New Disney Plus movies: the best new films to watch (July 2023)

New Disney Plus movies: July 6, 2023 update

Tom Power, entertainment reporter

In our latest update, we’ve removed Peter Pan & Wendy from our new Disney Plus movies guide as we don’t consider it to be a new release anymore. Crater has also departed after it was unceremoniously removed from Disney Plus.

New Disney Plus movies regularly make their way onto The Walt Disney Company’s main streaming platform. To help you keep on top of which films have recently joined, or are set to join, the platform’s back catalog, we thought we’d compile a list of every new film that’s landed on Disney Plus since the start of May.

Well, the ones that haven’t been unceremoniously dumped by one of the world’s best streaming services, anyway. That’s because Crater, an original Disney Plus movie that only launched on May 12, has already been cut from its film library. In short: Crater now has an embarrassing Disney Plus record it doesn’t want.

Still, while it’s disappointing to see Crater disappear from the service, there are plenty of other new Disney Plus movies that have stayed the course. Recent entries on this list include Avatar 2 and Marvel‘s Ant-Man 3, as well as some other Disney Plus Originals and top-tier indie flicks.

US readers should be aware, though, that some of the below entries are only available on Hulu. We’ve added a note to the entries where this is the case for your convenience.

Anyway, here are all of the new Disney Plus movies to have joined the studio’s primary streamer since May 2023. Enjoy!

New Disney Plus movies: June 2023

World’s Best

Release date: June 23

The latest Disney Plus Original movie to land on the platform, World’s Best is a musical comedy flick that might pique the interest of anyone who enjoys rap music, math, or a combination of the two.

Manny Magnus stars as Prem Patel, a 12-year-old math genius who discovers his late father was actually a famous rapper. Desperate to follow in his dad’s footsteps, Prem sets out to become a superstar in his own right. However, Prem will soon find out he can’t achieve every goal in his life, and he’ll have to decide which of his ambitions he throws his full weight behind.

World’s Best won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s sure to resonate with kids and adolescents with big dreams. Early reviews have called it a feel-good family flick, but one that some viewers may find a tad generic and schlocky.

The Incredible Hulk

Release date: June 16

Finally, 15 years after it debuted in theaters (and almost four years since Disney Plus launched as a platform), the second-ever MCU film has joined its siblings on Disney’s main streamer.

That’s right, 2008’s The Incredible Hulk has smashed its way onto Disney Plus. Until now, Marvel couldn’t add it to the streamer’s film library as Universal held the rights to the character. Now that this deal has ended (per Variety), Disney and Marvel are free to add the Hulk’s only solo MCU film to the platform.

Fans familiar with Marvel’s cinematic juggernaut, though, won’t find current Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo in this film. Back in 2008, Marvel cast Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/his green-skinned, angry alter-ego instead. However, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige replaced Norton with Ruffalo from 2012’s Avengers onwards (Norton reportedly didn’t want to return, either), which is why the character doesn’t look like he used to.

Anyway, long story short: if you’ve been waiting for The Incredible Hulk to join Disney Plus, today’s your lucky day. We’re one step closer to having every MCU film on Disney’s primary streamer, everyone!

Stan Lee

Release date: June 16

A docufilm in all-but-name, this production tells the story of the legendary comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer’s journey through Marvel comics and his wider impact on the superhero industry.

Stan Lee follows the beloved creator from his humble, tough beginnings as Stanley Leiber during the Great Depression, right up to his death in November 2018. Using archive footage – home made videos, interviews, and audio recordings – it’s an unmissable documentary that diehard Marvel fans, plus more casual MCU viewers, will want to stream as soon as possible. A worthy inclusion in our new Disney Plus movies guide.

Flamin’ Hot

Release date: June 9 (available on Hulu in the US)

The first-ever Searchlight Pictures film to be released simultaneously on Disney Plus and Hulu, Flamin’ Hot tells the true story behind the invention of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Jesse Garcia plays Richard Montañez, a Frito-Lays janitor who turned the world of potato chips on its head when he channeled his Mexican-American heritage into the spicy hot snack in the late 1980s.

Flamin’ Hot comes from Eva Longoria (in her feature film directorial debut). And, given its simple, based-on-real-events narrative, it’s a surprisingly heart warming and enjoyable flick. The comedy-drama, which became the most-streamed Searchlight Original in Disney Plus and Hulu’s entire history during its first three days on both platforms, currently holds a 90% ‘fresh’ audience rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Release date: June 7

Finally, six months after its theatrical debut, James Cameron’s latest blockbuster has landed on Disney Plus. We knew Avatar 2 would eventually be making its way to Disney’s main streamer (and Max) on this date, but it’s nonetheless good news to see it finally swim onto two of the world’s best platforms.

Set 16 years after the events of Avatar, The Way of Water reunites us with Jake Sully and the rest of the Na’vi as they look to combat a renewed effort from the Resources Development Administration (RDA). You can read our Avatar: The Way of Water spoiler-free review for more on what we thought of the epic sci-fi flick but, to give you a brief hint, we called it a “phenomenal feat of filmmaking” and that “most will walk away from The Way of Water feeling stung by the disappointment of having to leave Cameron’s mesmerizing world”.

Once you’re done reading that (and watching one of the best movies of 2022), get the lowdown on where Avatar 2 placed in our best James Cameron movies piece.

New Disney Plus movies: May 2023

The Indiana Jones collection

Experience the legendary collection, all in one place. All four #IndianaJones movies are now streaming on #DisneyPlus.May 31, 2023

Release date: May 31

With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – one of our most anticipated new movies of 2023 – out now in theaters, you’ll want to catch its four predecessors first before you watch Indy 5 at a multiplex near you. Luckily, Disney announced (on May 17) that all of those movies would be available to stream on Disney Plus from May 31.

For the most part, this quadrilogy is absolutely worth watching, too. Raiders of The Lost Ark and The Temple of Doom are stone cold classics, while The Last Crusade – which sees Harrison Ford’s charismatic archaeologist/tome raider team up with his father Henry (Sean Connery) – is a pretty good watch, too. The less said about The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, however, the better.

Thanks to this movie series’ multi-genre format – it’s packed with action, adventure, humor, drama, and even supernatural horror – the Indiana Jones films will appeal to all ages and genre fans. A film franchise not to be missed, that’s for sure. *hums the Indy theme tune*

White Men Can’t Jump

Release date: May 19 (available on Hulu in the US)

A modern remake on the 1992 sports comedy film of the same name, White Men Can’t Jump stars Sinqua Wells and Jack Harlow as Kamal and Jeremy, two basketball stars at opposite ends of their careers who form an unlikely friendship due to their shared love of the game. The duo are also forced to navigate turbulent relationships, inner demons, and financial insecurities throughout, too.

While its identically named predecessor was well received upon release, the 2023 reimagining is anything but. White Men Can’t Jump has been slammed by fans and critics alike, with many observers calling it “unimaginative”, “dull”, “cheap”, and a movie that “struggles to find a reason to exist”. Mega ouch.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Release date: May 17

This Marvel Phase 5 film finally debuted on Disney’s primary streamer three months to the day since its theatrical release. It’s about time, too, considering many MCU fans were eagerly awaiting its arrival – and not because it’s a great movie.

You see, while Ant-Man 3 was hyped up pre-release, it was a critical and commercial let down. The superhero flick, which sees Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Hope Van Dyne/Wasp, Scott’s daughter Cassie, and Hope’s parents unexpectedly travel to the Quantum Realm and encounter new bid bad Kang the Conqueror, wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be narratively, thematically, or humorously. It’s visually impressive, sure, but that’s about as good as it gets. In our Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania review, we called it a “fun but flawed third solo outing” for the titular duo and a “messy Marvel caper” overall.

So, if you’ve been waiting to stream it for ‘free’ at home, now is the time to do so. Once you’re done, read our Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ending explainer to see how it sets up future MCU flicks (and check out how to watch the Marvel movies in order to see where it falls on the MCU timeline).

Ad Astra

Release date: May 10

Originally released in September 2019, this Brad Pitt-starring space exploration film was positively received upon release, with many critics picking Pitt’s performance out as a key reason for Ad Astra‘s appeal.

Set in the late 21st century, Pitt plays astronaut Roy McBride, who goes in search of his father H. Clifford McBride, who was presumed dead after his involvement in “The Lima Project”, a scientific program designed to research mysterious power surges that threatens all human life.

A visually impressive, ambitious, and thrilling sci-fi flick, Ad Astra‘s universal familial themes keeps it grounded amid Pitt’s awe-inspiring (and occasionally perilous) exploration of the cosmos.

Rye Lane

Release date: May 3

Set in the South London borough of Peckham, Rye Lane tells the tale of two 20-somethings – Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) – who connect over the bad break-ups they’ve just endured. The pair help each other to get over their respective heartbreaks, get back at their nightmare exes, and potentially restore each other’s faith in romance.

It sounds quite schlocky for a rom-com, but Rye Lane is anything but generic. Its smart, funny, flavorsome, and culturally original take on the romantic comedy formula makes Rye Lane one of the better genre-specific films of its generation. Why not take a romantic walk down this particular street and give it a try?

New Disney Plus movies: coming soon

A screenshot of Starr Carter next to the title card for The Hate U Give movie

The Hate U Give joins Disney Plus in early July. (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

There are only two confirmed new Disney Plus movies – The Hate U Give and Slumber Party – confirmed for July 2023. However, there are a bunch of classic Disney animated shorts that are also joining the service this month. We consider some of them to be short movie-style offerings, so we’ve included them below: