The Walt Disney Company and OpenAI announced a three-year licensing agreement on December 11, 2025, that would let Sora users generate short videos featuring more than 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars. The companies expect generation using the licensed characters to begin in early 2026.
Disney also plans to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and receive warrants to purchase additional equity. The companies said the transaction remains subject to negotiation of definitive agreements, required corporate and board approvals, and customary closing conditions.
The license also covers still-image generation through ChatGPT Images, with the same expected launch window. It includes animated, masked and creature characters, as well as associated costumes, props, vehicles and environments. Talent likenesses and voices are excluded.
The announcement lists Mickey Mouse and characters from Zootopia among those included, alongside animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters such as Iron Man, Darth Vader and Han Solo.
Disney+ integration and employee tools
Under the agreement, a curated selection of fan-inspired Sora videos would be available to stream on Disney+. The companies also said they would collaborate on new experiences for Disney+ subscribers using OpenAI’s models.
Disney plans to use OpenAI’s APIs to build products, tools and experiences, including for Disney+, and deploy ChatGPT for employees. The companies described Disney’s planned role as that of a major OpenAI customer.
Fairplay criticizes the partnership
Child-advocacy group Fairplay criticized the agreement in a December 11 statement. Executive Director Josh Golin called the partnership a “betrayal” and accused the companies of using familiar characters to attract young children to Sora.
OpenAI’s terms of use effective December 11, 2024, for users outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK, require users to be at least 13 or meet their country’s minimum age for consent to use the services. Users under 18 must have permission from a parent or legal guardian.
In the partnership announcement, OpenAI committed to continuing to implement age-appropriate policies and other controls. Both companies also committed to maintaining controls intended to prevent illegal or harmful content generation and to respect individuals’ rights over the use of their voices and likenesses.
