As Disney+ turns five, these are the new shows I’m most looking forward to this year

From lightsabers and Lycra to grieving penguins and chilling drama, Disney+ has plenty to offer TV and movie fans in 2025, as it celebrates its 5th anniversary.

For a streaming service born into an already crowded digital world, Disney+ has grown from a home for nostalgia and franchise loyalty into a genre-spanning juggernaut.

When Disney+ first launched in 2019, it came bundled with Marvel swagger, Star Wars legacy, and the vault of Walt’s golden age. Since then, we’ve seen prestige drama, bracing docuseries, and storytelling that isn’t afraid to dwell in the darker corners of the human experience. 

And this year, it isn’t just expanding, it’s evolving.

These are just some of the treats we can look forward to over the coming months…

Alien: Earth –  Horror revisited, humanity questioned

Few phrases jolt the sci-fi faithful like ‘Alien returns.’ FX’s Alien: Earth, from the singular imagination of Noah Hawley (Fargo), plants the franchise firmly on our own soil, marking its first Earth-set narrative. With a cast led by Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, and the reliably magnetic Timothy Olyphant, the series promises both cerebral tension and chestbursters. If Hawley delivers, this may be the first Alien project to make us feel like we’re not alone in more ways than one.

The Stolen Girl – Suburbia cracked wide open

Based on Alex Dahl’s gripping novel, this five-part UK psychological thriller peels back the layers of domestic perfection. Alongside Holliday Grainger and Ambika Mod, Gough delivers what looks to be a masterclass in tension, and the kind of moral murk that lingers in the bloodstream. Premiering April 16, this one’s a must-watch with the lights off.

Andor Season 2 – Rebellion finds its soul

There’s an urgency to Andor that no other Star Wars series has quite matched. If Season 1 was a masterstroke in world-building and slow-burn revolution, Season 2, set to premiere April 23, promises payoff in twelve calculated moves. Diego Luna’s Cassian is a man divided, and in the final stretch toward Rogue One, Lucasfilm seems poised to give us Star Wars at its most intimate and ideologically charged. Expect less fan service, more emotional carnage.

A Real Pain – Two men, one journey 

The Sundance darling now hitting Disney+ via Searchlight, Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain is a tender road movie, rich in sadness, humour, and human contradiction. Starring Eisenberg himself alongside Kieran Culkin, the film explores grief and family dysfunction with an earnestness that never slips into sentimentality. This isn’t just streaming filler, it’s a bruising gem.

Good American Family – The darkness in the suburbs

Inspired by the chilling real-life case of a Midwestern couple who may, or may not, have adopted a child under false pretenses, Good American Family features Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass in what could be their most unnerving roles to date. FX continues its run of boundary-pushing dramas with this tale of manipulation, illusion, and the uncomfortable truths behind ‘good’ families.

Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again, Ironheart and Wonder Man – The MCU looks to reclaim its mojo

In a post-Endgame world, Marvel Television returns to its street-level roots. Charlie Cox is back as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again, joined once more by Vincent D’Onofrio’s formidable Kingpin, and it’s a reassuringly gritty, thrilling take.

Meanwhile, Ironheart sees Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams take flight after her breakout in Wakanda Forever, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Wonder Man might just be Marvel’s strangest bet yet, a satire of stardom, superpowers, and identity. Will it work? I’ll certainly be watching.

Sneaker Wars, Suspect, and Caroline – UK originals go deep

Sneaker Wars, from Studio 99, tells the fierce story of Adidas vs. Puma, a saga of brotherhood, betrayal, and branding. Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes tackles a tragic chapter of modern British history with the sensitivity of writer Jeff Pope. And Caroline offers a poignant, personal look at the life and loss of Caroline Flack, driven by the quiet strength of her mother, Christine.

National Geographic – Earth, magic, and the minds behind them

National Geographic proves once again that non-fiction can feel more magical than myth, and there’s plenty to look forward to here. Chris Hemsworth pushes human limits in Limitless. David Blaine returns to test his own. Stanley Tucci feasts through Italy with trademark warmth, while Ryan Reynolds introduces us to nature’s forgotten mascots in Underdogs. But the crown jewel? Ocean with David Attenborough, a collaboration of science, cinema, and soul that reminds us why we care about our planet in the first place.

Returning Favourites – Familiar faces, new stories

The TV gods giveth: The Bear returns for a fourth helping, Only Murders in the Building keeps the podcast flame burning into its fifth season, and The Simpsons continue their reign of cultural immortality.  And for those who missed their chaotic teens, Phineas and Ferb are back. Why not?

Disney+ is available from £4.99 a month, with no hidden costs and the ability to cancel anytime.