Finn and Jake are back — but not where you’d expect them.
The Land of Ooo is calling, and this time Adventure Time is making the most surprising platform jump in animation history. “Adventure Time: Side Quests” is heading to Disney+ and Hulu — yes, Disney — for its U.S. premiere on June 29, 2026. For a franchise literally born on Cartoon Network over a decade ago, this move is nothing short of unprecedented. And if that wasn’t enough hype, fans attending IGN Live 2026 on June 7 will get to watch the first TWO episodes before anyone else. Let that sink in for a second.
What Exactly Is “Side Quests”?
Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, “Side Quests” follows young hero Finn the Human and his magical shape-shifting dog best friend Jake as they embark on brand-new adventures across the fantastical land of Ooo — partying with cloud people, punching evil in the butt, and getting into the kind of weird, wonderful situations that made the original series a masterpiece.
Announced at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival as part of the Warner Bros. Animation slate, the series has been shrouded in mystery for well over a year. Fans have been speculating, theorizing, and desperately scouring every scrap of news. Now we finally have the full picture:
- Premiere Date: June 29, 2026 on Disney+ and Hulu (U.S.)
- International Release: Cartoon Network and HBO Max outside the U.S.
- First Look Preview: IGN Live 2026, June 7 — first 2 episodes screened publicly
- Format: New original animated series, maintaining the original art style and tone
- Production Studio: Cartoon Network Studios, led by showrunner Nate Cash
The Shocking Platform Move
Here’s what makes Side Quests genuinely historic: the Adventure Time franchise has never left the Warner Bros. Discovery ecosystem before. Not once. The original 10-season run lived on Cartoon Network. The spin-off “Distant Lands” and “Fionna and Cake” stayed comfortably on HBO Max, which is also under the WBD umbrella.
Now Side Quests is landing on Disney+ and Hulu — direct competitors to HBO Max and Warner’s streaming offerings. Why the seismic shift? The answer lies in strategy. HBO Max has been steadily pulling back on kids’ and family animation to refocus its content budget. Meanwhile, Disney+ recognized a golden opportunity to acquire one of the most beloved animated properties of the 2010s.
Nate Cash, the showrunner and executive producer, captured the excitement perfectly: “Making Side Quests felt like making the original Adventure Time, which felt like hanging out with art school buddies making professional cartoons. That sounds like a big sandwich of feelings, and it was! You’re going to love these NEW adventures with Finn & Jake!”
The joint Disney+ and Hulu release is itself unusual — the two platforms typically maintain separate content lanes despite common ownership. This signals deeper integration between Disney’s twin streaming services and suggests they see Side Quests as a centerpiece title for the summer.
The Original Cast Returns
One of the biggest reasons fans are absolutely losing it: the iconic voice cast is essentially intact. After nearly a decade, these characters are about to be heard again with the voices that defined them.
- Ice King: Tom Kenny (still bringing the chaotic energy)
- Princess Bubblegum: Hynden Walch (the candy monarch returns)
- Marceline the Vampire Queen: Olivia Olson (rock on)
- BMO: Niki Yang (who is also directing)
- Jake the Dog: John DiMaggio (the voice you grew up with)
Finn gets a new voice actor in Sasha Knight, stepping into some very big boots. But every other beloved character returns with their original performers. For a franchise that ended its main series in 2018, this level of vocal continuity is remarkable and speaks to the genuine love the cast still has for these roles.
Why Now? The Adventure Time Resurgence
Adventure Time isn’t just nostalgia wearing a disguise — the franchise is experiencing a full-blown cultural resurgence. TikTok edits of classic episodes rack up millions of views. “Come Along With Me” still makes grown adults genuinely emotional. The show’s blend of absurdist comedy, real emotional depth, and dense worldbuilding influenced an entire generation of animated creators, from OK K.O. to Amphibia to The Owl House.
With Side Quest joining the insane summer 2026 entertainment lineup, this might be the most unexpected drop of the season. Many feared the franchise was done for good after the main series ended and the spin-offs wrapped.
The original run gave us one of the most creative, boundary-pushing animated series of all time — beating everything from Gravity Falls to Steven Universe for the top spot in many fans’ hearts. For a generation that grew up with BMO’s game console and Marceline’s songs, this feels like a genuine homecoming. It sits right alongside long-running epics like One Piece and Solo Leveling as proof that animated stories can carry real emotional weight across years and years.
Everything We Know So Far
Behind the scenes, the talent is stacked. Darrick Bachman serves as Story Editor, bringing his deep knowledge of the Adventure Time universe. Victor Courtright and Niki Yang handle directing duties. Nick Cross — whose art direction defined the look of the series — is back as Art Director. Matthew Janszen takes on composition duties, meaning the music will likely carry the same emotional resonance Finn’s tiny viola or Marceline’s bass.
The first two episodes premiere at IGN Live on June 7, giving lucky attendees a three-week head start. Expect reactions, screenshots, and memes to flood social media within minutes. The full series then drops on Disney+ and Hulu on June 29.
What This Means for Animation
Beyond the fan excitement, Side Quests represents something bigger: proof that beloved animated properties can transcend corporate boundaries when the right deal comes along. Warner Bros. Discovery licensing a flagship franchise to its biggest competitor is the kind of move that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. The streaming wars are creating strange bedfellows, and fans are benefiting.
It also signals that the kids’ and family animation space is still incredibly valuable — and that Disney+ is serious about competing with Netflix’s growing anime and animation library. Speaking of which, check out our coverage of the Netflix Summer 2026 anime lineup if you want the full picture of what’s coming.
Final Thoughts
Adventure Time leaving Warner Bros. Discovery for Disney+ is a seismic shift in the streaming landscape — but more importantly, it means we’re getting new Finn and Jake adventures after nearly eight years. That alone is worth celebrating.
The original run gave us one of the most creative, emotionally rich, and flat-out fun animated series of all time. It proved cartoons aren’t just for kids, that weird is wonderful, and that a boy and his dog can carry a story deep enough to explore existentialism, loss, growing up, and the meaning of heroism.
If Side Quests captures even a fraction of that magic, summer 2026 just became a whole lot more colorful.
Are you heading to IGN Live to catch the first look, or waiting for the Disney+ premiere on June 29? And what’s your favorite Adventure Time episode of all time — “I Am a Simon” or something else entirely? Drop your hottest takes in the comments!
