The first slate of Disney Plus shows are finally getting physical releases. The first two seasons of The Mandalorian, the first season of Loki, and all of WandaVision are all getting Blu-ray releases, Disney announced Monday.
All four of the seasons will get 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases and come in special collector’s edition steelbooks. Here are the release dates for all four:
- Loki season 1: Sept. 26 (available for pre-order now at Amazon for $54.99)
- WandaVision The Complete Series: Nov. 28 (available to pre-order at Best Buy for $45.99, the 4K Blu-ray steelbook is out of stock currently)
- The Mandalorian season 1 and season 2: Dec. 12 (available to pre-order here for season 1 and here for season 2 for $54.99 each)
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These new discs are part of an increasing push by Disney to back away from the digital-only emphasis of the streaming era and back toward the home video release strategy the company used to have. For many years, Disney’s releases were a big deal thanks to its concept of the Vault, where movies would get limited time prints then disappear. The emphasis moved away from Blu-ray and DVD releases with the launch of Disney Plus, but as the momentum of streaming slows down, it seems Disney is moving back toward its older strategies.
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Along with these Disney Plus shows, Disney is also releasing anniversary editions of classic animated movies. The company released a gorgeous 4K UHD copy of Cinderella at the beginning of August and a 4K UHD version of Nightmare before Christmas is set for release on Aug. 22. Disney also recently announced that Prey, Hulu’s Predator prequel, is getting a 4K physical release as well, giving even more support to the idea that this is an important new direction for the company.
For fans, this is particularly good news as shows start being removed from services more and more often. If you own your favorite show on a disc, there’s no danger of it suddenly disappearing from a streaming service. That being said, it’s awfully hard to imagine shows as big and important to Disney as The Mandalorian or Loki leaving their streaming service anytime soon. But now you can be extra certain with these steelbooks.
Update (Aug. 28): Added links to Amazon and Best Buy for those who would like to place a pre-order.