Alongside discussing Disney's handling of both the Scarlett Johansson situation and the "Don't Say Gay" controversy in Florida, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has stated that he believes moviegoers have "moved on" from the pre-pandemic release model that was so focused on theaters.

Chapek sat down with THR and was asked about D23's Disney and Pixar studio showcase that featured a lot of announcements for Disney+. In the past, Disney has obviously launched its biggest franchises with the help of the movie theater, but this age of streaming has put a bigger focus on services like Disney+, and Disney believes it's time to ride that wave into the future.

This doesn't mean Disney is giving up on the theater, but it believes its biggest stories, properties, and mega-franchises can also come from Disney+.

"Absolutely. We fully believe that," Chapek said of launching a franchise on a streamer like Disney+. "We’ve had titles in the past that, frankly, we put out in theatrical exhibition world [like] Encanto. It was a modest success theatrically and then we put it into Disney+ and it shot up to No. 1. I don’t have to tell you the phenomenon it became from a merchandise standpoint and from a music standpoint and how many more people saw it on Disney+."

Chapek continued to talk about how he still believes theatrical distribution is "essential" for some blockbusters, but a franchise can be born at home. For Disney, it's all about the flexibility of being able to release its films in theaters or on Disney+.

"We have flexibility," Chapek said. "This is a word I’ve used now since the beginning of the pandemic, when I first got this job …. There’s a lot of folks in the business, in the industry, that want the world to go back to what it was and it’s not, ‘cause the consumer has moved on. Ultimately everybody who’s in this business caters to one entity, and that’s the consumer. The business moved on.

"That doesn’t mean we’re not going to take great Marvel and Star Wars movies, and Avatar, and put them first in theatrical. We will because it’s a wonderful way to experience those films. But that does not mean that everything, for it to be credible or for it to eventually turn into a Disney franchise, has to go through that."

The conversation then moved to other topics, and one of the items talked about was Chapek's handling of the Scarlett Johansson situation that saw her sue Disney for a breach of contract due to Black Widow moving to a hybrid release on both Disney+ and in theaters. Her salary was based greatly on box office returns, and this move would impact her. She has since settled with Disney.

"There were a lot of people that got a vote in how we handled that. And I was one voice, and I’ll just say that our relationship with her agency and her has never been better," Chapek said.

Lastly, THR asked Chapek about his apology to Disney's staff over "Don't Say Gay," the Florida bill that aimed to prevent teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ topics. Disney was found to have been donating to Florida politicians who backed the bill alongside staying initially quiet on the issue.

"These are complex social issues where we absolutely, positively want to represent the needs and the expectations of our cast members, but we also realize that sometimes in such a divided world, there’s not alignment between what possibly large constituencies of our guest and consumer base are looking for in terms of the kind of content that they want to show their kids at this particular time," Chapek said. "What we try to do is be everything to everybody. That tends to be very difficult because we’re the Walt Disney Company.

"When you’re a lightning rod for clicks and for political podium speeches, the essence of our brand can be misappropriated or misused to try to fit the needs of any one particular group’s agenda. We want to rise above that. We believe Disney is a place where people can come together with shared values of what an optimistic and ideal future can be. We certainly don’t want to get caught up in any political subterfuge, but at the same time we also realize that we want to represent a brighter tomorrow for families of all types, regardless of how they define themselves."

In other Disney news, check out our roundups of the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase and the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian Season 2!

The Mandalorian director Rick Famuyiwa has confirmed that Season 3 will be exploring the "consequences" of Din Djarin's big decision from this past season.

Speaking to IGN, Famuyiwa, who directed such episodes of The Mandalorian as Chapter 15: The Believer, discussed how Season 3 will put a heavy focus on Mando's decision to remove his helmet during his quest to rescue Grogu from the clutches of Moff Gideon and the Empire.

"There are obviously repercussions that come from the decisions we make," Famuyiwa said. "He made a decision for The Child which will continue to reverberate. So part of that is gonna be explored during the season. But a father will do anything for their child. A father in the moment really wanted to do the best for their child, and now they have to live with the consequences."

In 'The Believer,' Djarin made the decision to remove his helmet when he and Migs Mayfield were infiltrating a secret imperial mining hub on Morak. While this was in an effort to keep his cover and save Grogu, taking off his helmet, regardless of the cause, broke one of the biggest rules of being in his particular Mandalorian order.

As shown in the trailer for Season 3 and revealed in The Book of Boba Fett, Djarin will need to travel to Mandalore to seek out the secret, underground pools that can cleanse him of the shame in the eyes of The Armorer and his Mandalorian order. Now, if he will actually go through with the cleansing or will instead forge his own path forward is anyone's guess, but one of the biggest storylines in this upcoming season will be dealing with that choice from Season 2, one way or another.

The Mandalorian's third season won't return to Disney+ until 2023, so until then be sure to check out everything we know about the plot of Season 3 and why some Mandalorians can remove their helmets while others can't.

For everything else D23, check out our roundup of the Disney and Pixar Studio Showcase, the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase, and the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase.

Francesca Rivera is Video Producer at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @fbrivera.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan have taken what is surely one of the most heartwarming pictures from D23 and beyond in the form of a photo that sees "Indiana Jones and Short Round reunited after 38 years."

Quan, who will be appearing in Loki's second season as the owner of some kind of futuristic store, shared the image of him and Ford, who was at D23 for Indiana Jones 5, and it is just simply wonderful. For those unfamiliar, Quan's Short Round was introduced in 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and was one of the most memorable characters in the film.

"'I love you, Indy,'" Quan wrote. "Indiana Jones and Short Round reunited after 38 years."

While it doesn't appear that Quan will be part of Indiana Jones 5, the Everything Everywhere All At Once star did previously say that he would "absolutely" want to do another Indiana Jones film. Unfortunately, he may have to do one without Ford as he once again said this will be the last time he dons the iconic hat and whip.

Indiana Jones 5's first trailer was revealed to those in attendance at the Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century studio showcase, but it has yet to be revealed to the public. The footage showed Indy walking down the streets of a desert city while thinking about his past. We also got a glimpse of Mads MIkkelsen in a Nazi outfit.

As for Loki, the first footage of Season 2 was revealed behind closed doors and showed Loki back in the TVA following the events of the first season. We also get a glimpse of Sylvie, Loki variants, Mobius, and more.

For everything else D23, check out our roundup of the Disney and Pixar Studio Showcase, the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase, and the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase.

Blogroll Image Credit: Instagram/Ke Huy Quan

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a new series headed to Disney+, and D23 Expo 2022 officially revealed the show's first trailer.

The Adam Project's Walker Scobell is starring in the titular role, and this series is based on Disney Hyperion's best-selling book series by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old modern demigod/half-blood who was accused by Zeus of stealing his lightning bolt. Now, Percy must find it if he hopes to restore order to Olympus.

In the trailer, we hear Scobell's Percy Jackson, at what appears to be Camp Half-Blood, discussing what it's like to be a half-blood to any who may think they are one. Instead of words of encouragement, his words speak of a dangerous warning.

"Look, I didn't want to be a Half-Blood," Jackson said. "Being a Half-Blood is dangerous. It's scary. Most of the time it gets you killed. If you think you might be one of us, my advice is... turn away while you still can. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth. Try to live a normal life, because once you know what you are, they'll sense it too, and they'll come for you. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Percy Jackson and the Olympians was first announced in 2020 and it came under fire by some for casting Leah Jefferies as Annabeth Chase. Riordan defended the decision, saying Jefferies was the best actress for the role.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians was given the big screen treatment in 2010 and 2013, and Logan Lerman player Percy.

For everything else D23, check out our roundup of the Disney and Pixar Studio Showcase, the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase, and the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

National Treasure: Edge of History's first trailer reveals that the Disney+ series will premiere on December 14, 2022.

The trailer was revealed during the D23 expo and showed more of the new series that follows the two National Treasure films starring Nicolas Cage. While Cage has yet to confirm an appearance in the Disney+ series, it will see the return of Justin Bartha's Riley Poole and Harvey Keitel's Peter Sadusky.

This new series stars Lisette Olivera's Jess Valenzuela, a young DREAMer who embarks "on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about her family's mysterious past and save a lost Pan-American treasure."

Alongside Olivera, National Treasure: Edge of History also stars Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano, Jordan Rodrigues, Jake Austin Walker, Lyndon Smith, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Jerry Bruckheimer, Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, Jonathan Littman, and KristieAnne Reed executive produce the series alongside Rick Muirragui, who also serves as a writer.

10 episodes of National Treasure: Edge of History were ordered for Disney+ in 2021, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer said that this show has the same concept as the films, but with a young cast.

In addition to the series, National Treasure 3 was reportedly in development in 2020 and still may be. Rumors of a third film had been circling since 2008 and said the Gates family would go search for Atlantis.

For everything else D23, check out our roundup of the Disney and Pixar Studio Showcase, the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase, and the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Mufasa: The Lion King director and Academy Award-winner Barry Jenkins has revealed that his time working on Prime Video's The Underground Railroad with ILM helped him understand that he could be the one to bring this Lion King prequel to (the circle of) life.

Speaking to IGN, Jenkins shared that The Underground Railroad was his first "visual effects heavy" project, and it was an eye-opening one for him.

"It was something I always wanted to do," Jenkins said of working on a project making heavy use of CGI. “I was finishing the Underground Railroad when this project came to me, and so it was great to be working in a very visual effects heavy way for the first time in my career. I'd done visual effects but not in this way at all. It was really great to get an inside look at what that process was like. It helped me understand that I could make this film."

For those unfamiliar, The Underground Railroad was released on Prime Video in 2021 and was a series based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead. It followed "Cora Randall's desperate bid for freedom in the Antebellum South."

ILM worked on the project and contributed to 122 shots over seven episodes, from "a CG recreation of the Chicago Train Hub, a sprawling network of underground tunnels and train tracks, and the fire-stricken plains of Tennessee."

As for the film itself, Jenkins spoke of Mufasa and how he is the embodiment of greatness, although that greatness was something he had to earn.

"Mufasa is greatness, he just is greatness," Jenkins said. "He's James Earl Jones, and he's basically perfect. And I think for kids it's really important to understand that people aren't born perfect, they aren't just kings, their experiences shape them. So you can expect to go on this journey and understand how his friends, his family, his experiences shaped him and made him the person he is.

"I think it's a great thing for kids to see, and for any human being to see, because maybe in the world we feel that, 'I can't be that because I wasn't born in this place,' and watching the original film, I just always assume, 'Oh Mufasa, obviously he's the king.' And in this film we get to experience how he became king."

Mufasa: The Lion King was officially announced at D23 2022 and will serve as a prequel to the 2019 live-action adaptation of The Lion King when it arrives in theaters in 2024. For everything else D23, check out our roundup of the Disney and Pixar Studio Showcase, the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase, and the Disney and Marvel Games Showcase.

Francesca Rivera is Video Producer at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @fbrivera.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Star Wars children's show, Young Jedi Adventures has received a casting update, with stars from Abbot Elementary and Luca joining the upcoming animated series.

Announced at D23 2022, we learned that Abbott Elementary's Jamaal Avery, Jr. will play Kai Brightstar, a Youngling hoping to follow in Yoda's footsteps to become a Jedi Knight. He is joined by Luca's Emma Berman as pilot Nash Durango and the two head out on adventures together.

Set in the Star Wars High Republic era, it features a group of young Jedi going on adventures together under the guidance of Yoda. Aimed at pre-kindergarten children, it's coming in spring 2023 to Disney+ and Disney Junior. We have yet to see any footage or clips from the show.

Earlier today, we got tons more Star Wars news during the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase. You can catch up on everything announced during today's showcase in our full roundup.

Star Wars children's show, Young Jedi Adventures has received a casting update, with stars from Abbot Elementary and Luca joining the upcoming animated series.

Announced at D23 2022, we learned that Abbott Elementary's Jamaal Avery, Jr. will play Kai Brightstar, a Youngling hoping to follow in Yoda's footsteps to become a Jedi Knight. He is joined by Luca's Emma Berman as pilot Nash Durango and the two head out on adventures together.

Set in the Star Wars High Republic era, it features a group of young Jedi going on adventures together under the guidance of Yoda. Aimed at pre-kindergarten children, it's coming in spring 2023 to Disney+ and Disney Junior. We have yet to see any footage or clips from the show.

Earlier today, we got tons more Star Wars news during the Marvel, Star Wars, and 20th Century Studio Showcase. You can catch up on everything announced during today's showcase in our full roundup.

Ubisoft has officially revealed Assassin’s Creed Infinity, a new platform and hub for Assassin’s Creed games. It has also revealed the first two games that will be part of Infinity: one that will follow the life of a Shinobi in feudal Japan, and another helmed by Watch Dogs: Legion director Clint Hocking.

Revealed today as part of Ubisoft Forward's Assassin's Creed Showcase, vice president executive producer of Assassin's Creed, Marc-Alexis Côté, explained that “Infinity is not a game, per-se. It’s going to be the single entry point for our fans into the Assassin’s Creed franchise into the future. Infinity is going to be a hub that will unite all our different experiences and our players together in meaningful ways.”

That hub will be a place where different games will exist, and that appears to start with Assassin’s Creed Codename Red. Described by Côté as being the “next premium flagship title and the future of our open-world RPG games”, Codename Red is set in feudal Japan, a historical period frequently requested by fans. A very brief trailer showed off a Shinobi jumping onto a pitched roof and then unsheathing their hidden blade, but that’s all that has been shown so far.

Codename Red is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec, under the leadership of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Immortals Fenyx Rising creative director Jonathan Dumont.

Côté also revealed a second game that is in development for the Infinity platform: Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe. It is in development at Ubisoft Montreal and directed by Clint Hocking, the director of Far Cry 2, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and Watch Dogs: Legion. It was described by Côté as “a new flagship title” and “a very different type of Assassin’s Creed game”.

A trailer for Codename Hexe was shown, but it revealed nothing about the setting or main character. It did, however, hint towards an unusual direction for the series: the Assassin’s triangular logo, made of twigs and twine, was shown hanging from a tree branch, much like a witchcraft talisman. The game’s main logo features that talisman positioned over a rune-filled design in the shape of a heptagram seven-pointed star. Based on the eerie music used in the trailer, that imagery, and the Hexe name (which is the German word for 'witch'), could Assassin’s Creed be exploring the topic of witch hunts? The Bamberg witch trials, which took place duirng the 1600s against the backdrop of the Thirty Years' War, seems a reasonable guess as to Hexe's setting, but there's no official details from Ubisoft.

Codename Red and Hexe were the only two games formally announced for the new platform, but Côté also revealed that Infinity will see the return of multiplayer to Assassin’s Creed. “We’re actually investigating how we will bring back standalone, multiplayer experiences into the Assassin’s Creed universe, all connected to the Infinity Hub,” he said.

No further details were revealed, so it’s currently unclear if Ubisoft is planning the return of the cat-and-mouse style multiplayer modes from the Ezio years of Assassin’s Creed, something akin to Unity’s co-op missions, or even both. However, the use of the term “standalone” suggests that, similar to Call of Duty’s Warzone, this will exist separate to the flagship games that will also live in Infinity. They're not expected until sometime beyond 2023.

For more from Ubisoft Forward, check out the new details about the next game in the series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and the announcement of an open-world Assassin’s Creed game for mobile. You can catch up on everything announced at today's Ubisoft Forward event with our full roundup.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

Ubisoft has officially revealed Assassin’s Creed Infinity, a new platform and hub for Assassin’s Creed games. It has also revealed the first two games that will be part of Infinity: one that will follow the life of a Shinobi in feudal Japan, and another helmed by Watch Dogs: Legion director Clint Hocking.

Revealed today as part of Ubisoft Forward's Assassin's Creed Showcase, vice president executive producer of Assassin's Creed, Marc-Alexis Côté, explained that “Infinity is not a game, per-se. It’s going to be the single entry point for our fans into the Assassin’s Creed franchise into the future. Infinity is going to be a hub that will unite all our different experiences and our players together in meaningful ways.”

That hub will be a place where different games will exist, and that appears to start with Assassin’s Creed Codename Red. Described by Côté as being the “next premium flagship title and the future of our open-world RPG games”, Codename Red is set in feudal Japan, a historical period frequently requested by fans. A very brief trailer showed off a Shinobi jumping onto a pitched roof and then unsheathing their hidden blade, but that’s all that has been shown so far.

Codename Red is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec, under the leadership of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Immortals Fenyx Rising creative director Jonathan Dumont.

Côté also revealed a second game that is in development for the Infinity platform: Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe. It is in development at Ubisoft Montreal and directed by Clint Hocking, the director of Far Cry 2, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and Watch Dogs: Legion. It was described by Côté as “a new flagship title” and “a very different type of Assassin’s Creed game”.

A trailer for Codename Hexe was shown, but it revealed nothing about the setting or main character. It did, however, hint towards an unusual direction for the series: the Assassin’s triangular logo, made of twigs and twine, was shown hanging from a tree branch, much like a witchcraft talisman. The game’s main logo features that talisman positioned over a rune-filled design in the shape of a heptagram seven-pointed star. Based on the eerie music used in the trailer, that imagery, and the Hexe name (which is the German word for 'witch'), could Assassin’s Creed be exploring the topic of witch hunts? The Bamberg witch trials, which took place duirng the 1600s against the backdrop of the Thirty Years' War, seems a reasonable guess as to Hexe's setting, but there's no official details from Ubisoft.

Codename Red and Hexe were the only two games formally announced for the new platform, but Côté also revealed that Infinity will see the return of multiplayer to Assassin’s Creed. “We’re actually investigating how we will bring back standalone, multiplayer experiences into the Assassin’s Creed universe, all connected to the Infinity Hub,” he said.

No further details were revealed, so it’s currently unclear if Ubisoft is planning the return of the cat-and-mouse style multiplayer modes from the Ezio years of Assassin’s Creed, something akin to Unity’s co-op missions, or even both. However, the use of the term “standalone” suggests that, similar to Call of Duty’s Warzone, this will exist separate to the flagship games that will also live in Infinity. They're not expected until sometime beyond 2023.

For more from Ubisoft Forward, check out the new details about the next game in the series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and the announcement of an open-world Assassin’s Creed game for mobile. You can catch up on everything announced at today's Ubisoft Forward event with our full roundup.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.