Webtoon Stock Soars 55% After Earnings. Thank Luke Skywalker and Spider-Man.

Webtoon shares surged on Wednesday after the online comic-book platform struck a deal with Disney. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Webtoon Entertainment stock skyrocketed on Wednesday after the company posted strong earnings and unveiled a deal that will bring Disney characters such as Luke Skywalker and Spider-Man to its online comic-book platform.

Shares soared 62% to $15.16 in early trading. The S&P 500 was 0.4% higher.

The surge came after Webtoon said late Tuesday it had struck a deal with Disney that will make comics including Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, and Star Wars available to users. South Korean-American company Webtoon’s platform, which has about 155 million monthly active users, already features the likes of Archie and DC Comics.

The company also posted a surprise profit and better-than-expected sales figures. It reported an adjusted second-quarter profit of 7 cents a share, as revenue climbed 8.5% from a year ago to $348.3 million. Analysts were expecting an adjusted loss of 14 cents a share on revenue of $340.6 million, according to a FactSet poll.

Webtoon went public via an initial public offering in June 2024. Shares have struggled since then, tumbling 55% as of Tuesday’s close. The S&P 500 is up 18% over the same period.

Write to George Glover at george.glover@dowjones.com