The new face of Disney movies in 2026 has been revealed. The Walt Disney Company is home to many brands, including Marvel Studios, Star Wars, and Pixar, but it also continues to push out new films from its in-house Disney catalog. Now, a new star has been chosen as the brand's frontperson.
The studio recently released a new banner featuring the faces of Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Disney Animation Studios, and Disney, confirming Catherine Laga'aia as the MVP of Disney movies in 2026. Lagai'aia is taking on the role of Moana in the 2026 live-action film adaptation, starring as the brave seafaring warrior who rose to fame in the 2016 animated movie.
Moana has been spotlighted as one of Disney's most important releases in 2026, and is the studio's major summer blockbuster releasing on July 11. Both animated Moana films did big box-office business for Disney, and after Lilo & Stitch's success in 2025, hopes are high that the studio's next animated to live-action adaptation will reach similar heights.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Laga'aia is now featured prominently as the face of Disney movies this year.
Moana also stars Dwayne Johnson as Maui (a role he originally voiced in the animated movie), John Tui as Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. The movie musical is directed by Thomas Kail.
While Moana is the face of Walt Disney Pictures movies in 2026, her face will likely be swapped out after this year as the studio moves forward on several other projects.
Upcoming Walt Disney Pictures Movie Stars
Lilo (Lilo & Stitch 2)
The live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch was an astounding box-office hit in 2025 and quickly led to the greenlight of a sequel. Newcomer Maia Kealoha brought Lilo to life in live-action and will no doubt be the face of Disney movies once more when Lilo & Stitch 2 comes closer to release.
As of right now, the sequel is scheduled for release on May 26, 2028. The story is likely to follow that of Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, which follows the duo as they try to repair a defect in Stitch that could cause him to revert to his original monstrous programming.
Rapunzel (Tangled)
Another Disney animated film set to receive the live-action treatment is Tangled, Disney's retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale. The movie recently found its director, Michael Gracey, and two leads in Teagan Croft as Rapunzel and Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider.
Fans can expect a faithful live-action retelling of Tangled, in which Rapunzel escapes her tower and teams up with a runaway thief to discover the world outside. Tangled is a beloved treasure in Disney's catalog, so there's no doubt that Rapunzel will soon become the face of Disney films as the movie approaches its release date.
Mia Thermopolis (The Princess Diaries 3)
While not officially in production yet, things are still moving on the much-anticipated The Princess Diaries 3, which features Anne Hathaway returning as her beloved princess (now Queen), Mia Thermopolis.
After releasing two much-loved films in the 2000s, Disney announced that a threequel to The Princess Diaries was in development, with Hathaway returning and Adele Lim directing. There hasn't been much news since then, but given the longtime love for The Princess Diaries, Hathaway will no doubt be the face of Disney films again soon enough.
Prince Charming (Prince Charming)
A couple of years ago, reports emerged that Wonka director Paul King was looking to helm a Prince Charming movie focusing on Cinderella's classic Prince.
Not much more has been said about the Prince Charming film since, but presuming it moves forward, it's easy to see how the iconic Disney Prince could become the face of Disney's movie brand.
