The force is with TikTokers as they get the usage rights to Disney characters

A cry is echoing across TikTok and Disney+: Avengers, assemble!

The superheroes of Marvel are one cast of characters who will become more present on TikTok thanks to a deal between the video app and Disney. In a landmark agreement, the Mouse House has given TikTokers the right to use the memorable likenesses and scenes from franchises like Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and FX.

According to a Disney press release, TikTok creators will get access to “hundreds of films and series from Disney’s vast library of enduring franchises and beloved IP.” That content will be available for use in short-form videos.

“The best storytellers are fans first,” said Disney Chief Marketing and Brand Officer Asad Ayaz in a statement. “That has always been true at Disney, and today, fans are celebrating our stories in entirely new ways. This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we tell and the creativity they inspire, giving creators a bigger stage to share what they’ve made, and audiences more to discover on Disney+ every day.”

The partnership will be mutually beneficial. TikTokers will be able to bring a professional touch to film- and TV-oriented content, and Disney will port some of the resulting TikToks over to its Verts hub. That’s the name of a TikTok-style format that launched earlier this year on Disney+ and has since become Disney’s entry point into the creator economy

For Disney, forging connections with creators is a way to keep up with the competition. Netflix’s spending spree has brought scads of creator videos to its shores, while Amazon Prime Video has formed an alliance with MrBeast.

Disney is doubly incentivized to buy into creators because of its status as a film and TV company. Through secret screenings and viral clip channels, TikTokers have become dominant forces in the world of film criticism — and some creators have even become Hollywood hitmakers themselves. According to TikTok, its users shared an average of 6.5 million film and TV-related posts on the app during each day of 2025.

Using those voices as marketing vehicles is therefore a no-brainer. Disney experimented with licensing its IP when it brought its characters to ChatGPT last December. Mickey Mouse’s premiere on TikTok transports that effort to one of the biggest creator platforms in the world.

Initially, Disney will pilot its agreement with TikTok in the U.S. before expanding to other regions in the future. The first creators videos featuring Disney IP are expected to arrive “in the coming months.”