxicating D23 Friday night, which included a dancing spirit squad, Adam Driver and Inde Navarrette X-Men surprises, Josh Gad crooning, Ryan Gosling, Anne Hathaway and confetti raining, it became really clear \u2014 Disney is going to have a killer 2028 at the box office.<\/p>\n
And they haven\u2019t even filled out the entire year\u2019s slate yet. With the 2026 domestic box office racking toward an estimated $10 billion stateside, will people still be going to the cinemas two years from now?<\/p>\n
Hell yes, if Disney has anything to do with it.<\/p>\n
Disney has 14 dates currently in the Rentrak system for 2028 \u2014 and that\u2019s not counting 20th Century Studios or Searchlight theatrical releases. Again, dates can always shed, but with the few tentpole dates that were announced last night at D23\u2019s The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at the Anaheim Honda Center, coupled with what we already know, it would not be shocking if 2028 has a shot at rivaling Disney\u2019s record global year at the B.O., which was 2019 with $13.15B (that\u2019s when they were fully merged with 20th Century Fox).<\/p>\n
Right now for 2028, if the studio can keep these productions on track, Disney has dated:<\/p>\n
Pixar original Ghost Market \u2013 March 10Currently, no other wide release is dated against it.<\/p>\n
Live-action Tangled \u2013 March 31Amazon MGM Studios has a Chosen movie already on the schedule which is counter-programming to this highly anticipated feature adaptation of the 2010 animated pic. Tangled arrives in theaters a week ahead of Sony\u2019s The Beatles \u2013 Four Films The Beginning on April 7, 2028.<\/p>\n
Marvel\u2019s untiled X-Men \u2013 May 5The MCU returns to its formerly prized summer launchpad, three years after 2025\u2019s Thunderbolts*. Who dare date against this revival? In the hands of Feige, it\u2019s not like Bryan Singer\u2019s old stuff. From the looks of last night, per Hugh Jackman\u2019s beam-in, he ain\u2019t coming back as Wolverine.<\/p>\n
Live-action Lilo & Stitch 2 \u2013 Memorial Day weekend, May 28Currently, Lionsgate has Resurrection of the Christ: Part Two on this date. Again, counter-programming skewing to an older adult religious demo. The two can co-exist, but depending on how successful Part One is (May 6, 2027), it would\u2019t be shocking if Lionsgate changes their mind in the face of a five-quad sequel to a billion-dollar movie.<\/p>\n
Pixar\u2019s Incredibles 3 \u2013 June 16Before D23, Disney already announced the Fathers Day weekend date for the threequel to one of the highest grossing animated movies of all-time (Incredibles 2 at $1.2B). The kids\u2014Violet, Dash and Jack Jack\u2014are the same height, but grown up in their superhero abilities as the conceit here is that they sneak out of the house more. No other major studio pics are versing Incredibles 3 yet.<\/p>\n
Marvel\u2019s Ghost Rider \u2013 announced for 2028 without a specific date on the Gosling starring, Shawn Levy directed feature, but a good guess is that it\u2019s going to July 28 that year as Disney has that weekend on hold in Rentrak. If it is July 28, well, that\u2019s the penultimate end of summer date where Deadpool & Wolverine, Brand New Day and Fantastic Four: First Steps have soared. You\u2019d be crazy to date against this movie.<\/p>\n
Marvel\u2019s Black Panther 3 \u2013 Dec. 15, 2028Clearly, the Christmas event movie of the year. Universal has an untitled tentpole dated five days later on Dec. 20.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s quite a killer lineup on paper alone, and more powerful from what\u2019s already on deck in 2027 for Disney, which we\u2019ll sift through below. Here\u2019s some takeaways from last night\u2019s fireworks:<\/p>\n
Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Are No Longer in Superhero Fatigue<\/p>\n
With three MCU titles dated for 2028, that\u2019s absolutely clear, and with MCU Boss Kevin Feige involved in the success of Sony\u2019s highest grossing movie of all-time, the Marvel Studios co-production Spider-Man: Brand New Day at $1.8B+, \u201cIt\u2019s not about IP,\u201d says one Disney executive talking about the success of that rival film. \u201cIt\u2019s about making great movies. Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn\u2019t successful because it\u2019s a Spider-Man movie, it\u2019s successful because it\u2019s an excellent, fun movie.\u201d That\u2019s the plan for MCU going forward: Reliable and fun-filled filmmakers and talent like Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy involved in Ghost Rider, and a murderers\u2019 row of thespians in X-Men such as Driver, Obsession breakout Navarrette, Christopher Abbott and Samara Weaving, to name a few.<\/p>\n