D23 Expo: What, and who, we might see on stage this year

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The D23 Expo is Disney’s biggest event of the year, where fans get an exciting first look at all that’s coming. With the latest presentation announcements surrounding Disney’s movie slate, the guessing game begins.

Every two years D23, Disney’s official fan club, hosts an expo in Anaheim, California. As this year’s event rolls closer, the company is slowly but surely announcing what panels fans can look forward to.

This summer, the event will kick off with a preview of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation’s upcoming films on Friday, July 14. The following day, Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm will take the stage to discuss some of their upcoming films.

Disney never gives too many specifics on these panels, but with their confirmed slate thus far, we have some guesses.

Special Guests

The D23 Expo movie preview panels have become known for bringing in incredible surprise guests. In 2015 Ellen DeGeneres and Dwayne Johnson stopped by. Johnny Depp even showed up in full Captain Jack Sparrow character.

This year John Lasseter, king of Pixar himself (also known as chief creative officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios), will host the company’s animation panel. Audience members will get a peek at new footage from Pixar’s upcoming feature Coco and Disney Animation’s Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. D23 has promised “appearances by star voice talent” – realistically, that could mean John C. Reilly and Jane Lynch.

But, per IMDb, James Corden is slated as a voice in the film. So, fingers are crossed for a D23 Carpool Karaoke. (The announcement also promised musical performances.)

When it comes to Marvel, Lucasfilm and Disney’s live action films, the guest list could be extensive. A solid case could be made for the cast of Mary Poppins Returns, especially given Lin-Manuel Miranda’s success with Moana. And, with Captain Marvel on the way, a surprise appearance from Brie Larson could also be feasible.

New Footage

With an entire panel devoted to previewing Disney’s upcoming holiday short Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, it might be a bit early to hope for anything from Frozen 2. The company has promised scenes from Coco and Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.

For those especially optimistic, the hope for footage from Toy Story 4 is growing. The movie is slated for 2019, so if it doesn’t come to this D23 expo, it’s a near definite for the next one.

On the live-action side of things, the possibilities open up even further. Given the latest turn of events in Han Solo’s standalone film, it’s more likely that Lucasfilm will focus on hyping The Last Jedi.

Given the incredibly strong reaction from fans after Marvel’s debut of Black Panther‘s trailer, odds are pretty good that the studio might release new footage.

Related Story: Disney's Movie Slate Through 2019

These are simply educated guesses. The true reveals are likely going to be even better.