Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
A new month has arrived, but there’s still very little (read: nothing) in the way of new movies that have landed on Disney Plus. Indeed, there’s been a distinct lack of new films on the streaming giant recently, which means you won’t find any new entries in this guide’s latest update. However, with things set to ramp back up throughout February, we’ve updated this article’s ‘coming soon’ section with what’s on the way in the weeks ahead.
There’s been a disappointing lack of new Disney Plus movies recently. January 17 was the last time that a new film joined the streamer’s back catalog in the UK, and you have to go back a full month to find the last one that was released in the US.
Still, with February finally replacing January, things are due to ramp back up soon. Indeed, there are a number of new movies set to join Disney Plus‘ film ranks in the next few weeks, including the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in The Marvels.
If you’re already streamed every entry on this list, you can find a wider selection of films in our best Disney Plus movies guide, too, which should tide you over until one of the world’s best streaming services‘ film library gets an upgrade in the coming weeks. For now, these are all of the new Disney Plus films that arrived in January (NB: US users can only watch certain films on this list via Hulu, so you’ll need to sign up to that service to stream them stateside).
New Disney Plus movies: January 2024
The Creator
Release date: January 17 (available on Hulu in the US)
Director: Gareth Edwards
Cast: John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney, and Sturgill Simpson among others
The latest addition to our new Disney Plus movies guide, Gareth Edwards’ (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Godzilla) latest sci-fi spectacle blew us away visually upon its theatrical release in September 2023. If you missed The Creator last year, you can now enjoy it in all its cinematic glory on the biggest home screen possible.
And you’ll want to. The Creator‘s reported $100 million belies its sheer size and epic scope, even if its story is made up of broad strokes from iconic sci-fi fare we’ve seen before. Indeed, the release of its first trailer had us comparing it to Terminator, Star Wars, and The Last of Us, so it wasn’t a great surprise to see people bemoan its plot as its weakest part.
Still, it’s worth watching for its awe-inspiring visual effects and expansive world-building. And, if you’re not bothered by its generic story, you should have a good time with it. Here’s a brief synopsis, for those interested: Washington stars as Joshua Taylor, a former army sergeant who, amid an ongoing war between humans and artificial intelligence, tracks down the latter’s ‘Creator’, a so-called super-weapon that could turn the tide of the decades-spanning conflict. However, when Taylor finds the individual in question, he’s forced to confront his own humanity and decide whether he’s fighting for the right side.
X-Men (2000)
Release date: January 5
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, and Anna Paquin among others
The first movie in Fox’s now-defunct X-Men film series is now available to stream in the US (it was already watchable in the UK and Australia). And, given the up-and-down nature of the iconic mutants’ movie collection, this one is particularly worth your while.
It’s a tad corny in places – that’s early 21st century film dialog for you – but, overall, it holds up. It gave us some fantastically realized (and cast!) characters in Jackman’s Wolverine, McKellen’s Magneto, and Stewart’s Professor X, who have all gone on to make these legendary superpowered individuals their own in the 24 years since. Its story also contains relatable themes about xenophobia, its action sequences are creative and enjoyable, and it’s surprisingly emotional at times, too. Oh, and it was one of the first films Kevin Feige produced, which set him on his path to become overseer of the cinematic juggernaut known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
With Fox’s X-Men universe set to get a fitting (and likely humorously R-rated) send-off in the highly anticipated Marvel Phase 5 movie Deadpool 3, the arrival of 2000’s X-Men on Disney Plus is most welcome. For more mutant-based movie coverage, find out how to watch the X-Men movies in order.
New Disney Plus movies: what’s coming soon?
As mentioned, there haven’t been many new Disney Plus movies to check out in recent times. If you’ve made it this far, you’ll have noticed that there have only been two new movies launching on the platform since 2024 began.
Thankfully, things are due to change very soon. The Marvels, the latest MCU and Marvel Phase 5 film, received a February 2024 release date following its terrible box office run in late January, so it’ll be released on the streaming service shortly. It’ll be joined by a number of other titles, too, which you can read about via the new Disney Plus movies list below.
- The Marvels – February 7
- Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó – February 7
- X2: X-Men United – February 7 (US only)
- X-Men: First Class – February 7 (US only)
- Sun Coast – February 9 (UK only)
- Love, Rosie – February 9 (UK only)
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – February 16 (US only)
- Revolver – February 16 (UK only)
- Survivor – February 23 (UK only)
Not up for a movie? Try our pick of the best Disney Plus shows, see if there’s a free Disney Plus trial available, read our Disney Plus review, or get the lowdown on the new Disney Plus price points.