After ending its third season with thunderous applause and becoming a mainstay series for teenagers and adults for Hulu in the US and Disney+ in many countries, it’s time we ask the question, could “The Orville” become the next big franchise on Disney+?

Let me explain what we could potentially see, thanks to “The Orville” becoming hugely popular on Disney’s streaming platforms.

Disney Has A Good Working Relationship With Seth MacFarlane:

Let’s start with the obvious point, Disney clearly has a strong working relationship with the creator of “The Orville”, Seth MacFarlane. Now all the shows Seth Macfarlane has made that were owned by 21st Century Fox are obviously owned by Disney, but besides “The Cleveland Show”, which was cancelled over a decade ago, Disney still funds and creates new episodes of all other Seth MacFarlane’s shows which include “American Dad” and “Family Guy”. Disney clearly wants to keep working with MacFarlane, and continuing “The Orville” with new seasons and spinoffs would be a great way to continue their working relationship with MacFarlane.

The Universe Of The Orville Has So Much Potential For Spinoffs:

Think about this, in the episode of “The Orville” Season Three titled “From Unknown Graves”, we get a series of flashbacks showing how the original alien species, which were called the Kaylon (before the genocide) was shown during their final days before being wiped out by their own machines, why this matters is because Disney could expand on these ideas for spinoffs tackling other alien species history etc. some ideas include an in-depth miniseries about the Krill or a series looking at how the Moclans grew to hate females. 

Disney could also potentially do a series showing the origins of Bortus and showing what life was like on Moclus. They could also do a “Union Academy” series following Ed and Gordon’s day’s training in the Union Academy. They could also do a series looking at how quickly the Kaylon evolved after slaughtering their builders. There is also the possibility of a sitcom-like series showing Ed and Kelly as a married couple before the events of season one. “The Orville” has potentially hundreds of potential series and film ideas that Disney+ should be investing in.

Disney Clearly Has Faith In The Orville:

This is a hugely overlooked point, but let me explain. “The Orville” has become a massive hit on Hulu and has attracted a huge fanbase because of the quality of the series. But Disney had enough faith in “The Orville”  to make season three on Hulu and give it a $50 million dollars which is a huge amount of money to put into a series if you don’t have faith in it.

Disney+ Needs More Than Just Marvel and Star Wars:

Let’s move on to the last point, and it’s something which Disney+ has struggled with since its inception. Disney+ has heavily invested in expanding its Marvel and “Star Wars” franchises as those series have pulled in more significant numbers than other Disney+ originals like “Prop Culture”, “Big Shot”, or “Weekend Family”. “The Orville” is a hit series, and since season three was released on Disney+ internationally, the series has been in the top ten trending every week.

“The Orville” is a massive series with a lot of potential to expand its universe, and with Disney+’s need for more big-budget series, especially ones from outside the Marvel and “Star Wars” franchises.

Final Thoughts:

“The Orville” is an amazing sci-fi series, and it would be a shame if Disney didn’t expand the series presence with at least three more seasons and several spinoffs. As Disney+ searches for the next hit franchise for the service, they shouldn’t overlook Seth MacFarlane’s loving tribute to classic “Star Trek” and classic sci-fi fans as a whole.

What Do You Think? Is The Orville Disney+’s Next Big Franchise?

Ethan Holloway

Ethan is an autistic, type one diabetic, Disney fan who grew up with properties like Iron Man, The Lion King, Aladdin and Toy Story. Ethan wants to someday get his own books/films/TV shows made to inspire those with disabilities to be themselves, but for now, Ethan covers his opinions on Disney, their content and how Disney+ can improve.

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