It’s not always a fairy-tale. The gloves are off and so are parental controls.

The 10 best shows on Disney+ for adults

It’s not always a fairy-tale. The gloves are off and so are parental controls.

By Huntley Woods

July 9, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET

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From chaotic good to lawful evil: Bart Simpson, Loki, and Dedra Meero. Credit:

FOX; Courtesy of Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm Ltd.

From the intergalactic espionage of *Andor *to the mother of all Marvel shows, *WandaVision,* we travel the multiverse to bring you the best shows on Disney+ for adults.

While Disney has long been a destination for children’s entertainment, its streaming library has grown significantly over the years. There’s a good chance if you once owned an infamous white clamshell Disney VHS tape, your tastes have matured, as have the ratings of what you’re watching.

Disney’s streaming catalog spans a galaxy of shows, from *Star Wars* stories like *The Mandalorian* to* *revivals from our childhood like *X-Men ’97*, plus classics like *The Simpsons* that simply never left the air.

** has narrowed the field to spotlight the 10 best shows for adults on Disney+, the place where streams do come true.

Andor (2022–2025)

Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and K-2SO: This is the start of a beautiful friendship.

Courtesy of Lucasfilm

For a show set in space, *Andor* is remarkably grounded. While lightsaber fights and spaceship battles typically dominate the scene in *Star Wars*, the series earned its accolades by navigating complex political minefields with a narrative-driven morality tale centered on the birth of the Rebel Alliance.

Created by Tony Gilroy (*Michael Clayton*), this two-season epic envisions the inciting events leading up to *Rogue One* (2016), which he co-wrote. Diego Luna returns as reluctant resistance fighter Cassian Andor, colluding with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) to sow the seeds of rebellion against the Empire. Lauded for its mature tone and high-caliber production value, *Andor *offers Emmy-winning prestige storytelling that’s set to stun.

**Cast: **Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O’Reilly, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller

Behind the Attraction (2021–2023)

A look at how the Disney World sausage is made in ‘Behind the Attraction’.

Disney/Gregg Newton

For decades, Disney theme parks have been an integral part of the House of Mouse, and this docuseries takes a backstage look at the blueprints and history of some of its most iconic rides and attractions. Produced by Dwayne Johnson, *Behind the Attraction* showcases the creative and engineering challenges the imagineers overcame to bring the parks to life.

Featuring rare archival footage and exclusive interviews, it pulls back the curtain on the science behind the magic, delivering an honest, nostalgic peek at the innovators who made the impossible seem like a walk in the park.

Family Guy (1999–2002, 2005–present)

The classic nuclear family: Mom, Dad, son, daughter, baby, dog, owl.

The show that made *The Simpsons* look wholesome, *Family Guy** *emerged on the adult animation scene in the late ’90s as an edgy, wildly irreverent source of comedy. Created by Seth MacFarlane (the voice of Peter, Stewie, and Brian), the groundbreaking series also broke records as the first cartoon since *The Flintstones* (1961) to be nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys.

While the core of the show is the Griffin family, it’s anything but family-friendly. Balancing obscene rapid-fire humor, satirical commentary, and infamously absurd cutaway gags and pop culture shoutouts, it earns its mature rating with vaudevillian flair. Heads up, though: You need the Hulu add-on to watch this one on Disney+.

**Cast:** Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Mike Henry, Patrick Warburton

The 27 best Disney+ movies for adults

The 18 best original series on Disney+, from 'Andor' to 'X-Men '97'

Light & Magic (2022–2025)

George Lucas in a scene from Lucasfilm’s ‘Light & Magic’.

*A long time ago, in a warehouse in Van Nuys… *

Lucasfilm takes an unprecedented look into the origin story of Industrial Light & Magic, the VFX powerhouse and brainchild of George Lucas that revolutionized the filmmaking industry. This docuseries spans the galaxy from *Star Wars *to *Jurassic Park* (1993) as the technology evolved from practical effects to CGI, pushing the boundaries of what modern cinema could achieve.

Featuring never-before-seen footage and filmmaker interviews, *Light & Magic* traces a personal journey through the lens of the innovative artists, engineers, and technicians working in the unique Hollywood pressure cooker known as ILM.

Limitless (2022–2025)

Chris Hemsworth finds his limit. Just kidding, he’s limitless. It’s the name of the show even.

National Geographic for Disney+/Craig Parry

Produced by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, this National Geographic documentary series follows the mighty Chris Hemsworth as he explores topics related to human nature and preventative health in an attempt to alter the aging process. Hemsworth undergoes rigorous mental and physical challenges to test the limits of the human body and the science of longevity.

*Limitless *offers a personal and earnest look at our own mortality and brings “biohacking” to the mainstream to show not just how we can live longer, but live *better*.

Loki (2021–2023)

Tom Hiddleston is mad that there are three Oscar nominees in this photo and he’s not one of them.

Gareth Gatrell/MARVEL

Introducing the multiverse to Marvel’s mainstream pop culture legacy fell into the hands of the God of Mischief himself, Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Here, he finally completes his transformation from world-conquering villain to selfless hero, and it’s a satisfying journey. Traversing multiple timelines and variants of himself, including a female version, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), Loki battles an identity crisis and the bureaucracy of the Time Variance Authority.

When the temporal loom breaks, Loki weaves through the multiverse in an attempt to restore order, often with the help of his hunter-turned-pal, TVA agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), and temporally confused repairman O.B. (Ke Huy Quan). The show’s retro-futuristic styling conjures a unique tone for this playful yet ambitious series.

**Cast: **Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson, Ke Huy Quan, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku

The Mandalorian (2019–2023)

Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), Grogu, and Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) on ‘The Mandalorian’.

This is the way... to launch a new streaming service.

Helmed by Disney franchise vet Jon Favreau and executive producer (and now Lucasfilm chief) Dave Filoni, *The Mandalorian* set the benchmark for what a live-action *Star Wars* series could be when it became one of the first shows to debut on Disney+. Armor-clad bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) adopts an unexpected sidekick when he becomes the protector of the Force-sensitive foundling colloquially known as Baby Yoda (a.k.a. Grogu).

This space Western/sci-fi samurai story revitalized interest in *Star Wars* after the sequel trilogy divided fans. It offered an accessible entry port to the saga with cinematic visuals blending digital real-time environments and practical effects like Grogu’s puppetry. After three seasons streaming, the story recently made the jump to the silver screen with a theatrical feature, *The Mandalorian and Grogu* (2026).

**Cast: **Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Gina Carano

The Simpsons (1989–present)

The most iconic American sitcom family of all-time. Eat my shorts, Brady Bunch.

America’s quintessential nuclear family, *The Simpsons* pioneered animated television that could appeal to all ages and remains an institution to this day. Clocking in at over 800 episodes and counting, it’s not only the longest-running animated series ever — it’s the longest-running scripted primetime show in U.S. history.

*The Simpsons* laid the foundation for mainstream adult animation, delivering smart and edgy writing, with its Springfield backdrop serving as a satirical yet sincere microcosm of suburban America. Those who grew up with the golden era of the early seasons will be pleased to see it remains a cultural cornerstone, with sharp jokes and emotional depth still right at the heart of this dysfunctional family.

**Cast:** Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer

WandaVision (2021)

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff on ‘WandaVision’.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

They say a mother’s love could lift a car, but in this case it’s all about lifting a curse. Picking up from where they left off in the wider MCU, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) take to the small screen in *WandaVision*. In order to avoid the painful realities of her life, Wanda has created (unbeknownst even to her own consciousness) a new reality set in the world of idyllic suburban sitcoms.

Episodes switch between various eras and aesthetics, mimicking the formats of both B&W classics like* I Love Lucy* and contemporary shows like *Modern Family*. The genre-bending hybrid earned 23 Emmy nominations and won for the infectious theme song “Agatha All Along,” which spun off into its own series.

**Cast: **Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings

X-Men ’97 (2024–present)

Who needs Hugh Jackman and James Marsden when you can have all this?.

Courtesy of Marvel Animation

Saturday morning cartoons got serious with *X-Men ‘97*, which revived its predecessor *X-Men: The Animated Series* (1992–1997) and brought substance and emotional weight to what could have easily been cheap nostalgia bait. Audiences who grew up with the original were drawn to the meticulous care that went into this revival, which remained faithful to the animation style while reassembling much of the original voice cast.

Resuming where things left off, the first season follows the team struggling to pick up the pieces in the wake of Professor X’s death. Utilizing mature story arcs to explore themes of love, loss and discrimination, the series makes the case that, while these characters may be mutants, they’re still very human.

**Cast:** Ray Chase, Jennifer Hale, Alison Sealy-Smith, Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Matthew Waterson, Holly Chou

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW TV”