Summary
- Kingdom Hearts 4 will likely feature new worlds due to the franchise's large library of unused Disney IPs.
- Moana's sequel release this year makes it the perfect time for her to debut in Kingdom Hearts 4.
- Moana's beautifully realized oceans and memorable characters like Maui make it a great fit for Kingdom Hearts.
One of the best things about Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts franchise is that it allows fans to explore some of Disney's most iconic worlds and interact with beloved characters. During its tenure, the series has brought to life some iconic movies and characters, such as Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. The downside to this is that, with such a huge library of IPs to choose from, Square Enix has inevitably had to leave plenty unused so far. Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development, and many will be hoping for plenty of new worlds to explore. With a sequel to the beloved Moana movie on the way, Kingdom Hearts 4 is the perfect time for Moana to make her franchise debut.
Released in 2016, Moana is set in ancient Polynesia and tells the story of the titular young, adventurous girl who sets out on a quest to save her people. Featuring a memorable soundtrack, and starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as the demi-god Maui, Moana was well received by fans and moviegoers, with many agreeing it is one of Disney's best original movies of the past decade. It felt almost inevitable that a sequel would materialize, and sure enough, fans won't have too much longer to wait for more Moana content. A sequel, Moana 2, is set for release later this year, and there's also a live-action remake in the works. Dwayne Johnson is set to reprise his role in both projects. This means that Moana will be packed to the brim with content for Kingdom Hearts 4 to explore, should it choose to.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Has Plenty of Options For Content
It's been over five years since Kingdom Hearts' last mainline release. Despite each of its three installments covering a wide range of Disney worlds and characters, there remain several that haven't yet been featured. In the years since Kingdom Hearts 3 launched, Disney has acquired two huge IPs in Marvel and Star Wars, which opens up a plethora of additional possibilities for the franchise to consider. With Kingdom Hearts 4 likely to be the franchise's largest installment, both in terms of scope and scale, this should give the developer adequate room to include several of these options. Given the size of both new acquisitions, both are very likely to feature in some way.
Moana Should Fit Well With Kingdom Hearts' Tone and Style
On the surface, Moana seems like a great fit for Kingdom Hearts. The series usually features colorful worlds that players can explore, and Moana's setting feels ideal. Blue skies, golden sands, and the sparkling ocean should translate perfectly to Kingdom Hearts 4, and the highly charismatic character of Maui feels tailor-made to accompany Sora and his crew as they navigate this world. It doesn't feel too dissimilar to the Pirates of the Caribbean world featured in both the second and third installments, which saw Sora navigating the high seas with the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. The lack of Johnny Depp's voice acting didn't hurt the experience too much, giving hope that the same could be done with Maui, as it is extremely unlikely that Dwayne Johnson would voice this version of him.
Since news broke over two years ago of Kingdom Hearts 4 being in active development, there has been scarcely little new information. The trailer shows off a new-look Sora, as well as his friends Donald and Goofy, who seem to be searching a dark cave for someone before they seem to hear the voice of Hades. It leaves fans with a lot to ponder but doesn't give anything away in terms of new locations or IPs. There is no further news of when Kingdom Hearts 4 will be released, but with Moana 2 now only six months away, it feels like the ideal time for the two to collaborate.
Kingdom Hearts 4
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
