Disney+ in January 2026: 5 new movies and shows to watch out for
A whole new year for Disney
The advent of a new year is a very big deal in the world of streaming, in case you couldn't tell. Now that Netflix has finally got all of its Stranger Things episodes out into the wild, some of the other contenders to be the best streaming service going can come into the limelight a bit more again.
In the case of Disney+, it looks like January 2026 will be a very interesting month, with some big additions coming to the platform from a surprisingly and impressively wide range of genres. There are new arrivals after periods in the cinema, but also some really interesting pure streaming debuts, and I've gathered the five most interesting for you right here.
Tron: Ares
- Streaming from: 7 January
It was a long wait for a sequel to Tron: Legacy, which had aimed to reignite the whole Tron franchise back in 2010 but slightly fizzled out despite a truly stellar soundtrack from Daft Punk. Jared Leto apparently moved mountains to make Ares eventually happened, so its box office capitulation might not bode well for him (which might not be the biggest shame).
The movie's coming to Disney+ early in the month, though, and while it didn't exactly meet with rave reviews, it definitely has some stunning visuals to share, including CGI of the very highest quality. My main hope is that Greta Lee's career doesn't suffer for starring in this, since she's unequivocally brilliant in everything else I've seen her in.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2
- Streaming from: 21 January
Another series that needed a bit of a jolt to really get going, the reboot of Percy Jackson has proved a much better fit on streaming than it was in movie format, as proved by its return for a second season. This time Percy's diving into the Sea of Monsters, which is fairly full of peril, as you might be able to guess.
The show's a rip-roaring time, and is fully family friendly, too, which makes it something of a unicorn. It looks like the stakes will be as high as ever for Percy, too, with some truly famous mythological baddies coming out to see if they can take down Poseidon's son.
Pole to Pole with Will Smith
- Streaming from: 14 January
Will Smith's rehabilitation continues apace after his Oscars slap debacle, and this sort of series makes it look a lot like he's all the way back. That said, whether the public think he's normal is quite another question. Still, in this glossy nature series Smith will take us on a wild journey encompassing both poles of our planet.
That means a whole lot of icy terrain, and some of the most endangered species still living in the wild, from penguins to polar bears. It looks like the show will aim to give a proper sense of how tough it is to even exist in these insane environments, and I'm hoping it'll also properly delve into that environment is under threat from our emissions.
Wonder Man
- Streaming from: 27 January
I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this is the most interesting streaming release Marvel's had coming for years. Wonder Man takes place in the world of the Avengers, as proven by the presence of Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), but it seems to be rooted in a very different genre.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will star as an aspiring actor who feels an almost otherworldly desperation to land the role of Wonder Man, a reboot of a vintage superhero franchise being updated by a maverick director. This is a story all about the business of making superhero movies, which is pretty meta from Marvel. It looks charming, and will doubtless have some big twists to offer on arrival.
The Tale of Silyan
- Streaming from: 9 January
For those who want a more touching and heartfelt movie experience from Disney+ this month, and especially those who love a good documentary, The Tale of Silyan looks ideal. Telling the unlikely story of a bond between a struggling farmer and an injured stork that he finds on a landfill.
This looks like a gorgeous film, and potentially a pretty upsetting one given how much of it will be concerned with ecological disaster and climate change – but these are topics we can't ignore. It's from an Oscar-nominated director, too, so there's every chance that this could be a really special film.
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