TL;DR
WIRED compiled a list of the 70 best films available on Disney+ as of January 2026, spanning recent releases, franchise staples, and documentaries. Highlights include Tron: Ares, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour—The Final Show, and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
What happened
WIRED published a curated list of the 70 best movies available on Disney+ to help viewers navigate the service’s large and growing catalog. The selection mixes contemporary releases, franchise entries, and documentaries: new and returning titles include Tron: Ares, which centers on an advanced AI called Ares and a plot to steal Kevin Flynn’s “Permanence Code,” and Thunderbolts, a Marvel ensemble that retools and rebrands its team. The Taylor Swift concert film — a nearly three-and-a-half-hour record of her final Eras Tour performance in Vancouver — is included alongside restored catalog titles such as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, which returned to the platform after prior licensing gaps. WIRED’s roundup also points readers toward lesser-seen picks and Nat Geo documentaries like Jaws @ 50 and profiles such as Love+War about photojournalist Lynsey Addario.
Why it matters
- The list helps viewers cut through a large, franchise-heavy Disney+ catalog and find notable films across genres.
- It highlights both new theatrical-to-streaming arrivals and legacy titles that have returned after licensing changes.
- Including documentaries and indie fare alongside blockbusters underscores Disney+’s wider content range beyond Marvel and Star Wars.
- Critically polarizing titles are noted, giving readers context on which releases drew praise or criticism.
Key facts
- WIRED’s story was published January 8, 2026, as a guide to the 70 best movies on Disney+.
- Tron: Ares features Jared Leto as Ares, Evan Peters as a tech-CEO antagonist, and references Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) and a ‘Permanence Code.’
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour—The Final Show documents Swift’s last tour date in Vancouver on December 8, 2024; the tour ran 149 shows across 51 cities on five continents and reportedly reached an estimated 10 million attendees in person.
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is back on Disney+ after the original four films briefly left the platform when their license lapsed.
- Madame Web is called out as one of the weaker MCU entries in the piece, noted to hold a 10 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and to have drawn public disappointment from lead Dakota Johnson.
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps is described as a 1960s-set MCU entry starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn, and introduces the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner); a sequel is reported to be in development.
- Thunderbolts is summarized as an MCU team-up where characters including Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova band together after being manipulated; the title’s asterisk was described as a placeholder before the team is renamed the “New Avengers.”
- Love+War profiles Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario, noting her two prior kidnappings and the personal-professional trade-offs of conflict reporting.
- Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story is a Nat Geo documentary marking the film’s 50th anniversary and features interviews with director Steven Spielberg.
- Music by John Williams is an original documentary collecting reflections from collaborators; the piece notes Williams’s long career and 54 Oscar nominations.
What to watch next
- Tron: Ares — for viewers interested in big‑budget sci‑fi that engages (albeit briefly) with themes about AI and reality.
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour—The Final Show — a nearly three‑and‑a‑half‑hour concert film capturing Swift’s final Eras Tour performance.
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark — the classic that starts the franchise, now available on Disney+ again after a licensing hiatus.
- Love+War and Jaws @ 50 — Nat Geo documentaries recommended for viewers seeking documentary storytelling and behind‑the‑scenes history.
Quick glossary
- Streaming wars: The competitive landscape among subscription video services vying for viewers, content, and market share.
- Licensing: Agreements that determine which streamer has the rights to distribute a film or TV show for a given period.
- Doc (documentary): A nonfiction film or program that documents real events, people, or issues, often using interviews and archival material.
- MCU: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, a shared film and television franchise featuring interconnected superhero stories.
- Rotten Tomatoes: A review‑aggregation website that assigns percentage scores based on the ratio of positive to negative critic reviews.
Reader FAQ
How many movies are on WIRED’s Disney+ list?
WIRED selected 70 films for this guide.
Is Raiders of the Lost Ark available on Disney+ again?
Yes — the piece notes the original Indiana Jones films returned to the service after a licensing gap.
Does the Taylor Swift film cover the whole Eras Tour?
The piece describes a nearly three‑and‑a‑half‑hour film of Swift’s final Eras Tour performance in Vancouver; it does not claim to cover the entire tour beyond that final show.
Does Disney+ host every Marvel movie?
not confirmed in the source
Does WIRED earn money from the guide?
The article notes that purchases made through links may earn the outlet a commission.
JENNIFER M. WOOD WIRED STAFF CULTURE JAN 8, 2026 3:00 PM The 70 Best Movies on Disney+ Right Now Tron: Ares, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark,…
Sources
- The 70 Best Movies on Disney+, WIRED’s Picks (January 2026)
- 38 great films on Disney Plus that are actually for adults
- 100 Best Movies on Disney+ (January 2025)
- What to watch: new movies and TV shows to stream this …
Related posts
- Why a Chinese Robot Vacuum Firm Launched Two Spin-Off Electric-Car Brands
- Texas court briefly bars Samsung from TV tracking, then vacates TRO
- Samsung signals possible Galaxy S26 price hike as component costs climb