Disney gives TikTok creators official access to Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar characters

Disney is introducing fan-created TikTok content to its Disney Plus app in its latest attempt to break into short-form creator videos. The Walt Disney Company announced today that it’s partnering with TikTok to bring “an expansive collection of thoughtfully curated Disney-centric fan-created content” to the Verts video feed it launched on Disney Plus earlier this year, providing creators with access to assets from “hundreds” of movies and TV shows.

The partnership will be piloted in the US “in the coming months,” according to Disney, with plans to launch in other markets later. Videos from TikTok creators who opt-in to the program will be hosted on both the TikTok and Disney Plus platforms, and will feature a host of scenes and characters from Disney’s brands, including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. Disney says the jointly-run creator program will also grant certain perks to participating TikTok creators, including increased visibility, exclusive event access, and career development pathways.

Disney was planning a similar partnership with OpenAI that would have allowed the AI provider’s now defunct Sora video generator to train on and replicate protected Disney IP, in exchange for hosting Sora-made videos on Disney Plus. There’s nothing in Disney’s new partnership with TikTok that specifically excludes AI tools, but we’ve reached out to clarify.