Every time you see that a story has finally come to end, another one comes along. It's just surprising how studios would squeeze every last drop for something that should have ended a long time ago. Now that was exactly how I felt when Descendants: Wicked Wonderland was announced. Yeah don't get me wrong, I still smiled when I heard the announcement of this Descendants movie. I remember how I would watch the previous movies and start vibing to their awesome songs. But after the release of these four Descendants movies I'm like would Descendants: Wicked Wonderland still surprise any of us?

Back in 2015, Disney had a very strange idea instead of telling a Cinderella story or Sleeping Beauty story, what if "Disney heroes and villains had children". That question changed everything instead of following Maleficent, we met Mal, instead of following the Evil Queen, we met Evie, instead of Captain Hook, we met Harry Hook later on. Suddenly, Disney wasn't talking about the parents anymore. They were telling stories about the next generation and that was brilliant. When the original trilogy ended, I honestly thought Disney was finished but then Disney surprised us Instead of bringing Mal back as the main character forever, they introduced an entirely new generation. That's actually a smarter decision than many people realize. Trying to recreate Mal's story would have been impossible instead, Disney introduced Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts, alongside Chloe Charming, Cinderella's daughter. The chemistry between those two characters gave the franchise fresh energy. Rather than copying the original four VKs, Disney allowed these new characters to have completely different personalities.

In Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, Disney asks a question what mostly every time travel story asks "what happens when you change history". The movie explores the choices Chloe and Red made earlier. Wonderland itself becomes even more mysterious, more dangerous, and much less predictable than before. Kylie Cantrall is returning as Red, the daughter of the Queen of Hearts, Malia Baker as Chloe Charming, the daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming, Rita Ora as The Queen of Hearts, Red's mother and the ruler of Wonderland, Brandy Norwood as Cinderella, Paolo Montalban as King Charming. The new cast includes Liamani Segura as Pink, Red's younger sister, Kiara Romero as Hazel Hook, daughter of Captain Hook, Joel Oulette as Felix Facilier son of Dr. Facilier, Zavien Garrett as Max Hatter son of the Mad Hatter, Ryan McEwen as Luis Madrigal, a new student with ties to the wider Disney universe. Dayna Beilenson as Maddox Hatter returning as the eccentric inventor from The Rise of Red.

Here's something people don't talk about enough. Without the music, Descendants probably wouldn't be nearly as popular. Seriously, think about your favorite Descendants memory there's a good chance music is involved. The songs aren't just random dance numbers. They help tell the story. That's why I'm looking forward to hearing the soundtrack for Wicked Wonderland. Do I expect every song to become another "Rotten to the Core"? Probably not. But at least let there be at least two songs that we can't just get out of our mouths.

I genuinely think Disney should start thinking about how this franchise ends. Notice I didn't say it should end because it's bad. Actually i'm saying the opposite. I want it to end before it becomes bad. Hollywood has a way of making a franchise continue till they actually loose momentum. I'd much rather remember Descendants as a fantastic franchise with a satisfying ending than watch it slowly lose what made it special. Here's what I've noticed with Disney. They become so focused with making the next movie, they forget to make people miss the previous one. Wait isn't a bad thing. Just look at Pixar When Pixar announces a sequel after many years, people get excited because it feels special. If Disney starts releasing Descendants projects too often, the excitement could slowly disappear.

After watching the Descendants franchise grow for more than a decade, I can't deny how much it has accomplished. It introduced unforgettable characters. It gave Disney Channel one of its biggest modern successes. It inspired music, fashion, dance trends, costumes, and millions of fans around the world.

DESCENDANTS: WICKED WONDERLAND WILL COME TO DISNEY CHANNEL JULY 16 AND STREAM NEXT DAY ON DISNEY PLUS.