The Magic Castle goes web3

Let’s play a game of “what if”: Disney enters web3 through IP acquisitions.The why, who, and how of it. Hypothetically, of course.

October 07, 2022

Disney is an entertainment company. A big one. They do many things, but it’s an IP company at its core.

Over the years, they’ve expanded by acquiring leading IPs like Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel.

Their recipe is to pick up established content brands and run them through the infamous Disney flywheel.

The World of Disney-tization and the flywheel effect

From movies & tv through merchandise to amusement parks and more. Disney is an entertainment amplifier. One that already got a keen interest in the web3:

  • Experimenting with digital collectibles

  • Setting up a new “Metaverse division” at the company

  • Onboarding several web3 co’s to their tech accelerator this year

And the latest news: looking to recruit a corporate lawyer with a special focus on NFTs and transactions.

Disney + ???

I’m pretty sure Disney already has a list of brands they are interested in. Who’s at the top of that list? I think it’s Doodles.

It's an established project with a strong community and friendly vibes that gel with Disney. 

With Doodles or a similar brand, Disney could

  • Run their previous playbook of expanding the IP across channels and formats

  • Reaching an attractive and important audience segment

  • Run a web3 native brand through the flywheel, adapt the flywheel, and then run existing IP “the other way through”

The Big Brain Play

The big question: Can a big company like Disney adjust its approach and not run the corporate train all over the community?

The big-brain play would be to approach it with openness and humility. Learning from the community. Daring to experiment with things like co-created content and community ownership.

Keeping the vibes.

On the other hand, a public company has to serve shareholder interest. It’s a tricky balance. One that I’m sure we’ll get to see play out quite soon.