Wonder Man is proving to be a massive series success, and fans can’t get enough. Yet, the incredible new show is far from the only hit franchise available on Disney+.
The streaming service is highly profitable due to its expansive streaming library. Disney+ contains every current and classic Marvel show, and then some. The popular platform simply cannot lose with breakout titles like X-Men ’97 and Moon Knight at its fingertips.
3 Disney+ Shows You Can Knock Out in a Weekend (Sept. 19 – 21)
Disney+ offers some of the best universes and characters to escape into this weekend.
Wonder Man
Marvel is famously hit or miss when it comes to its television series. This generalization is especially true for MCU content post-Avengers: Endgame. Thankfully, Wonder Man is concrete proof that the studio still has it. The series debuted in late January, and fans are already calling for a continuation.
The crux of the series is easily the friendship between Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley, respectively. Simon Williams is an aspiring actor with a troubling secret that could prevent him from reaching his dreams. Ben Kingsley reprises his role as Trevor Slattery; this time, Slattery must spy on Williams to save his own skin.
Despite all odds against them, they form an unbreakable bond, providing one of the most compelling stories in recent MCU history. Wonder Man is less action-based than previous Marvel installments, but that’s for the best. All eight episodes are available to stream right now. If you haven’t already jumped on the Wonder Man train, you’re missing out.
Wonder Man
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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Disney+
- Directors
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James Ponsoldt, Stella Meghie
- Writers
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Andrew Guest, Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman
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Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Simon Williams / Wonder Man
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Arian Moayed
Agent Cleary
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Ben Kingsley
Trevor Slattery
X-Men ‘97
The early to late ‘90s were a truly iconic period of superhero animation. Many fans assumed this era had long passed, but X-Men ‘97 demonstrates that even a reboot of the classic era can be equally popular. The new series is a reboot of the 90s X-Men cartoon and picks up exactly where the original left off. Most continuations suffer when compared to the original, but you could argue that X-Men ‘97 has surpassed it.
The popular animated series is the perfect balance between an older style and newer animation practices. The result is an unforgettable amalgamation that becomes far greater than the sum of its parts. X-Men ‘97 uses as many of the original cast as possible, and the re-cast actors do a perfect job of capturing the tones of the original characters.
Almost every beloved member of the X-Men and their allies make an appearance, making this one of the most in-depth superhero series of the modern era. In retrospect, it’s no surprise many fans consider it the quintessential X-Men adaptation. Hopefully, the upcoming MCU film, Avengers: Doomsday, can match its comic accuracy and fan appeal.
X-Men ’97
- Release Date
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March 20, 2024
- Directors
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Jake Castorena
- Writers
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Beau DeMayo
- Franchise(s)
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X-Men
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
As one of Marvel’s most popular characters, Spider-Man has received his fair share of animated series. However, one show captured the heart of ‘90s fans everywhere.
Marvel’s Spider-Man debuted in the same iconic era as the X-Men cartoon to similar acclaim. The series does provide a more concrete ending than its companion shows, and Marvel hasn’t felt the need for a reboot. The show isn’t without its flaws, but it contains the quintessential characterization of Marvel’s most prominent figure.
Peter Parker from Marvel’s Spider-Man holds the same honor in animation as Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man has in the film world. There have been other series and adaptations, but there is just something so wholesome and unforgettable about the original. You might not see Spider-Man successfully land a punch, but the choreography as a whole holds up today. Overall, the ‘90s show remains one of the best TV adaptations of New York’s Web-Slinger.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
- Release Date
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1994 – 1998
- Network
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FOX, Fox Kids
- Directors
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Bob Richardson
- Writers
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John Semper Jr., Mark Hoffmeier, Meg McLaughlin, Stan Berkowitz, James Krieg, Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, Sean Catherine Derek, Brooks Wachtel, Cynthia Harrison, Larry Brody, Doug Booth, Len Wein, Michael Edens, Brynne Stephens, Elliot S. Maggin, Ernie Altbacker, Evelyn Gabai, Gerry Conway, Gordon Kent, J. M. DeMatteis, Jan Strnad, Marv Wolfman, Sandy Fries
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Christopher Daniel Barnes
Peter Parker / Spider-Man (voice)
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Sara Ballantine
Mary Jane Watson (voice)
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Jennifer Hale
Felicia Hardy (voice)
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Gary Imhoff
Harry Osborn (voice)
Moon Knight
Throughout its breathtaking career, Marvel Studios hasn’t typically embraced the avant-garde. The studio typically sticks to what works and reuses the same formula. In Moon Knight, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The show is decidedly more action-heavy than other popular series, like WandaVision, but that has more to do with the character of Moon Knight than anything else.
Oscar Isaac’s performance as Marc Spector and his many personalities is nothing short of incredible. Based on his voice and inflections alone, Isaac manages to play several characters completely convincingly. If the actor had slightly obscured his face, there’s no way audiences would know it was the same person. The choreography also holds up remarkably well, even on a rewatch.
The show first aired in 2022 but has yet to receive a second season. That likely has more to do with the actor’s schedule than anything else. Isaac has expressed hesitancy to work with Disney in the future.
Moon Knight
- Release Date
-
2022 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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Disney Channel
- Showrunner
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Jeremy Slater
- Directors
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Steven Grant
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes remains one of the most underrated pieces of Marvel animation in the studio’s catalog. The series was eventually scrapped in favor of a more MCU-accurate version of events. Yet, the original series is far better than any forced cinematic universe-centric content.
The show features many of Marvel’s most iconic characters before Disney changed them forever. The series provides direct competition to DC’s prominent 2000s show, Justice League Unlimited. Sadly, The Avengers cartoons would suffer from Disney’s success and had many stipulations that the Timmverse cartoons simply didn’t have. That said, it remains exceptionally popular and is well worth a watch for any Marvel fan.
The show is obviously geared toward children, but that doesn’t stop it from having darker and more compelling subject matter. For a children’s show, the franchise certainly has a rather large adult fan base. This was true even before the kids who watched the original series, like me, grew up. The fact that the series is available to watch anytime on Disney+ is one of Marvel’s biggest gifts to its many fans.
Overall, Disney+ has many incredible television shows perfect for a weekend binge. The platform contains all of Marvel’s streaming library, providing the perfect titles for newer and older fans alike. So sit back, relax, and start watching.
- Subscription with ads
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Yes, the Disney Basic plan
- Simultaneous streams
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Up to 4
- Live TV
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No
- Price
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Starting at $10/month
