Boardwalk Times conducted its first-ever in-depth research survey where we asked our followers and fans their most anticipated films from Walt Disney Studios in 2025. Our fans and followers also listed some reasons why and also shared other non-Disney films they are excited about in 2025.
12. The Amateur
Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.
The Amateur is an all-new espionage thriller hailing from 20th Century Studios. It’s the type of film that isn’t made for the big screen anymore and feels like a bit of a throwback. That being said I’m personally pumped for it. Despite all that, The Amateur as an original film didn’t secure enough votes going up against Disney’s heavy franchise fare. However, a few of our followers that voted had nice things to say about the film.
“The Amateur — Rami Malek in a thriller sounds like a great time,” a follower explaining his choice for voting for the film. Another fan noted, “The Amateur is my sort of thing.” Another fan just simply said, “The Amateur looks really good.”
The Amateur stars Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez, Danny Sapani, and Laurence Fishburne.
The film will be released on April 11.
11. Predator: Badlands
In the future, a Predator traverses on an alien wasteland, while two sisters discover their horrifying past.
Predator: Badlands will be directed by Dan Trachtenberg and will star Elle Fanning. Not much else is known about this new installment into the Predator franchise.
“Predator — this franchise rocks! I also loved Prey and am curious what’s next for this franchise,” said a follower who voted for the film. Another follower who voted for Badlands put it simply, “I loved Prey.” Dan Trachtenberg directed a Predator prequel called Prey which streamed on Hulu. Now Trachtenberg under the Iger regime will have the potential to show off his Predator: Badlands at the box office.
The film will be released on November 7.
10. Snow White
Starring Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) in the title role and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) as her Stepmother, the Evil Queen, the magical music adventure journeys back to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.
“I love Snow White” and “I love Rachel Zegler” were the main reasons given from voters who picked Snow White amongst the various Disney film options. (Clarification: most voters picked multiple films on the list).
Disney’s live-action reimagining of the film that started it all has been a lightning rod for controversy. Despite all the noise surrounding Snow White during our survey, the interest in the film rose especially after the release of the new footage on Christmas Day.
For a long time, Snow White was dead last in the survey but a late surge made it surpass two films from 20th Century Studios. Still, a reimagining of a classic wouldn’t typically be this low but this project has been more controversial than expected plus couple that with audiences souring on Disney’s live-action remake formula. This film is facing an uphill battle.
Snow White is directed by Marc Webb and written by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson. Plus all-new original songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Snow White releases on March 21.
9. Freakier Friday
Freakier Friday, a sequel to the beloved 2003 film with a multigenerational twist starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. In the film, Curtis and Lohan reprise their roles as Tess and Anna Coleman. The story picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis. Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.
The voters put it simply for Freakier Friday, “Nostalgia” and “that one (Freakier Friday) is hopefully just fun.” I also wrote about it after D23, and said Freakier Friday is “the type of film that Walt Disney Studios needs to do more of.” Disney has to remember its fun, throwback style. Freakier Friday has real potential to remind Walt Disney Studios what life was like before they could just rely on the MCU, Star Wars, and Disney live-action reimaginings.
Freakier Friday stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky, Rosalind Chao, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
Freakier Friday releases on August 8.
8. TRON: Ares
TRON: Ares follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
TRON: Ares, Disney’s sequel to TRON: Legacy and another attempt to reinvigorate the sci-fi franchise, couldn’t quite crack the top five of this most anticipated list. Voters acknowledged TRON’s unique space within Disney’s slate.
“TRON: Ares is a wild card, but the universe is fascinating,” said one follower who voted for it, “And plus Sarah Desjardins (Yellowjackets) is in it and Nine Inch Nails are doing the score.”
“TRON has had a rough rep in terms of trying to get its own series off the ground,” another TRON-voting follower noted, “So between Lightcycle//Run and this new film, I’d say its resurgence looks promising.”
“While I do have reservations — I was impressed with what Joachim Rønning did on Young Woman and the Sea,” said another TRON-voting follower, “I hope he can bring the same excitement to TRON.”
TRON: Ares is directed by Joachim Rønning and stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, with Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges.
TRON: Ares releaseson October 10.
7. Elio
The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. So, when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be
Pixar’s newest film this June will be Elio. The film has undergone some reworking. Adrian Molina, the original director of Elio, was moved to a priority project at Pixar. The studio brought in Domee Shi (VP of Creative and Turning Red) and Madeline Sharafian (Burrow) to direct. America Ferrara was originally going to voice Olga, Elio’s mom, and somewhere along the way, it was decided it would be Zoe Saldaña voicing Aunt Olga — a clear casting change and story change. I also watched the first Elio teaser back at D23 Expo 2022 and the new footage of Elio at D23 2024 was a night and day difference. Sure, a lot of elements are still there but you can tell they retooled this film and that the first initial version of the film wasn’t working to the degree they hoped. Despite the bumpy journey to Elio, our followers are excited for a new Pixar original film and voted Elio all the way to 7th place.
“Elio is probably the most important film from Pixar to me and a few other friends of mine who had the same personality as the boy himself at his age (non-social, imaginative/creative, etc),” said one of the followers who voted for Elio, “And that’s why we feel this is gonna be something special for us, and why we have been spreading the word on socials.”
“If Inside Out 2 explored anxiety and other emotional stuff in teenage hood, Elio explores mostly the feeling of loneliness and it’s gonna make me bawl my eyes in the theater in classic Pixar fashion,” said the same follower, “In the end, I am 100% SEATED for Elio on day one.”
Other followers who voted for Elio cited similar reasons such as “Elio is a NEW original (non-IP) movie” and “Pixar with an original story is a great thing.”
Elio stars Yonas Kibreab (Elio), Zoe Saldaña (Aunt Olga), Remy Edgerly (Glordon), Brad Garrett (Lord Grigon), Jameela Jamil (Ambassador Questa), Shirley Henderson (OOOOO).
Elio releases on June 13.
6. Lilo & Stitch
A live-action reimagining of Disney’s 2002 animated classic, Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
Lilo & Stitch, once a film destined for Disney+, surged up the rankings during our survey and is now the 6th most anticipated Walt Disney Studios film of 2025.
The film is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On). It’s been fun to follow this one as it went from a Disney+ Original to a film that is highly anticipated and is receiving a major marketing push from Disney.
“Stitch is a classic and seems well made so far,” noted one follower who voted for Stitch. Another follower also said, “Lilo & Stitch: Modern classic with humor and heart.” A lot of followers voted for this film and it almost surpassed a MCU film to make the top five.
A fun nerdy sidenote is that one of the producers of the film is Dan Lin (Now the Chairman of Netflix Films). It won’t be often that you’ll see a producer who is now at Netflix producing projects for Disney. This project however was in development when Lin was running his production company Rideback.
Lilo & Stitch stars Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis.
Lilo & Stitch releases on May 23.
5. Captain America: Brave New World
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
Captain America: Brave New World is the first film from Walt Disney Studios in 2025 and it also made the top five of our most anticipated list. Voters were quite enthusiastic about Captain America: Brave New World as they feel the film could be a nice change of pace for the ever-expanding MCU. The film is directed by Julius Onah with a screenplay from Rob Edwards and Malcolm Spellman & Dalan Musson and Julius Onah & Peter Glanz.
“Excited to see another Captain America movie, love Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford,” said one follower who voted for Brave New World.
Fellow followers and voters also acknowledged the tone and vibes of Brave New World saying “Marvel political thriller is a good genre” and “Cap bringing back Winter Soldier vibes has me excited.”
Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford.
Captain America: Brave New World releases on February 14.
4. Thunderbolts*
Marvel Studios and a crew of indie veterans who sold out present “Thunderbolts*,” an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.
Thunderbolts* which will see Yelena Belova and Bucky Barnes team up with a cast of MCU misfits and villains is the 4th most anticipated film from Walt Disney Studios in 2025. The film received 4% more votes than Captain America: Brave New World. It seems like followers and fans are intrigued by this Florence Pugh-Sebastian Stan showcase that is being pitched as “The Breakfast Club of the MCU” and has a heavy emphasis on practical effects. The film will also finally address a longstanding MCU plotline of who owns Avengers Tower, and the film is widely expected to set up something for the next Avengers films as Florence Pugh and others are confirmed for it.
Another fun nerdy sidenote, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s son Brian Chapek is an executive producer on Thunderbolts*.
“Thunderbolts* has Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and honestly looks unique compared to recent MCU projects,” noted one of the followers who voted for Thunderbolts*.
Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Thunderbolts* releases on May 2.
3. Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family.
James Cameron is going to try and break the mold once again with Avatar: Fire and Ash. The new film which is expected to be just as long as Avatar: The Way of Water is going to show off new Na’vi tribes and different sides of Pandora.
“I can’t in good conscious doubt James Cameron at this point,” said one follower. Another follower also wrote, “Cameron never disappoints.” The sentiment is clear is that Avatar is a marquee event and that it will consistently deliver.
“Avatar always delivers,” said another Avatar-voting follower, “Avatar is always fantastic.” Avatar: Fire and Ash reached 51% in our survey. That means over half of our followers are looking forward to seeing the film.
Avatar: Fire and Ash stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Oona Chaplin, Jack Champion, Britain Dalton, Trinity Bliss, and Bailey Bass.
Avatar: Fire and Ash opens on December 19.
2. Zootopia 2
Detectives Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.
57% of followers who voted in our survey selected Zootopia 2 as one of their most anticipated Walt Disney Studios films. It’s clear audiences are craving a return to Zootopia, and this November they will be getting it. It will be interesting to see when Disney starts to release more images, trailers, and posters for this film. There should also be more cast announcements as well as the current cast seems quite small for a feature this large. The footage I saw at D23 didn’t give too much, so it was hard to form an opinion on it.
“Been a Zootopia fan for years,” said one of our followers who voted for Zootopia 2, “And Gary the Snake looks so cute!” The follower is clearly excited to see Ke Huy Quan’s Gary the Snake. Maybe that will be the breakout character of the film? Another follower who voted for Zootopia 2 said, “Zootopia 2 may be a sequel but it looks to have original ideas and stories and I miss that original storytelling that has defined this company.”
“Zootopia is a masterpiece,” another follower cited, “I’m excited to see its story keep going.”
The current Zootopia 2 voice cast includes Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Shakira, and Fortune Feimster. Walt Disney Animation CCO Jared Bush and Byron Howard are directing, with a screenplay from Bush.
Zootopia 2 releases on November 26.
1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing as they face their most daunting challenge yet.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the #1 most anticipated film from Walt Disney Studios in 2025 according to our survey results. The MCU debut of Marvel’s First Family received 58% of the vote.
Our followers had good reason to pick the film which will see The Fantastic Four in a retro-futuristic world go up against Galactus and the Silver Surfer. The film is directed by Matt Shakman and the teaser footage from D23 2024 was quite literally fantastic.
One F4-voting follower put it simply, “F4 is a big MCU event.” Another follower had a more cautious take, “F4: excellent cast at a time Marvel needs to bring back eyeballs. Can it get us excited for the next chapter of the MCU?”
Still, at the end of the day, the film is the most anticipated film from Walt Disney Studios in 2025 and it hasn’t even released a proper trailer yet. The hype is real.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps starsPedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/ Human Torch), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/The Thing), Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne, and Sarah Niles.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases on July 25.
Most Anticipated Films for 2025 (Non-Disney)
This question was fascinating as followers had to write-in the films they were most excited for. Superman and Wicked: For Good led the way by a sizable margin. They were followed by Jurassic World: Rebirth and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
The Bad Guys 2 garnered a lot of votes to get to fifth place and just slightly edged out the live-action How To Train Your Dragon. Mickey17 and Sinners, two original films, made the list as well which I found impressive. Finishing at 9th was Ballerina, a John Wick spinoff. Other anticipated 2025 releases that were mentioned by our followers but didn’t gain enough votes were Paddington in Peru, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and Michael.
Thanks for reading and voting. Please let us know if you want more research and survey-informed pieces like this.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
