Preschool programmer Disney Jr. is bulking up its offerings, adding new series including one that’s set in the world of the popular “Cars” franchise, as well as the first-ever “Avengers” series targeted to the under-6 set.
The cabler unveiled those new series, as well as a slate of specials, castings and premiere dates, on Friday during a “Disney Jr. Let’s Play!” fan event at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif.
Among the new series: “Cars: Lightning Racers,” set in the world of the Disney/Pixar film franchise, will feature Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy reprising their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater. Also on tap for Disney Jr. is “Marvel’s Avengers: Mightiest Friends,” dubbed as the first-ever preschool “Avengers” series. And Disney Jr. has renewed “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+” for two new seasons, following its launch on Disney+ last month as both the platform’s biggest Disney Jr. premiere to date and the top-rated streaming show for kids 2 to 5 during its July premiere week.
“Our shows are often a child’s very first connection to the world of Disney, sparking the songs they sing, the characters they adore, and the adventures they want to live again and again,” Ayo Davis, the president of Disney Branded Television, said in a statement. “Today’s announcements build on that leadership, expanding the worlds kids already love and introducing new multiplatform stories that will capture the hearts of the next generation.”
“Cars: Lightning Racers” will debut in 2027 on Disney Jr. before also running on Disney+. The series, produced by Disney Television Animation in association with Pixar, comes from executive producers Travis Braun and Frank Montagna, as well as story editor Dana Starfield and supervising director Nathan Chew.
Besides Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy, the cast includes Tony Shalhoub as Luigi, Cheech Marin as Ramone, Bob Peterson as Chick Hicks and John Ratzenberger as Mack. Leah Lewis (“Elemental”) and Yuri Lowenthal (“Marvel Rivals” video game) join the cast as Pipes and Miles, respectively. Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) has also signed on as a new character, Ms. Blinker.
Here’s the show’s logline: “Building on Disney and Pixar’s beloved ‘Cars’ franchise, ‘Cars: Lightning Racers’ follows Lightning McQueen as he gears up for all-new adventures in Radiator Springs alongside his hilarious best friend Mater and new friends thrill-seeking drag car Pipes and mud-loving monster truck Miles.”
As for “Marvel’s Avengers: Mightiest Friends,” the show will also debut in 2027 on Disney Jr. before also running on Disney+. Disney Jr. and Marvel Studios in association with Atomic Cartoons produce the show, while executive producers include Sean Coyle, Bart Jennett and Harrison Wilcox.
Here’s the logline: “Evolving from the new ‘Marvel’s Iron Man and His Awesome Friends’ series (premiering Aug. 11 on Disney Jr., next day on Disney+), ‘Marvel’s Avengers: Mightiest Friends’ introduces kid versions of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes: Iron Man (Tony Stark), Captain America (Steve Rogers), Hulk (Bruce Banner), Black Panther (T’Challa), Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff) and Thor. Together, the young Avengers strive to be their best selves while facing off against classic Super Baddies.”
Disney Jr. also announced two new 22-minute specials “Marvel’s Spidey and Iron Man: Avengers Team Up!,” the first of which premieres Oct. 16 on Disney Jr. (next day on Disney+), with the second special in fall 2026. From Disney Jr. and Marvel Studios in association with Atomic Cartoons, executive producers Bart Jennett, Chris Moreno and Harrison Wilcox, and co-producer Becca Topol.
As seen in the first-look image above, the first special “sees Iron Man and the Avengers joining Spidey to stop Ultron and Green Goblin from taking control of the city’s devices.” The second special will be Halloween-themed.
Also on the docket are two new stop-motion shorts specials: “Mickey & Minnie’s Holiday Songs: Halloween” (Sept. 29 on Disney Jr. and Oct. 2 on Disney+) and “Mickey & Minnie’s Holiday Songs: Christmas” (December on Disney Jr. first, then Disney+). Stoopid Buddy Stoodios in association with Disney Jr. are behind both.
Meanwhile, Disney Jr. picked up Seasons 2 and 3 of “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+,” with Season 2 in 2027 and Season 3 in 2028 on Disney Jr. then Disney+. Disney Television Animation is behind the show, with exec producer Rob La Duca and co-producer/story editor Kim Duran.
And then Disney Jr. gave a first look for Season 3 of “Superkitties,” which returns Sept. 22 on Disney Jr. and Oct. 1 on Disney+. Per Disney Jr., ““SuperKitties” is an adorable and action-packed series about four fierce and furry superhero kittens — Ginny, Sparks, Buddy and Bitsy — who are on a mission to make their town of Kittydale a more caring and “pawesome” place. Season 3 introduces the new “Su-Purr Wild” story arc in which the SuperKitties travel into the Kittydale Wild Jungle to adventure with their wildcat friend, Willa, and new jungle critters.” Watch below:
As for casting, the new series “Sofia the First: Royal Magic,” set to debut in 2026, has added original “Sofia the First” cast members Wayne Brady (“Let’s Make A Deal”) as Clover, Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”) as Baileywick, Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”) as Minimus, Sara Ramirez (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Queen Miranda and Travis Willingham (“The Legend of Vox Machina”) as King Roland. It was previously announced that Ariel Winter (“Modern Family”) would return as Sofia.
New series “Hey A.J.!,” which premieres in 2026 and is inspired by former Super Bowl champion and children’s book author Martellus Bennett, has named its cast. Amari McCoy (“Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends”) will star as A.J., Bennett plays her father, Marty, and Jhené Aiko voices her mom, Siggi. Also on baord are Juliet Donenfeld (“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures”) as A.J.’s best friend Jessie, Innocent Ekakitie (“Bunk’d”) as Jazz, and David Mitchell (“Phineas and Ferb”) as A.J.’s bunny sidekick Theo. Singer Meghan Trainor will recur as A.J.’ s best friend Jessie’s mom.
Additionally, Disney Jr. announced a round of premiere dates: “Disney Jr. Ariel – The Little Mermaid: The Glow Crystals” will debut Aug. 22 on Disney Jr. and Disney+ (as part of Disney Jr.’s “World Princess Week”). “Firebuds” Season 3 will debut in September on Disney Jr. and October on Disney+. And “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” is back for a Season 3 this fall on Disney Jr. and then Disney+.
