Disney and Webtoon are teaming up on a new digital comics platform that puts more than 35,000 books from Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, and 20th Century Studios under one roof. Webtoon will build and operate the app. Disney calls it an expansion of Marvel Unlimited rather than a straight replacement, and the companies are framing it as a single subscription service with both classic runs and current series in one place.
What Disney Announced
Disney and Webtoon signed a non-binding term sheet to develop the platform and outlined plans for a broad library that mixes traditional page layouts with vertical scroll. The slate stretches across decades of Marvel back issues and other Disney franchises, along with a selection of Webtoon Originals. Disney also plans to take a 2 percent equity stake in Webtoon Entertainment, pending final agreements.
What Disney+ Subscribers Get
This is not “comics inside Disney+.” Instead, Disney+ members will get access to a curated selection of titles in the new comics app at no extra charge through the Disney+ Perks program. Think of it as a sampler that funnels fans into the full experience without changing the Disney+ app itself.
What It Means for Marvel Unlimited
Marvel Unlimited is still in the picture. The announcement says the new platform will provide decades of iconic comics for current MU subscribers. What it does not say is that MU automatically becomes “all access” to everything on day one. Pricing, bundles, and whether MU’s usual three-month delay on new issues will carry over are all open questions.
How the App Will Work
Webtoon is running the tech and product side, which likely means a modern mobile experience, vertical scroll options for certain series, and a library that surfaces both archived and in-progress runs. The companies also say select material will be localized for Korean and Japanese platforms, a nod to Webtoon’s global footprint.
Why This Matters
If you read digital comics, your options have been scattered among publisher apps and ebook stores since Comixology was folded into Kindle. A Disney-Webtoon platform with Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and 20th Century Studios in one subscription would be the largest Western library under a single login. Adding a Disney+ Perks on-ramp could introduce a lot of new readers to backlist storylines and make long running series easier to explore from the start.
What We Still Do Not Know
- Launch timing and price
- How existing Marvel Unlimited plans will map to the new service
- Whether there will be day-and-date releases or a delay window for new issues
- How creator credits and revenue share will work on Webtoon-format exclusives
- Regional availability beyond the initial localization plans
The Bottom Line
This is a big swing at making digital comics easier to find and read. Disney gets a broader funnel for its franchises. Webtoon gets premium catalog depth to pair with a format and audience it already understands. If the rollout is smooth and the bundle is fair, this could become the default subscription for a lot of casual and lapsed readers.
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