Disney’s $1B Deal With OpenAI Will Bring Iconic Characters to Sora AI Videos

Disney brings more than 200 of its biggest characters, from Marvel to Star Wars and Pixar, to OpenAI Sora AI social media app and AI images in a billion-dollar equity investment deal, the companies announced Thursday. This means that Sora users will soon be able to generate AI videos featuring any character included by Disney, without fear of copyright infringement.

Sora is the sister app of ChatGPT. It is an AI social media application, allowing its users to create and share AI-generated videos. Its popularity skyrocketed after its launch in September, with the app quickly reaching place no. 1 in the Apple and Google Play stores, peaking in popularity this fall.

AI models like Sora have been frequent targets copyright infringement lawsuitscopyright holders claiming that AI companies allow their users to create unauthorized ultra-realistic versions of their protected characters. Disney is currently pursuing Mid-term AI for this, calling the AI ​​company a “bottomless pit of plagiarism”. With this new agreement, Disney explicitly authorizes OpenAI for Sora to use its intellectual property. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, filed a lawsuit in April against OpenAI, alleging that it violated Ziff Davis’ copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.)

Based on what we know so far about the three-year licensing deal, Sora users will have access to more than 200 “animated, masked and creature” characters from its most popular franchises starting in early 2026. Marvel superheroes, Disney princesses and Star Wars icons will all be reproducible in AI video clips. Environments (like the world of Encanto), costumes, props and vehicles are also included.

However, talent likeness – that is, the likenesses of real humans in Disney TV shows and movies – is not part of this deal, nor are voices. Theoretically, this means you could create an AI video of Rocket Raccoon, but it wouldn’t include Bradley Cooper’s voice.

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One of the reasons the Sora app is so popular is its ability to create extremely realistic depictions of people, which has led to widespread concerns about its deepfake capabilities. Celebrities and public figures have spoken openly about the potential harm. The estate of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., actor Bryan Cranston and the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA all stretched out their hands to OpenAI with concerns.

Disney and OpenAI said in their statements that the companies “affirmed their shared commitment to maintaining robust controls” to prevent Sora users from creating illegal or harmful content. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the nature of these controls.

“Rapid advances in artificial intelligence mark an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly expand the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in the press release.

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The deal also makes Disney “a major customer” of OpenAI. Disney employees will have access to ChatGPT and the entertainment company will use APIs to “create new products, tools and experiences.” Part of this deal will apply to Disney Plus, with the company saying its Disney Plus streaming subscribers will be able to watch select Sora AI videos on the Disney Plus app. Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on other potential use cases for OpenAI technology.

To find out more, see our guide to copyright and AI and the best AI video generators.