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In recent years, Disney’s output has largely consisted of revisiting familiar properties. Moana, the 2016 animated hit, was one of the studio's rare successes in a challenging period marked by underwhelming releases across various franchises. Alongside films like Avatar: Fire and Ash and upcoming projects like Zootopia, Disney has been profitable overall, but not without setbacks.
Most of their 2025 slate, apart from Lilo & Stitch, which received generally positive reception, faltered at the box office. Marvel movies, in particular, faced critical failure, signaling a decline in their usual blockbuster appeal. It’s clear that the studio is increasingly dependent on franchise continuity rather than original storytelling.