Disney revealed its 2026 franchise ambassadors through promotional materials for The Market, a major shopping event held in Japan. The lineup showcases which characters represent Disney’s core divisions for merchandise, licensing, and marketing throughout the year.
Disney's 'The Market' is initially being held in Tokyo, Japan, from February 25th to March 16th, before traveling to other locations across Japan, including Ishikawa and Osaka. Disney describes The Market as "Disney's largest shopping event":
Disney THE MARKET, Disney's largest shopping event, brings the latest Disney happenings to guests. The theme for 2026 is "Star." Experience the magic of Disney woven by all the shining characters!
While you might not be able to participate in the event yourself, it is notable which characters and movies Disney decides to highlight for each of its major studios, including Marvel Studios, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney Animation Studios.
These franchise faces indicate what characters Disney believes will be the biggest for marketing, licensing, and merchandising in the year 2026. With big movies like Avengers: Doomsday, The Mandalorian & Grogu, Toy Story 5 & more, Disney has many elite characters to choose from this year.
The 5 Leading Figures Across Disney’s Top Franchises In 2026
Mickey Mouse - Classic Disney
Mickey Mouse remains Disney’s eternal ambassador. The iconic character represents the company’s foundation and timeless appeal across all demographics and markets.
Created in 1928, Mickey transcends individual franchises to embody Disney itself. When consumers worldwide think of Disney, they picture Mickey’s silhouette, round ears, white gloves, and red shorts.
Disney keeps Mickey’s marketing presence consistent year after year because he represents stability. While franchise faces for Star Wars or Marvel rotate based on upcoming releases, Mickey usually anchors Disney’s identity regardless of what movies premiere.
For 2026, Mickey’s selection makes perfect sense. He appeals to multiple generations simultaneously, grandparents who grew up with classic shorts, parents who visited Disney parks as children, and kids discovering him through Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Mickey Mouse Funhouse.
The character’s merchandising potential remains unmatched. From plush toys to clothing, home goods to theme park souvenirs, Mickey’s design works across every product category imaginable.
Spider-Man - Marvel
Spider-Man represents Marvel for 2026, continuing his role as the MCU’s flagship character. The artwork resembles Tom Holland’s suit from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, releasing July 31.
This selection makes strategic sense. Brand New Day arrives as Marvel’s major solo superhero film for 2026. The movie features Holland’s new costume, with brighter reds and blues and a larger spider insignia, closer to classic comic-book design than previous MCU suits.
Holland revealed the suit in August 2025 alongside production kickoff photos. The costume embraces traditional Spider-Man aesthetics while maintaining MCU polish. Marketing materials using this design align perfectly with building awareness for the film’s summer release.
Brand New Day continues Peter Parker’s journey after No Way Home’s mind-wipe ending. The film features street-level threats, including Scorpion, Tombstone, Boomerang, and Tarantula, as well as surprising appearances from Punisher and Hulk.
Spider-Man’s universal appeal makes him Marvel’s natural choice. He resonates across age groups, markets, and demographics. His popularity in Japan, where The Market event occurs, remains exceptionally strong.
Additionally, Spider-Noir (starring Nicolas Cage) premieres May 27 on Prime Video. Multiple Spider-Man projects releasing within the next few months justify prominent marketing placement.
The Mandalorian & Grogu - Star Wars
The Mandalorian & Grogu represents Star Wars for 2026. The Mandalorian & Grogu movie is releasing on May 22, the first theatrical Star Wars film since The Rise of Skywalker.
Grogu’s cultural penetration makes this selection obvious. The character transcended Star Wars fandom to become a mainstream phenomenon. People who never watched The Mandalorian still recognize Baby Yoda.
Grogu’s merchandising success speaks volumes. The character generated hundreds of millions in toy and product sales despite relatively limited screen time. His adorable design appeals to people of all ages, regardless of their Star Wars knowledge.
The movie continues the story of Din Djarin and Grogu following The Mandalorian Season 3. Pedro Pascal returns as the titular bounty hunter alongside Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White.
Featuring Mando & Grogu as Star Wars’ face capitalizes on established popularity while building awareness for the theatrical return.
Woody - Pixar
Woody represents Pixar for 2026 with updated artwork reflecting Toy Story 5’s June 19 release. The cowboy doll remains Pixar’s most iconic character despite Toy Story 4’s seemingly final goodbye.
Toy Story 5 brings Woody back alongside Buzz Lightyear and the gang for a Toy meets Tech story. Bonnie’s obsession with tablet character Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee) creates an existential crisis for traditional toys.
Tom Hanks returns to voice Woody after Toy Story 4 ended with the character leaving Bonnie to help abandoned toys. Pete Docter, Pixar's Chief Creative Officer, confirmed Woody gets "called back to help" when technology threatens playtime.
The first teaser trailer released in November 2025 gained 142 million views within 24 hours, proving the audience's hunger for more Toy Story.
Woody’s selection over Buzz shows his status as the franchise heart. While Buzz is equally interesting, bringing comic relief and action, Woody embodies Toy Story’s emotional core, loyalty, friendship, and finding purpose.
The character’s merchandise potential remains enormous. From plush dolls to collectible figures, Woody appears across every toy category. His Western aesthetic provides a distinct visual identity separate from other Pixar properties.
Elsa & Anna - Disney Animation
Elsa and Anna represent Disney Animation for 2026, securing a spot despite Frozen 3 not releasing until November 24, 2027. The sisters’ enduring popularity justifies continued marketing prominence.
Frozen became a cultural phenomenon, transcending typical Disney princess films. Frozen II earned $1.45 billion worldwide in 2019, becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever until Inside Out 2 surpassed it in 2024.
The franchise’s merchandising empire generates billions annually. From dolls to dresses, soundtracks to theme park attractions, Frozen products remain bestsellers years after the films’ releases.
Frozen 3 concept art revealed at D23 2024 shows Elsa and Anna riding horses toward a mysterious floating city.
Directors Jennifer Lee and Trent Correy helm the film alongside voice cast Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, and Jonathan Groff. Songwriting duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez craft new songs they'd be hoping to match Let It Go’s cultural impact.
Disney already confirmed Frozen 4 is in development, with both sequels filming simultaneously. This unprecedented commitment demonstrates Disney’s confidence in the franchise’s longevity.
Featuring Elsa and Anna for 2026 maintains brand awareness during the build-up to Frozen 3’s 2027 release. The sisters represent Disney Animation’s commercial peak and ongoing relevance.
Disney revealed its 2026 franchise heads in an advertisement for its "The Market" event. Many of the faces, including Woody, The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Spider-Man, were given updated visuals to coincide with their respective movies this year.
The House of Mouse displayed the faces of Marvel, Disney, Star Wars, Disney Animation, and Pixar, with three key characters from 2025's The Market event (seen below) returning as faces of their respective franchises in 2026.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
