Disney & OpenAI Deal Will 'Help the Creative Process' For Other Programming

Disney CEO Bob Iger outlined the future of Disney’s relationship with OpenAI during the Q1 Disney investor call this morning.

Sora AI and Disney+

A man in a blue shirt sits smiling in an office with a large window. Behind him, there is a lamp, shelves, and a Mickey Mouse figurine—a nod to the Disney executives who frequent this vibrant workspace.

When asked about the future relationship between Disney and Sora through OpenAI, which was announced in December 2025, Iger explained the outlook of the current licensing agreement. The three-year agreement dictates that users can generate 30-second videos featuring roughly 250 Disney characters without a human face or voice. Those videos can then be put on Disney+.

“Because we have obviously noticed the huge growth in short form and user-generated content on other platforms, such as YouTube,” Iger explained, “so what this deal does is by giving us the ability to curate what has been basically created by Sora onto Disney+, is that jumpstarts our ability to have short form video on Disney+. Additionally, it’s our hope that we will use the Sora tools to enable subscribers of Disney+ to create short-form videos on our platform, through Sora.”

He further noted that the integration of user-generated content onto Disney+ could greatly increase engagement. Iger said he doesn’t foresee AI impacting other programming, however, and that if used as a tool, it could actually “help the creative process.” He also sees this integration as a means for Disney to have a “more intimate relationship with the customer” by creating that additional engagement.

This integration with Disney+ is set to roll out sometime in “fiscal 2026.”

As we previously reported, some of the characters that will be available through Sora include: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo, Stitch, Ariel, Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Baymax, Simba, Mufasa, as well as characters from the worlds of Encanto, Frozen, Inside Out, Moana, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Up, and Zootopia. There will be animated or illustrated versions of Marvel and Lucasfilm characters like Black Panther, Captain America, Deadpool, Groot, Iron Man, Loki, Thor, Thanos, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia, the Mandalorian, Stormtroopers, and Yoda.

What are your thoughts on this new AI short-form video pivot? Let us know on social media.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.