Marvel and Star Wars heroes finally land on TikTok in Disney pact

Walt Disney has signed what it describes as a "first of its kind" agreement with TikTok

Spider-Man and Darth Vader are stepping into a whole new arena. Walt Disney has signed what it describes as a “first of its kind” agreement with TikTok, giving a chosen group of creators official access to its massive content library.

Under the deal, creators can now legally pull characters and scenes straight from Disney’s archives into their own clips. It reflects how central fan-made content has become to entertainment today.

Disney confirmed the pilot programme is starting in the US first, offering creators a curated slice of material from Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. Some of this same content will also appear on Disney+ Verts, the company’s own vertical-video app, which for now only operates in the American market.

TikTok’s global head of entertainment, Dawn Yang, said creator expression remains at the heart of how the platform works. She added that fan engagement keeps films alive long after their theatrical run ends, extending a movie’s shelf life well beyond release.

The numbers behind TikTok’s reach help explain why Disney wants in. The platform recently crossed 200 million users in the US alone, with roughly six out of every ten adults under 30 now on the app, according to Pew Research Centre figures.

Disney has tried something similar before, though it didn’t end well. It once let OpenAI’s Sora tool generate videos using its characters, but the experiment was short-lived. OpenAI pulled Sora a few months later, following criticism over violence, racism, deepfakes and misinformation risks tied to the tool.

The TikTok announcement arrived at a convenient moment for Disney, landing alongside the company’s newest earnings report, which beat market expectations. Shares climbed 4.6% in pre-market trading, much of it linked to the strong box-office run of “Toy Story 5.”

Disney’s parks and experiences division also posted solid growth, with revenue rising 10% year-on-year to hit $10 billion on the back of higher visitor numbers. Season two of “Rivals” added to the good news, becoming the biggest original series premiere yet for Disney+ in the UK and Ireland.

Between the TikTok deal and a strong earnings day, Disney has plenty to smile about this week.