Disney ramps up trading-card strategy as stars trade memorabilia for cards

Disney Consumer Products is betting heavily on the booming trading-card market, which analysts estimate at $50 billion a year and whose revenue for Disney has reportedly quadrupled since 2023. The trend was underscored at Fanatics Fest in New York when Ryan Reynolds swapped a Dogpool card for a Hugh Jackman-signed Wolverine card, showing how celebrities are drawn into the craze. Divya Dalal, vice-president of global hardlines, explained that cards attract a rare mix of ages, from seven-year-olds to retirees, and can be sold at a wide range of price points.

Disney’s collaborations include Topps for Chrome Disney and Marvel sets, Ravensburger for the Lorcana game, and Hasbro for Marvel-themed Magic: The Gathering cards. The company is also blending cards with its physical locations, such as Lorcana passport experiences at Epcot, and plans to move its consumer-products unit into the Entertainment division to tighten studio coordination. Executives stress that nostalgia for Disney’s decades-old characters fuels demand, making cards a versatile revenue stream alongside traditional toys and apparel.