Meghan Markle Getting Back Into Hollywood With Disney+ Role

Meghan Markle in Suits before Royal Wedding

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Disney+ has already attracted some pretty heavy talent, with Marvel actors like Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen in particular already signed on for TV roles in the coming months (and that’s not even counting all the heavy talent involved with The Mandalorian and other Marvel shows). Next up, Disney+ will be adding Meghan Markle in what looks to be her first post-Suits gig and one of her last positions under the title the Duchess of Sussex.

Disney+ announced this week it will be putting out a variety of nature documentaries for families stuck at home during quarantine. This will include the already-announced Dolphin Reef as well as a new Disneynature film called Elephant, which will feature Meghan Markle narrating as the voice of the elephant.

Normally a new Disneynature documentary announcement for Disney+ would probably not be nearly as exciting as hearing your kids will be able to watch Frozen II early (and over and over and over). However, given the drama surrounding Meghan Markle and Prince Harry quitting their royal duties and defecting to Canada, this is a very intriguing development.

At the end of April, Meghan Markle will actually be giving up the title of the Duchess of Sussex, so Elephant will mark one of the last times she’ll publicly be using the title. Originally the couple had hoped to continue branding that way, but the Queen allegedly put the kibosh on that.

You can see the full poster for the upcoming documentary, and even if you care naught about Meghan Markle’s personal life, just look at that cute baby elephant!

Elephant poster on Disney+

In a release, Disney+ said that Elephant will be directed by Mark Linfield and will follow an African elephant and her son who live in the wilds of the Kalahari Desert. A herd facing “predators” and “dwindling resources” will be the main components of the documentary. Disney Conservation Fund will also support Elephants Without Borders ahead of the release of Elephant.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle appeared on Suits from 2011-2018 before her nuptials to Prince Harry and before the series ended on USA she was not asked back for its finale. You can also catch her in the Hallmark movie Dater’s Handbook frequently, as its an original movie the channel has recently been airing.

Since 2018, Meghan Markle has still been plenty in the limelight, but narrating a Disney+ documentary is her first step toward getting back in the Hollywood fray and a first step toward potentially doing some acting work again in the future.

Both Elephant and Dolphin Reef (narrated by Natalie Portman) will be out on April 3. It's among a slew of new Disney+ content that will be heading to the streaming in April, but Elephant's certainly the only bit with real royal ties. If you still haven't given Disney+ a shot yet, the company is still offering a free trial for families at home during these quarantined days. More info is available.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.