1. Marvel’s Doctor Strange #DoctorStrange

Kevin Feige led off with a glimpse into the world of Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE. The pre-production piece that offered us a taste of the look and feel of the upcoming  film was amazing and we were even shown a video greeting by Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch stars as the title character.  Doctor Strange will be opening in U.S. theaters on October 26, 2016.

2. Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War #Captain America  #CivilWar

Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR marched into D23 EXPO with an introduction by its producer, Kevin Feige.

My favorite part of the announcement was when Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie showed up on stage!  The crowd went wild and stood to their feet to welcome them. They were there to introduce and show us never-seen-before footage from the movie. Before the footage rolled, Feige revealed that there was a special “Easter egg” for fans to find: it was aptly a nod to D23 EXPO.

Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain. Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR opens in the U.S. on May 6, 2016.

3. The Finest Hours #TheFinestHours

Sean Bailey took the stage to introduce the first film in the Disney live-action lineup, THE FINEST HOURS, which is based on the remarkable true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the Coast Guard.

The crowd again cheered when another handsome Chris – Chris Pine took the stage. Pine plays Bernie Webber, the captain of the rescue boat. He joined Bailey on stage to give us a peak at the heroic action-thriller.  It looks so inspiring.

The film is based on the book by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman and the screenplay is by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson. THE FINEST HOURS storms into U.S. theaters on January 29, 2016.

4. The Jungle Book #TheJungleBook

After an introduction by Sean Bailey, Jon Favreau, director of Disney’s upcoming THE JUNGLE BOOK, welcomed to the stage newcomer Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of candidates to play man-cub Mowgli; plus Oscar® winners Ben Kingsley, who helps bring panther-turned-mentor Bagheera to life, and Lupita Nyong’o, who lends her voice to the protective mother wolf Raksha. Sethi was beyond adorable and the whole cast was incredibly gracious.

Favreau gave us a sneak peek of footage from the film we each received a copy of the dramatic teaser poster following the presentation. This was one of my favorite animations when I was a child so I’m thrilled that it’s going to be a live action film! THE JUNGLE BOOK hits theaters in stunning 3D and IMAX 3D on April 15, 2016.

5. Alice Through The Looking Glass #DisneyAlice

Bailey welcomed Alice herself, Mia Wasikowska to the stage.  She gave us a preview of the all-new spectacular adventure, ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories. Director James Bobin brings his own unique vision to the spectacular world Tim Burton created on screen in 2010 with “Alice in Wonderland,” in which Alice (Wasikowska) returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter. The film, which once again features Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall, introduces several new characters as well: Zanik Hightopp (Rhys Ifans), the Mad Hatter’s father, and Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen), a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock. Presented in Digital 3D™, Real D 3D and IMAX® 3D, Disney’s ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS opens in U.S. theaters on May 27, 2016.

6. Pete’s Dragon #PetesDragon

I had the book Pete’s Dragon and used to read it all the time. This is another one I’m really looking forward to.

Bryce Dallas Howard joined Bailey on stage to talk about her starring role in PETE’S DRAGON, a reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film. The heartwarming adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon, PETE’S DRAGONis directed by David Lowery, produced by Jim Whitaker, and executive-produced by Barrie Osborne, and also stars Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Robert Redford. PETE’S DRAGON opens in U.S. theaters on August 12, 2016.

7. Queen of Katwe #QueenOfKatwe

Lupita Nyong’o was the queen of the panel, it seemed like she was in at least half the Disney films being introduced. She help introduce the crowd to the upcoming film QUEEN OF KATWE, which is based on the inspirational true story of a girl from the poverty-stricken slums of rural Uganda who dreams of becoming a champion chess player. Directed by Mira Nair from a screenplay by William Wheeler based on the book by Tim Crothers, QUEEN OF KATWE stars Nyong’o, David Oyelowo and newcomer Medina Nalwanga.

8. Beauty and the Beast #BeautyAndTheBeast

Bailey next presented BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, including a musical greeting from stars Emma Watson, Josh Gad and Luke Evans—sent from the London set where they are currently filming.  I am beyond excited for this one. I think of all the Disney princesses Belle is the one I can relate to most.

The live-action musical, a retelling of the studio’s animated classic, stars Watson, Dan Stevens, Evans, Gad, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald and newcomer Nathan Mack. The film is directed by Bill Condon. Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards® (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the animated classic, provides the score, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken andTim Rice, as well as several new songs. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.

9. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales #PiratesOfTheCaribbean

This had to be my favorite part of the whole presentation! Johnny Depp came out in full Jack Sparrow attire and held true to character the whole time. He even threw grapes at us!

Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea…including him. Captain Jack’s only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES releases in U.S. theaters on July 7, 2017.

10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens #StarWars  #TheForceAwakens

The intro for this movie received the loudest cheers. Alan Horn took the stage again to present the Lucasfilm slate and timeline to the D23 EXPO fans.  Horn told the audience that there were only 124 days to the release of Episode VII, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, on December 18, 2015 and added that there have been record-breaking trailer views and fantastic fan response.

He brought out the cast and then brought out Harrison Ford!  I think he received more cheers than Johnny Depp!

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS ended the live-action presentation with a bang as J.J. Abrams introduced stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and Lupita Nyong’o. The crowd cheered when John Boyega announced that everyone there would get a Drew Struzan D23 EXPO commemorative poster to take home. Then, in a bringing-down-the house surprise moment, Harrison Ford, who is reprising his role as Han Solo, joined Abrams on stage to wild applause. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS releases in U.S. theaters on December 18, 2015.

Here’s a recap of the event. Which one are you most excited to see?