Disney is dropping $1 billion into a deal with OpenAI, giving fans the keys to an AI toybox packed with 200+ characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars.

Here’s the short version:
Disney + OpenAI = You get to make your own mini-movies.

Using OpenAI’s video tool Sora, anyone will be able to type in a prompt and instantly generate short clips starring animated versions of icons like Mickey, Simba, Ariel, Black Panther, Loki, Darth Vader, Stormtroopers — basically the whole castle except the human actors themselves. No real actor faces or voices allowed. Only animated, masked, or creature characters are on the menu. You can play with animated Captain America — not Chris Evans’ actual mug. This is the first time a major studio has opened its character vault to AI. Disney’s betting big that generative video is the future, and the early versions arrive in 2026. Disney+ is getting AI content too. Subscribers will start seeing curated AI-created shorts, plus new interactive features powered by ChatGPT across Disney’s ecosystem.