At fan expo D23 2026, Disney and Pixar officially announced Coco 2, along with the reveal that Coco will appear in Kingdom Hearts 4, which is releasing in late 2027. Actor Benjamin Bratt (voice of the villainous Ernesto de la Cruz) headlined the news on stage, and revealed that his character returns in the sequel, and in the upcoming game.
Disney and Square Enix showcased a live Kingdom Hearts panel at D23, Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts. The panel celebrated 25 years of the franchise and its unique collaboration of RPG and Disney properties.
I would like to gently remind everyone that there was a 14-year gap between Kingdom Hearts 2 and 3, however! Though the series wasn’t dormant; the decade-plus was filled with mobile and handheld spinoffs and side stories before Kingdom Hearts 3 finally released in 2019.
The panel featured a new extended trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 (above), and also announced an original anime series, Kingdom Hearts: The Series, for Disney Channel and Disney+.
The fourth game in the series continues Sora’s adventures with Disney characters against the Heartless, centered on the new city of Quadratum. For the first time, players will be able to play as allies Donald, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse.
With its bright, vibrant depiction of the afterlife inspired by Mexican culture, Coco is a fantastic Disney property to include in Kingdom Hearts 4 as a fully explorable world.
As for Coco 2, the sequel will age up protagonist Miguel into a teenager living his dream as a musician — but who crosses paths with a vengeful de la Cruz once. Coco 2 will release in theaters in November 2029.
Kingdom Hearts 4 will release on PC, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S in late 2027.
