Beloved Marvel veteran behind Disney’s new TV series based on an iconic attraction

Right, Disney+ has got its wallet out again and, frankly, it's splashing the cash with a bit more confidence than we've seen in ages. If you caught Disney's latest earnings report, you'll know why: after years of burning through money on streaming, the company finally posted some actual profits from Disney+ — and quite decent margins to boot. Josh D'Amaro has only just settled into the top job after taking over from Bob Iger in March, but he clearly fancies making a mark.

Streaming income for Disney+ hit $712 million this past quarter, more than twice what they managed last year.

That much profit does wonders for ambition levels. D'Amaro's now openly pitching Disney+ as the 'digital centerpiece' of the entire company — a big claim, and apparently not just talk. They're promising major new features for the platform starting Spring 2027, and if the current flurry of announcements is any indication, the content pipeline's just getting started.

Spaceship Earth: Disney's next big swing?

The latest surprise from the mouse house? A pilot order for Spaceship Earth, which is, yes, named after that iconic golf ball-looking thing in the middle of EPCOT at Walt Disney World. The show's making the rounds as easily the most eyebrow-raising in a string of pilots greenlit this week. Unlike Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion, which had stories or characters already baked into the rides, this one's really stretching the definition of 'adaptation'.

Here's the official spiel: when an attempt to save Earth from disaster goes pear-shaped, a group of teens — some from the past, others from the future — end up banding together to face a massive, mysterious threat across time. Classic 'saving the world', but with an obvious YA twist. If you're expecting golden age Disney prestige, probably manage your hopes — this sounds squarely in Disney+'s usual comfort zone of sci-fi-flavoured teen adventure.

Who's steering this ship?

• Jason Fuchs (IT: Welcome to Derry co-showrunner): Running the show and executive producing.
• Michael Waldron (Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Avengers: Doomsday): Co-writing the pilot and also executive producing. If anyone can unravel a mess of timelines without losing the audience, it’s probably this bloke.

Theme park inspiration aside, the talent behind it is no slouch, and Disney has proven it can turn rides into box office behemoths before. Still, making 'Spaceship Earth' into weekly must-watch telly is a much bigger stretch; the original ride is more about educational time travel than pirate ghosts or haunted houses. If the show works, it's a two-for-one win: constant brand synergy and, let’s face it, a pretty slick ad for their parks — which, incidentally, just posted a 20% jump in profit to over $3 billion.

Disney+'s current development spree

Spaceship Earth is just one bit of the current greenlighting frenzy. Since their earnings call, Disney+ has also:

• Put a TikTok star (Lala Sadii) at the centre of a new series — tipsy move or genius, depending on your age.
• Greenlit Afterlife With Archie for a Halloween 2027 premiere.
• Handed out pilot orders to The Last Kids on Earth and an Aquamarine sequel series.

All this is happening just ahead of D23 in Anaheim from 14–16 August — which is Disney's usual venue for rolling out the shiniest headlines and crowd-pleasers in front of their biggest fans and investors.

Putting a time-hopping bunch of kids at the heart of a weekly series is hardly original — Doctor Who and even Loki have thrived on that formula — but Disney clearly thinks there's plenty of mileage left in it, especially if it keeps the subscriptions (and park ticket sales) rolling in.