Disney Jr. sprang a surprise on its youngest fans this week: a fifth hero is joining the SUPERKITTIES.
THE NEW SUPERKITTY, a full-length special, premiered Thursday on Disney Jr. and Disney Jr. On Demand, officially welcoming Willa the Wildcat onto the crew of caped, crime-fighting kittens who protect the town of Kittydale. The special landed on Disney+ on Friday, Aug. 7, so families can stream it at home.
Willa doesn’t just show up and get handed a cape, either. In the special, Cat Burglar (voiced by Justin Guarini) teams up with the Glamsters (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and Utkarsh Ambudkar) to try to take over Kittydale, and the existing SUPERKITTIES put Willa’s skills to the test before asking her to join for good. She passes, naturally — this is a superhero show for preschoolers, after all.
A new music video, “Ready to Su-Purr Roar”, dropped alongside the special, giving Willa her own hero anthem alongside Ginny, Sparks, Buddy and Bitsy. The extended single hits digital platforms Friday as well, for families who want the song on repeat in the car.
SUPERKITTIES has quietly built into one of Disney Jr.’s bigger success stories since it debuted in 2023. The show has racked up more than 33.2 billion minutes watched across linear and streaming platforms and nearly half a billion YouTube views, according to Disney’s announcement. Movieguide® reviewed the series early on and found something worth noting beyond the cute animation: the villains in Kittydale don’t just get defeated, they get corrected and given a chance to make amends, modeling repentance and restoration rather than mere punishment.
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That pattern seems built into the show’s DNA, and it’s part of why Movieguide® has kept an eye on it. A series that teaches kindergarten-age kittens to be “brave, smart, strong and kind” — and extends grace even to its bad guys — is doing more for character formation than most preschool programming bothers to attempt.
Two more specials arrive this fall. HOWL-O-WEEN CHARM finds the SUPERKITTIES chasing down a band of Trixters after they steal the Howl-o-ween Cat’s charm and threaten to ruin the holiday. FRIENDSGIVING FEAST follows the team and Willa as they race to save Kittydale’s holiday traditions after the Glamsters make off with the neighborhood’s treats and decorations, with Jenifer Lewis and Henry Winkler guest starring as Evie’s grandmother Glammy and Sam and Eddie’s Uncle Tony.
The franchise isn’t slowing down off-screen, either. Just Play has a new lineup of SUPERKITTIES toys on shelves, alongside apparel, costumes and books from Disney Consumer Products. And “Confection Purrfection with the SUPERKITTIES,” the stage show where kids decorate cupcakes with the characters, returns for one day during the Disney Jr. Let’s Play! Party at Disney California Adventure park on Aug. 13.
SUPERKITTIES was created by Emmy® Award winner Paula Rosenthal, whose credits include PETER RABBIT, with Sarah Mullervy, Kirk Van Wormer and Audu Paden serving as executive producers. Sony Pictures Television – Kids produces the series in association with Disney Jr. Thea Gallagher voices Willa alongside returning cast members Emma Berman, Cruz Flateau, Landon Chase Dubois and Pyper Braun as Ginny, Sparks, Buddy and Bitsy, respectively.
For parents wondering whether another kids’ show deserves a spot in the rotation, SUPERKITTIES has earned its keep. It’s silly, it’s sweet and underneath the cupcakes and cape-swishing, it keeps nudging toward the idea that real heroism looks like courage tempered by kindness — a lesson worth repeating no matter how many times your toddler asks to rewatch it.
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