Photos/Video: The Trivia, Artistry, and Announcements of "The Future of Digital Comics" Panel at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event features panels and celebrations from literally every arm of the Walt Disney Company - including a special presentation about the future of Digital Comics with Marvel, Disney, and WEBTOON.
The special panel gave fans the chance to explore beloved worlds in a whole new way as Disney, Marvel, and WEBTOON come together to spotlight iconic comics stories reimagined for WEBTOON's immersive, mobile-first vertical format.
The panel featured a number of creatives who know first hand how the stories are coming to the new digital format, including Susan Cheng, a Managing Producer at WEBTOON; Erik Kozura, WEBTOON Producer; and C.B. Cebulski, Editor, Asia Originals at Marvel Comics. The panel was moderated by Krystina Arielle, Actor and Host and US Correspondent for BBC Doctor Who.
It was during this event that Disney Publishing announced Disney Cursed Love, an all-new romantasy initiative inspired by some of Disney’s most iconic love stories. Disney Cursed Love will engage readers through seductive, action-packed romantasy adventure, entangled in dark magic, terrible curses, and epic romance. The initiative will debut with The Curse of a Forsaken Heart from #1 NYT Best-Selling Author Emily McIntire and Artist Samairu, and will be available first on WEBTOON as a webcomic before expanding into print across multiple formats in 2027.
The Curse of a Forsaken Heart will follow Belle and the Beast (in human form) as they get sucked into a magical world through an enchanted stained-glass window. Once trapped, they quickly realize the fate of the realm is tied to the kingdom’s princess, Emberlynne: a woman who didn’t yield to the marriage proposal of an evil sorcerer. As a result of her refusal, the entire kingdom is cursed to live without love and anyone who steps foot inside it is also cursed. Belle and the Beast will have to not only find their way back to their own love, but also help the princess find hers in order to lift the curse from the kingdom and return home.
Emily McIntire shared at the event, "If you're a Disney fan, you'll get that nostalgic feeling — Belle and her prince are there, living happily ever after, and then they're pulled into this world with new characters. I love putting in Easter eggs that give you that butterfly feeling from the first time you fell in love with these legendary Disney characters, and hopefully fans fall in love with these new characters just as much."
Fans can also look forward to new titles joining over 20 existing reformatted series on WEBTOON—all of which are available in the dedicated Disney section of the English-language WEBTOON app. The next wave of series coming to WEBTOON is:
- Star Wars: Visions The Followers of Ankok (2023)
- Star Wars: Visions The Ronin and the Droid (2024)
- Disney Villains Hades (2023)
- Disney Villains Maleficent (2023)
- Disney Villains Ursula (2026)
- Gravity Falls: Lost Legends (2018)
- The Ultimates (2024)
This announcement builds on the ongoing collaboration between Disney, Marvel, and WEBTOON, which has already brought over 20 fan-favorite comics to WEBTOON's vertical-scroll format, all available in the dedicated Disney section of the English-language WEBTOON app. Additional details and release timing for Disney Cursed Love and the newly announced reformatted titles will be shared at a later date.
In the meantime, you can watch the full panel in our video below.
- Taking place from August 14 through August 16, 2026, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event promises to be more expansive and immersive than ever before with three packed days of showcases filled with stars and storytellers, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes moments, thrilling performances, shopping, surprises, and more.
- For more information, news, and fun from the event, be sure to check out our D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event landing!