Honestly, the "streaming wars" feel a bit like a fever dream lately. One day a movie is there, the next it’s gone, and then suddenly it pops up on three different apps at once. If you’ve logged into Disney Plus this week, you probably noticed the home screen looks a little… crowded. Between the massive Hulu integration and the January 2026 slate dropping, it's getting harder to find the good stuff without scrolling for twenty minutes until your popcorn gets cold.
We're currently sitting in that weird mid-January lull where everyone is tired of the holiday classics but not quite ready for the big summer blockbusters. But Disney isn't playing around this year. 2026 is shaping up to be a pivot point for them.
The Heavy Hitters: New Movies to Stream on Disney Plus This Month
The big one—the movie everyone is texting about—is Tron: Ares. It finally hit the service on January 7, and it’s a trip. If you’re a fan of the original 1982 cult classic or the 2010 Legacy sequel, this one feels different. It’s less about being trapped inside a computer and more about what happens when the computer comes to us. Jared Leto plays Ares, a program that crosses over into our world. It’s visually stunning, obviously, but the story actually has some meat on its bones regarding AI, which feels pretty timely for 2026.
Then you’ve got Venom: Let There Be Carnage arriving on January 22. This is one of those licensing deals that finally bore fruit. It’s weird seeing Tom Hardy’s chaotic energy right next to Mickey Mouse Funhouse, but here we are. It’s a fast, loud, 90-minute blast. If you missed it during its stint on other platforms, it’s basically a romantic comedy between a man and his alien parasite.
Why the Indiana Jones Drop Matters
On New Year's Day, Disney did something they should have done ages ago: they dropped the entire Indiana Jones collection.
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- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Temple of Doom
- The Last Crusade
- Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
They even have Dial of Destiny on there. Having the whole pentology in one place is great for a rainy Sunday marathon. It’s easy to forget how much better these look in 4K HDR compared to the old DVDs gathering dust in your garage.
The National Geographic Gems You’re Probably Overlooking
Most people skip the Nat Geo tab. Don't do that this month. The Tale of Silyan (released January 9) is genuinely one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a while. It’s from the director of Honeyland, and it follows a farmer in Macedonia who ends up caring for an injured stork. It’s not "educational" in that boring, classroom way; it’s a quiet, emotional story about connection and how the world is changing.
Also, Disneyland Handcrafted just landed on January 22. If you’re a theme park nerd, this is your Super Bowl. It uses a ton of rare archival footage to show how they actually built the park. It’s less of a commercial and more of a gritty look at the literal dirt and sweat it took to make Walt’s dream happen.
The "Hulu on Disney Plus" Factor
If you’re in the U.S. and have the bundle, your "new movies" list just tripled. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is hitting the Hulu side of the app on January 22. It’s a fun bridge between the old-school 80s vibes and the new cast.
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Then there’s Twinless, which dropped January 16. It’s a darker comedy about two guys who lost their twin brothers and form a bond. It’s the kind of mid-budget movie that used to thrive in theaters but now finds its real audience on streaming. It’s refreshing to see something that isn't a massive franchise for once.
What’s Coming Next? Looking Ahead at 2026
If this month feels like a warmup, that’s because the rest of the year is stacked. Disney is leaning heavily into the "quality over quantity" mantra they've been preaching.
- Send Help (January 30): This is an island survival thriller that’s getting a lot of buzz for its "office politics meets Castaway" vibe.
- In the Blink of an Eye (February 27): A sci-fi epic that explores three different timelines. The cast alone (Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones) makes it a must-watch.
- The Mandalorian & Grogu: While this is a theatrical release for May 2026, expect the marketing machine on Disney Plus to start cranking up any day now with "making of" specials.
Real Talk: Is the Disney Plus Price Worth It in 2026?
Look, Disney Plus isn't the $6.99 bargain it was at launch. We all know that. With the 2026 price hikes, you really have to look at what you’re actually watching. If you have kids, it’s still a no-brainer. But for the rest of us, it’s these licensed drops—like Venom and the Indiana Jones saga—that keep the value up.
The integration of Hulu content has saved the platform from becoming a "Marvel and Star Wars only" app. Without that variety, it would be hard to justify the monthly cost for anyone who isn't a die-hard fan of superheroes or Jedi.
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How to Find the "Hidden" New Stuff
Disney’s algorithm loves to push what it thinks you want, which usually means the same three Marvel movies. To actually find the new releases:
- Scroll down to the "New to Disney+" row. It's usually about 4 or 5 rows down.
- Check the "Coming Soon" section at the very bottom of the homepage.
- Use the search bar for "Hulu" to see the more adult-oriented movies that don't always make the main banner.
The landscape of streaming is messy, but right now, Disney Plus is holding its own by finally letting go of the "family-only" branding and embracing weird sci-fi like Tron: Ares and dark comedies like Twinless.
Actionable Insight: If you haven't yet, check your account settings to ensure your "Content Rating" is set to TV-MA. Many of the best new movies to stream on Disney plus coming from the Hulu library are hidden behind the default TV-14 filter. Updating this once will unlock hundreds of titles you're currently missing out on.