Disney has been creating content for over a century, so it's no wonder that its streaming service, Disney Plus, features an enormous library filled with shows and movies.
The dozens of Disney Plus shows come from the company's many brands, most notably Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and ABC. Choosing a title to stream is the tricky part. We're here to save you a some scrolling time by compiling our picks for the best Disney Plus shows to watch this month.
They range from dramas to comedies to documentaries, from newly released originals like Andor and She-Hulk to classic series like Alias and The Simpsons. You can settle in for a binge that speaks to your current vibe, whether it's superhero action or easy laughs or a spooky thrill. The best Disney Plus shows have something for everyone (just like the best Disney Plus movies)
Secret Invasion
Nick Fury finally gets the spotlight in his very own show, and it’s about damn time. Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is a bit worse for wear when he returns to Earth from space, but he has no time to relax. He’s been called back to deal with the rise of a Skrulls resistance movement. As you may recall from Captain Marvel, the Skrulls are a shape-shifting alien species who can impersonate humans.
Fury teams up with old friend, the deposed Skrulls leader Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), to stop the rebels Skrulls led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) from taking over Earth. Talos has an emotional stake in this fight, as his daughter G’iah (Emilia Clarke) is part of the opposite faction.
The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian became the flagship Disney Plus show thanks to its grittier, Western-style take on the Star Wars universe — and the introduction of the adorable Grogu, a.k.a. Baby Yoda.
In season 3, the bounty hunter and his adoptee have reunited after Grogu went off to train with Luke Skywalker. The little tyke ended up choosing his foster father over becoming a Jedi. Now, they're zipping through the galaxy as Din Djarin pursues a new quest: He’s been declared an apostate for removing his helmet. Seeking redemption, he sets a course for the planet Mandalore, but a number of obstacles lay in their way. We can't wait for The Mandalorian season 4 to see ven more of Din Djarin and Grogu's adventures.
Andor
Rogue One proved that the Star Wars universe had room for different genres, styles and tones. A grim, gritty war movie was about as far, far away as you could get from the pod racing of Phantom Menace. It also seemed to be a complete story, since (spoiler alert) all of the principal characters die at the end.
Yet, where there’s a Disney will, there is a way. The company seemingly could not ignore a pitch by Tony Gilroy, who directed the reshoots on Rogue One. He’s the mastermind behind Andor, a prequel focusing on the very early days of the Rebel Alliance that would eventually overthrow the Empire. Diego Luna reprises his role as Cassian Andor, a disaffected thief recruited to be a Rebel spy. As my colleague Henry T. Casey notes in his Andor review, this isn’t just a great Star Wars show — it’s a great show, period. We're inching closer to the end of series right now, as our Andor episode 9 preview notes. - Kelly Woo
She-Hulk
Marvel’s first comedy series centers on Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who is turned into a Hulk after her blood mingles with that of her cousin, Bruce Banner. The show is sort of like if Ally McBeal became a superhero and broke the fourth wall with witty asides, a la Fleabag. Tatiana Maslany applies the same transformation skills that earned her an Emmy for Orphan Black here, as she toggles between legal ace Jennifer and the taller, stronger, greener She-Hulk.
Getting used to her new powers is just the start, as Jennifer must also grapple with her changed status. She’s not just a low-level attorney anymore; she’s a fairly famous “enhanced individual.” Navigating dating apps just became so much more complicated. And now her work expands to dealing with other MCU figures, like Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) and the Abomination (Tim Roth). - KW
Werewolf by Night
The Marvel Cinematic Universe can get experimental! This 53-minute special/short film from director Michael Giacchino (best known as the composer for Lost and Up) pays homage to classic horror presentations with a gothic tale and black-and-white visuals. The monster mash stars Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell, a monster hunter afflicted with a curse that turns him into a werewolf. After the death of the renowned Ulysses Bloodstone, Jack is summoned to his castle. There, the world’s top hunters — including Ulysses’ daughter Elsa (Laura Donnelly) are set up to compete for a powerful relic by tracking a monster in the gardens. A violent, bloody night ensues. - KW
The Beatles: Get Back
Honestly, I didn’t think there was much else to say about The Beatles. It seemed like we’d heard and seen it all. Peter Jackson proved me wrong with his three-part, nearly eight-hour documentary miniseries that gives a new perspective to the 1969 making of Let It Be. It reframes the story of the Beatles’ break-up and puts a different spin on the footage shot by Michael Lindsay-Hogg for his doc. While John, Paul, George and Ringo occasionally clash, it doesn’t feel cataclysmic — it’s just what happens among longtime friends and colleagues. The absolute best part of the doc is the insight into the band’s creative process. I’m still blown away by the bit where Paul was noodling around on his guitar with a couple chords, which transformed into the core of the song “Get Back.” - KW
The Owl House
The Owl House is a macabre spin on the "aspiring witch goes to magic school" trope that's bursting with heart. While this horror-comedy is technically aimed at younger audiences, viewers of all ages will enjoy the magical misadventures and compelling cast of misfits as they embrace their found family. And for a kid's show (especially a Disney one no less) The Owl House gets dark.
It follows 14-year-old Luz Noceda (voiced by Sarah-Nicole Robles) who stumbles upon a portal to the demon realm, where monsters and witches live on an archipelago created by the decaying remains of a titan’s corpse. (See? I told you it was dark!) Showrunner Dana Terrace, a Gravity Falls and DuckTales alum, cites the horrifying and surreal works of Hieronymus Bosch as a key inspiration for The Owl House's art style. That influence comes through crystal clear. Horror fans definitely shouldn't sleep on this one. - Alyse Stanley
Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
The Marvel Cinematic Universe takes a stylish and whimsical turn with Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Each episode is a feast for the eyes and ears. Its gorgeous art looks ripped straight from a comic book a la Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, and it sports one of the best musical scores of any Disney Plus show. The initial trailer already sold me, but the fight scene in Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (of which there are many) set to Childish Gambino's "Sweatpants" elevated it to must-watch status.
The show centers on the titular Moon Girl as she fights crime with her pet dinosaur from another dimension. Its superhero antics are clearly aimed at younger audiences, but the series knows better than to talk down to its viewers. Which makes its navigation of topics like gentrification and trolling land without feeling like an after-school special. - AS
X-Men (1992)
If you're anything like me, the theme song from the 1992 X-Men series has been stuck in your head for almost three decades. But catchy music isn't the only thing this groundbreaking Saturday morning series had going for it. There's the unforgettable cast, from the stoic Cyclops, to the wise Storm, to the hotheaded Wolverine.
There's the strong sense of continuity, which saw season-long battles against some of the X-Men's deadliest villains, such as Dark Phoenix and Apocalypse. There's also the fact that the showrunners adapted many X-Men comics with as few alterations as possible. X-Men asked tough questions about prejudice, civil rights and even religion, which is pretty cool in a show that's perfectly suitable for seven-year-olds. - Marshall Honorof
Alias
While Felicity is the first show J.J. Abrams (co)created, Alias is the one that really ignited his career. And then, of course, he went on to make Lost, two Star Wars movies and two Star Trek movies. With Alias, Abrams essentially took the college student protagonist of Felicity and turned her into a secret agent. But the show became a hit thanks to a star-making performance by Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow.
Sydney is a CIA agent who poses as an operative for SD-6, a criminal espionage organization. During her missions, she assumes various aliases, disguises and accents. In a way, though, her entire life is one big alias, as she has to hide her true career from her friends and family. - KW
Ms. Marvel
High-school and Avengers superfan Kamala Khan was the first Muslim-American Marvel hero with her own comic book, and this year she became the first with their own Disney Plus show. And, thankfully, the Ms. Marvel series deviates away from the MCU's tendencies to add all the tie-ins possible. With barely any cameos throughout its six episodes, Ms. Marvel had time to tell (its own version of) Kamala Khan's unique story, both as a teen in the world of superheroes and as a Muslim girl in New Jersey. And throughout, newcomer Iman Vellani has shined, as the most likable member of this new class of possible Avengers. - HTC
Love, Victor
The acclaimed, groundbreaking 2018 film Love, Simon inspires this spinoff/sequel, which starts off by following Victor (Michael Cimino) as a new student at Creekwood High School. In the first season, as he adjusts to his new town and community, Victor is also undertaking his own journey of self-discovery as he struggles with his sexual orientation. For help and support, he reaches out to Simon (Nick Robinson, returning as narrator). - KW
Obi-Wan Kenobi
There are definitely some issues with Obi-Wan. The writing feels a bit forced at times, and without getting into spoilers, there is a character that should be an emotional linchpin of the entire series that many viewers struggled to connect with. All that being said, this series is the perfect swansong for Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, and firmly makes the character his rather than the late, great Alec Guinness’s. Plus, you do get some awesome lightsaber duels, so there really is something for everyone. Hopefully, Disney does not force Obi-Wan to be more than a limited series, because it truly was the ending the character needed. - Malcolm McMillan
Loki
Trick or treat? We won’t need to choose in the latest Marvel series, since the titular trickster is such a charming treat. Loki, the god of mischief, was last seen absconding with the Tesseract in Avengers: Endgame. That was a past version of Loki, though, since the present-day one died at the hands of Thanos. Past Loki’s antics get him in trouble with the time cops at the Time Variance Authority. Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) enlists Loki’s help to right his time-bending wrongs and save their reality from an even greater threat. Loki is one of the most entertaining characters in the MCU, constantly stealing scenes with his wit and verve. And he's at his most dazzling in this timeline-hopping adventure. - KW
The Simpsons
You don't win friends with salad, but you do with a classic Simpsons marathon. The quintessential American sitcom is back - in streaming form! If you find The Simpsons intriguing and wish to subscribe to their newsletter, you'll be able to stream all 30 seasons on Disney's new service, thanks to the recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox. (Just remember: The Simpsons are an original creation, like Rickey Rouse or Monald Muck.)
This show follows the misadventures of the upper-lower-middle-class Simpson family as they get into all sorts of trouble in the geographically ambiguous town of Springfield. In theory, you could watch past Season 10 - but in theory, communism works. - MH
Hawkeye
Marvel’s Disney Plus series have really run the gamut so far, from a sitcom-inspired dissection of grief to a time-traveling adventure/romance. Hawkeye is the first to center on an original Avenger and looks to be their first holiday buddy cop comedy — which should be right up your alley if you consider Die Hard a Christmas movie (as you should).
Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton is in New York City with his family to see the truly unbelievable Captain America musical. There, he runs into his biggest fan, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), who has learned archery and martial arts to be like him. When some gangsters try to target Barton for his Blip-era Ronin vigilantism, he and Bishop wind up working together. Arrows are fired, banter is exchanged. You get two Hawkeyes in one polished MCU package. - KW
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The Star Wars prequels had their ups and downs, but I think it's fair to say that they had a big "tell, don't show" problem. If Anakin and Obi-Wan loved each other like brothers, where were all of the friendship-forging adventures they shared? The answer is in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated series that kicked off with a standalone movie of the same name.
The show starts off as a series of vignettes about various Jedi during titular conflict between Episodes II and III, but it grows into an intriguing character study with strong continuity from one episode to the next. Anakin in particular gets the character growth he sorely needed in the movies as he mentors fan-favorite Padawan Ahsoka Tano. - MH
