Entertainment

The Walt Disney Company has made one of the most anticipated announcements: Disney+ is set to hit Malaysian shores 1st June! Fans can expect their iconic entertainment brands such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic along with homegrown and Asian hits, all in one streaming service. 

It will feature an immense amount of content—800 films and 18,000 episodes. And with one month ahead of launch, we have shortlisted the shows that you definitely want to kick off with. 

1. Raya and the Last Dragon

One of the latest films to hit the silver screen is now available for your enjoyment, right from the comforts of your couch. 

The movie follows Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) in her quest to reunite the once-prosperous land of Kumanda. In her pursuit to restore Kumanda’s glory, she partners with Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina), the last dragon. 

Reflecting its commitment to diverse representation, Raya is the first Southeast Asian to join the Disney princess lineup. 

2. The Mandalorian

This award-winning series already has two seasons ready for your binging! 

The Mandalorian, the first live-action series in the Star Wars franchise, taking place five years after the events of Return of the Jedi (1983). It features the talent of Pedro Pascal as the title character, a lone bounty hunter who goes on the run after being hired to retrieve “The Child”, a Yoda-like alien.

If more is more for you, then you’d love this. Three spin-off series will expand on this series’s timeline: The Book of Boba Fett (set to premiere in December), Rangers of the New Republic, and Ahsoka. 

3. WandaVision

You definitely do not want to miss the show that has been on almost every online discussion since its release. 

WandaVision is set three weeks after the events of Avengers: Endgame. The limited series focuses on Wanda’s relationship with Vision and explores the extent of Scarlet Witch’s powers and her origin. You will also get to see more of Wanda’s personality, like her humour and sassiness. 

Once you finish all nine episodes, here’s what you should watch next.

4. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Similar to WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is set post-Avengers: Endgame. This show’s focus, however, is much less personal compared to WandaVision. 

Here, the series expands on the scene where The Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie) was handed Captain America’s shield at the end of Endgame. Its creator, Malcolm Spellman, focused on the racial issues raised by the event. 

The six episodes will be followed by the fourth Captain America movie, which is in development now!  

5. Loki

The show may not be available as of 1st June, but if you could hold on for 10 more days, Loki will be waiting for you at the end of the wait.  

The Loki character (played by Tom Hiddleston) has long been the antihero that goes beyond idealism and absolute morality. Now, instead of being included for sheer levity or his supervillainy, you’ll get the full Loki as he travels through time and alters human history.

In this crime thriller series, an alternate version of Loki is brought to the mysterious Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organisation that monitors the timeline. The God of Mischief is given a choice, face being removed from existence due to being a “time variant”, or help the TVA to fix the timeline and stop a much greater threat. 

Season 2 is already in the works, so be sure to catch all the Easter eggs! 

6. Soul

This movie has already swept up multiple awards, and for good reason. Soul is the first Pixar film to feature an African-American protagonist, Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx). 

Joe is a passionate pianist and middle school music teacher who longs to reunite his soul and his body after they are accidentally separated. In his quest, he stumbles upon a landscape called the “Great Before” and is mistaken for a mentor for the unborn soul, 22. 

After winning his second Academy Award, director Pete Docter began developing the film back in 2016. Soul is the result of his contemplations on the origins of human personalities and the concept of determinism. 

If you loved watching Inside Out, then this movie is a home-run. 

7. Cruella

Cruella would be one of the platform’s latest releases by the time you have access to Disney+, so be sure to watch this ASAP. 

This live-action film is about the rebellious early days of one of Disney’s most notorious villains, Cruella de Vil (played by Emma Stone). Set in 1970s London, the movie reflects the era’s punk rock revolution. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the attention of the Baroness von Hellman (played by Emma Thompson). However, their relationship causes Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the revenge-bent Cruella. 

This marks Disney’s second live-action adaptation to feature the perspective of the villain, after 2014’s Maleficent.